19 World Superyacht Awards 2015 winners

Displacement Motor Yacht of 1,300GT to 2,999GT of 75m and Above: Kismet

Award sponsored by Holland Jachtbouw

This was perhaps the most difficult class for the judges to decide as they agreed that all of the yachts were highly attractive, having been built to the most demanding standards with little regard to cost, while their differences largely resulted from their owners’ specific requirements.

The judges considered that every aspect of all four yachts was well thought out and this was demonstrated by the fact that every yacht was singled out as the winner by at least one judge. But each jury member awards marks to every yacht and this means that their second, third and fourth choices are also important in determining the overall result.

When the results of the secret ballot were announced it was 95.2 metre Lürssen yacht  Kismet that narrowly headed the scoreboard. This yacht, they felt, is a true all-rounder combining impeccable construction, with appealing exterior design, great deck areas, and a tasteful interior that suits a wide audience.

Builder: Lürssen Yachts
Naval Architect: Lürssen Yachts
Exterior Design: Espen Øino International
Interior Design: Reymond Langton

Displacement Motor Yacht of 1,300GT to 2,999GT of Below 75m: Grace E

Award sponsored by Embraer Executive Jets

Despite their wide range of backgrounds and individual tastes, the judges were of one mind in deciding a winner for this class – a degree of agreement rarely seen in this competitive environment. The yacht that stood out was 73 metre  Grace E, the third vessel in the Vitruvius series designed by Philippe Briand and built by the Perini Navi-owned company Picchiotti.

The judges were particularly impressed by the purposeful good looks of her attractively clean, modern exterior lines, but they also admired her interior layout, her calm yet detailed decorative scheme from the celebrated French designer Rémi Tessier, and the high quality of construction achieved by Perini Navi. Not least, the judges also noted that her miserly fuel consumption, long range and economy of operation made her a vessel that is ideally suited to the modern era.

Builder: Picchiotti – Perini Navi Group
Naval Architect: Philippe Briand/ Vitruvius
Exterior Design: Philippe Briand/Vitruvius
Interior Design: Rémi Tessier

Displacement Motor Yacht of Below 500GT of 44m and Above: Elena

Following the screening of pictures of all the yachts in this class the judges entered a lively debate on the merits and otherwise of each of the five finalists. But it was the result of the secret ballot that determined the winner and this showed a clear preference for 46.7 metre Elena, which covered the widest range of judging parameters.

This yacht, the judges felt, provided well balanced and extremely pleasant living areas, both on deck and inside, for the owner and his guests while the crew, for whom good living and service facilities ensure the proper running of a modern yacht, was equally well provided for. Particularly admired were the fully featured sundeck and the spacious master suite.

Builder: Heesen Yachts
Naval Architect: Heesen Yachts
Exterior Design: Omega Architects/Heesen Yachts
Interior Design: Omega Architects

Judges' Commendation: Logica

While Elena was the best all-rounder, the highest-scoring yacht for her exterior design was Logica, which receives a Judges’ Commendation.

Displacement Motor Yacht of Below 500GT of 30m to 43.99m: Onika

Award sponsored by Royal Huisman

To determine the winner in this, the smallest of the Displacement classes, the judges found it necessary to examine each of the five finalists in the smallest detail. Appearance, general arrangement of the yacht’s interior and exterior areas, together with the ambiance provided by its interior design, its construction quality, and mechanical and technical issues were all discussed and taken into account on the individual marking sheets completed by each judge.

While noting that some aspects of this yacht, such as her tender storage on the bridge deck aft, might not fit European ideals, the judges nevertheless chose 40.5 metre  Onika, which they described as a superbly built yacht with an elegant and stately classic appearance. Her efficient hull shape, and hence fuel efficiency and long range, perfectly suited the oceanic and coastal cruising ambitions of her US owner, for whom the spacious exterior living areas and the Edwardian-inspired interior are perfectly suited.

Builder: Delta Marine
Naval Architect: Delta Design Group
Exterior Design: Delta Design Group
Interior Design: Delta Design Group

Legacy Award: Lord Irvine Laidlaw

Few have achieved more on the regatta circuit than this year’s winner

The winner of this year’s Legacy Award very nearly didn’t progress beyond his first experience of sailing – aboard a sailing school yacht in the English Channel during a gale. Lord Irvine Laidlaw remembers it as “rough, cold and a bit scary!” but it taught him that sailing was sufficiently demanding to be of interest, while it had the added benefit of forcing his mind off his demanding job.

A year later, he and a partner bought an unfinished Varne 27 that was languishing on wasteland near Tower Bridge in London. It took another year to get the yacht ready for launch, but in 1976 Tower Maid splashed into the Thames and was soon cruising the south coast of England. It wasn’t too long before he caught the racing bug, and the Varne 27 was followed by two fully owned Westerlys: a GK29 and GK34, the latter becoming the first of his now internationally famous series of Highland Fling yachts.

Moving to Hong Kong and then Singapore didn’t mean his racing career suffered – far from it. He competed in the 1981 Admiral’s Cup, and placed second in the 1985 One Ton Cup with his third Highland Fling. He later captained Singapore’s Admiral’s Cup team and was a member of the winning British team at Sydney’s Southern Cross event. A second visit to the Southern Cross in 1987 was less successful, but still notable: while there he met his wife, Christine.

A move into Swans meant he could still compete and drive his own boats, and a long association with the brand began. His Swans crept upwards in size from the 14 metre Highland Fling No. 4 to the 18.3 metre Highland Fling No. 7 as he raced at every Swan event and most of the world’s “serious but fun” regattas. A foray into the Wally Class saw him racing a 24.4 metre Farr design, after which he built the Reichel/Pugh 82, Highland Fling No. 15 – the incredibly fast sailboat that he currently owns, along with a Ker 46 that he keeps and races in Cape Town. He also has a Swan 112 in build.

This sort of sailing history would mark anyone out as a dedicated yachtsman, but this owner has a second arrow in his quiver: motor yachts. By the 1990s he had started working his way through a series of motor yachts, all named Lady Christine. First came a 23 metre Azimut, then a 38 metre Heesen and a 55.6 metre Oceanco, before building his current Lady Christine, a magnificent 68 metre Feadship that is currently in the Maldives. He has also owned the 34 metre Sunseeker Frivolous, and the 40 metre Seaflower, another Feadship, which he sold and has just repurchased.

There cannot be many yachtsmen who have achieved so much in the dual fields of sailboat racing and motor yachting over the past 40 years, and for this, our deserved winner of this year’s Legacy Award is Lord Irvine Laidlaw.

Semi-displacement or Planing Three-deck Motor Yacht of Above 40m: Polaris

Award sponsored by Esenyacht

This class, made up of large, fast semi-displacement yachts, was contested by five famous, well respected yards known for their semi-custom, series-production designs. While each yacht displayed a selection of excellent features and facilities, an overwhelming proportion of the jury homed in on 49 metre  Polaris, the second vessel in the new and exciting Prince Shark 49 design for Rossinavi by Enrico Gobbi’s talented Team for Design.

With her gross tonnage optimised at just below 500GT this militarily styled yacht delivers a top speed of 24 knots despite the nine tonnes of marble that adorn her, while she can cross oceans at 9.5 knots with her 3,800 nautical mile range at this speed. The judges were particularly impressed by her spacious, fully featured deck areas and a well laid out interior that meets all the needs of the owner and his guests as well as the comfort and working requirements of the crew.

Builder: Rossinavi
Naval Architect: Arrabito Naval Architects
Exterior Design:  Team for Design – Enrico Gobbi
Interior Design:  Team For Design - Enrico Gobbi

Semi-displacement or Planing Three-deck Motor Yacht of 30m to 40m: So'Mar

Award sponsored by Maybach Icons of Luxury

Four finalists, three built from FRP and one from wood-epoxy, evenly spaced across the size category competed for a Neptune in this class. All had been visited by one or more judges, who briefed the remainder of the jury on those elements which could not be determined from the written text and photographs contained in the Judges’ Dossier, prior to a lively discussion concerning their relative merits.

It was not an easy choice as each yacht excelled in some area, but when the ballot was counted 37.9 metre  So’Mar was a clear winner. Some judges had selected her on the grounds of her clean, modern lines and efficient long-range performance, while others liked her practical interior layout with its enviable master suite on the upper deck. Clearly this yacht is a winner when it comes to satisfying a wide range of tastes.

Builder: Tansu
Naval Architect: Diana Yacht Design
Exterior Design: Tansu
Interior Design: Tansu

Refitted Yacht (tie for first place): Amore Mio 2

Award sponsored by Amels

Four yachts were considered by the jury in the Refit Class, a category that is defined by the judges as one in which the work carried out is largely cosmetic but nevertheless represents a notable upgrade to the vessel and her amenities. The amount and quality of the work carried out, the resulting improvement, and the time in which these were achieved, are all factors considered by the jury. When the results of the ballot were announced, Alumercia and Amore Mio 2 had scored exactly the same total.

Along with other much needed work Amore Mio 2, the 52 metre Abeking & Rasmussen yacht launched in 1997 as Sea Jewel, received a very thorough interior refit that transformed her dated interior into a comfortable modern environment, again in a three-month period.

Original Builder: Abeking & Rasmussen
Refit Yard: CPN
Naval Architect: Espen Øino International
Exterior Design: Espen Øino International
Interior Design: FM Architettura d’Interni

Rebuilt Yacht: Ancallia

Award sponsored by Sabrina Monte-Carlo

The Rebuilt Yacht Class considers substantially rebuilt yachts that have been subject to extensive structural metalwork, machinery replacement and significant changes to the former general arrangement and decorative scheme. Once again, the extent and quality of the work and the degree of transformation are major factors considered by the jury.

Three worthy yachts were entered in this class and the subject of considerable debate by the judges. Following the ballot, it was clear that the works to 45.8 metre  Ancallia, originally launched by Feadship in 1984 as Bridlewood, had impressed slightly more than the works carried out to MySeannaAncallia, which is now available for charter, had been entirely gutted and stripped to bare metal, before receiving new machinery and a totally new interior by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler Interior Design, to make her almost indistinguishable from a new Feadship of her period – a magnificent and worthwhile achievement in the judges’ view.

Original Builder: C. Van Lent & Zonen/Feadship
Refit Yard: Atlas Shipyards
Refit Naval Architect: Navinco/George Tsokris
Exterior Design: Michael Kirschstein/Dominic Skinner
Interior Design: Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler Interior Design

Charter superyacht Ancallia

Judges' Special Award: Shemara

A Judges' Special Award went to 64.5 metre Shemara. The judges were impressed by the dedication shown by the owner of Shemara in restoring the yacht to her former glory and saving an excellent example of a 1930s period yacht for posterity. The 1938 boat was relaunched after a three-year, one million man-hour rebuild project. The result retains Shemara’s original character but with far superior spaces both on deck and within, and with all mod cons added – including a Rolls-Royce diesel-electric drive train with twin azimuthing pods aft instead of conventional shafts.

Quality & Value: Farfalla

Award sponsored by Gassan

Presented to a yacht entered for these awards which, in the opinion of the jury, best represents the elusive combination of high quality and good value, this year’s prize was awarded to the 31.78 metre sloop Farfalla, built by Southern Wind in South Africa to drawings by Farr Yacht Design.

In the jury’s view, this attractively priced yacht will provide her owner with the ability to cruise the oceans in comfort and safety, as well as providing him with the option of keenly contested racing. Fully tested before delivery on a 7,000 mile maiden voyage to Europe under sail, Farfalla offers performance, comfort and reliability at an exceptional price.

Builder: Southern Wind Shipyard
Naval Architect: Farr Yacht Design
Exterior Design: Nauta Yachts
Interior Design: Nauta Yachts

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