The winners of the World Superyacht Awards 2017

The winners of the World Superyacht Awards 2017 were announced at a glittering ceremony held at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence in May 2017. Click through to see all the winners.

This year, nine motor yachts – the winners of each of the motor yacht classes – competed for the coveted title of Motor Yacht of the Year. When deciding this award, the difficulty of comparing such diverse yachts is always a hard task for the judges, but they are always aware that they are seeking the ‘very best of the best’ – a vessel that is truly extraordinary by any measure. As such, it was clear that Dilbar had to take the title.

Not only is she arguably the most complex and challenging yacht ever to be built, but she is also the largest ever built in terms of gross tonnage. All aspects of her design and construction were, in the unanimous view of those judges who had visited her, quite superb. The quality of construction of her interior, which uses rare materials and striking surface finishes in abundance, is truly spectacular, as is the indoor swimming pool with a capacity of 180 cubic metres, the largest ever installed on a yacht. This yacht is a worthy winner.

The choice of Sailing Yacht of the Year was between two very different yachts – My Song, the extremely fast yet at the same time elegant racer/cruiser that has already demonstrated its winning abilities in competition, and Sybaris, an ultra-large yacht designed to cruise the extremities of the world in comfort. It was a difficult decision, but when the ballot was counted it was Sybaris that came out on top, being a ground-breaking world class sailing yacht.

Sybaris not only impressed the judges with its sailing ability – particularly in light airs when many yachts of this size resort to mechanical power – but also in the yacht’s supreme comfort and optimum division of internal volume that entirely suits the owner’s needs. Some technical innovations have already been mentioned, but there are more in that the sail plan, rig and underwater appendages were subjected to extensive CFD testing, which allowed detailed optimisation of rig, hull shape and appendages. Beautiful, capable, comfortable, and technically advanced this is a yacht that was considered supreme for its purpose.

There were three entries in this year’s Voyager’s Award and as the judges considered them all to be of high merit, the task of selecting a winner was not easy. But a winner had to be selected and the judges homed in upon a particularly well-planned cruise by the 49 metre Glaze, which is currently engaged on a circumnavigation with the owners and their young family. The element of this cruise submitted to the jury was in North West Australia, between Wyndham and Broome, where they visited the remote, spectacular and extremely rugged coastline known as The Kimberleys.

This adventure-packed cruise explored the region’s many inlets and rivers, mostly poorly or totally uncharted, and included many sightings of crocodiles and sharks, as well as experiences such as dipping their yacht’s bows in waterfalls tumbling down the vertical red cliffs, whirlpools, tidal rapids, and visits to Aboriginal cave art, and even the well-preserved remains of a DC3 aircraft downed in WWII. This voyage will surely be an inspiration to all who follow.

This year’s event saw eight yachts enter the Refit Class. The judges noted that while all had been subjected to worthy ‘end of season’ maintenance, repair and improvement, they were seeking a winner from among those who had either completed visionary upgrades, or whose endeavours had resulted in significant improvements.

The entry that stood out from the crowd was that carried out to the 85 metre Aquila, formerly Cakewalk, whose owners chose to refit an existing yacht to suit their anticipated use and decorative taste, rather than wait five years for a new-build to be delivered. At the same time the yacht’s five-year survey and significant technical upgrades were also undertaken. This extensive work, undertaken by Pendennis Shipyard in Falmouth, England, with interior design and decoration by RWD and Susan Young Interiors over a twelve month period was, in the judges opinion carried out to exemplary standards, with the result fully meeting the owners brief. Today, unrecognisable from her former self, Aquila is the pride of her new owners.

Legend, one of the three yachts entered for this year’s Rebuilt category stood out from the others. When an owner’s objective is to create a world-roaming expedition yacht with Lloyds A1 Ice Class, and Polar classification, an ex-Russian tug is a pretty good starting point, despite the vessel being 34 years old. This vessel had already been converted into a superyacht but the new owner’s additional requirement for full SOLAS and MCA 13-36 passenger status meant that only the hull, which was extended by 3.6 metres with a remodelled stern to incorporate a bathing platform and 16-person swimming pool, and her main engines could remain intact.

The superstructure was modified to soften her lines but perhaps the most difficult aspects of the rebuild, which was carried out by ICON Yachts, was the installation of a fully classified helipad with refuelling facilities while bringing her into SOLAS compliance. In the view of the judges, this was a highly successful rebuild that readied her for operations in high-latitudes, where she has already cruised.

Judges’ Commendation: RH3

This top-to-toe rethinking of a proven explorer into a comfortable, intimate family yacht that will soon embark on a circumnavigation brought RH3 a worthy commendation from the judges.

The appearance of a yacht is always an important factor and the judges were drawn to Gipsy, a three-deck 35 metre aluminium-built yacht, for her clean ‘no nonsense’ exterior lines, together with the highly practical optimisation of her exterior spaces. They also felt that her top speed of 20 knots and 2,000 nautical mile range at a cruising speed of 11-knots further added to this appeal.

A more detailed examination of the yacht revealed a high volume, thoughtfully laid-out interior that positions the dining area forward on the main deck and the owner’s cabin aft of the bridge, and one that also provides good access between the crew and guest areas on the lower deck to aid the servicing of the cabins. A stylishly modern style of interior decoration perfectly complements her exterior lines, particularly the highly functional main saloon that incorporates a movie theatre. The judges considered that this compact but extremely well designed yacht, which completely meets the needs of her experienced owner, is a worthy winner in this class.

This class, which contains the largest vessels of the sub-500 gross ton displacement yachts, is always hotly contested and the judges spent a good deal of time examining all aspects of each entrant before completing their secret-ballot sheets. The results showed La Passion, the first vessel to be launched from the Turkish-based SARP Yachts, to be the narrow winner. This is not only a particularly noteworthy achievement for a new yard, but one that rewarded their dedication to ‘getting everything right’ before exhibiting their product.

In the judges’ view, La Passion has steered a well-considered course through the minefield of decisions that lie in the route to a successful yacht. The judges admired almost every aspect of this well-considered vessel, from the world-roaming seaworthiness and efficiency of the hull, to the quality of construction of its steel hull and GRP superstructure and the clean simplicity of its appearance. The layout of the deck areas, and the elegantly modern interior design were also strong points. This new yard has announced its arrival in grand style.

Judges’ Commendation: Domani

The fifth yacht to be built by Benetti for this knowledgeable owner, Domani is an excellent example of good craftsmanship and the yard’s ability to satisfy the owner’s exact wishes. The judges considered her to be worthy of a Commendation.

Today, most yachts are similar in their layout so it is quite unusual to come across a yacht specifically designed for a task that reaches beyond this norm. The judges immediately identified Cloudbreak as such a yacht and she became the focus of their attention.

This yacht was created for, and by, an owner who knew exactly what he wanted – to be an explorer-styled vessel tailored to his wish to practice adventure sports on land and sea at both low and high latitudes – and this unique yacht is specifically designed to support mountaineering and hiking, as well as snow sports of all disciplines. Operating in remote areas calls for fully certified helicopter facilities as well as a wide range of tenders and toys, and a fully equipped ski-room that would not be out of place in Zermatt. Combine this with exterior design and interior layout by Espen Oeino, and interior design by Christian Liaigre and add the legendary build quality of Abeking & Rasmussen and the resulting yacht is very special.

The judges were impressed by the design, build quality and price of Narvalo, which they felt was a perfect example of a ‘pocket explorer yacht’ that combines sought-after characteristics with excellent value for money. Built by Cantiere delle Marche to a design by Nauta and naval architecture by Hydrotec, Narvalo offers all the essential elements of an explorer, including long range, good autonomy in respect of supplies that allows her to remain at sea for extended periods, high internal volume, a sturdy and well equipped 5.5 metre tender and good seaworthiness.

On top of this, she can also fill the role of a traditional motor yacht, with well-sized cabins, an internal dining saloon and two lounges, as well as spacious well considered deck areas. Importantly for a vessel that will remain at sea for long periods, the volume and facilities of the crew spaces provided in a yacht of this size, were also admired by the judges. Finishing second in her class to a much more costly vessel, she is a worthy winner of this award.

Alex Dreyfoos has been a yacht owner throughout his life, first owning a Rybovich sport-fisherman in 1963, followed by a Burger and a 43.6 metre Feadship. So that his wife Renate could share his ambitions for far-ranging exploration, he investigated a variety of hull-forms that might reduce her suffering from motion sickness and he discovered the SWATH (small waterplane area twin hull) concept and he approached Abeking & Rasmussen, who were not only builders of superb yachts but were also experts in commercial SWATH vessels. Tests confirmed the benefits of this design, and he commissioned A&R to build his current 40.8 metre SWATH superyacht, Silver Cloud. This vessel, in which the owners have enjoyed many adventurous cruises, has proved most successful.

Dreyfoos, an MIT and Harvard graduate has earned an Oscar for his technical contribution to the world of motion pictures, holds many patents for innovations in electronics and photography. He is also an arts philanthropist, a scuba diver, an exceptional photographer, and has aided oceanic research by carrying scientific equipment aboard Silver Cloud.