The World Superyacht Awards celebrate the finest yachts launched and refitted each year, recognising the projects that push the boundaries of design, engineering and craftsmanship. But how exactly does that judging work — and what makes a yacht worthy of a World Superyacht Award? BOAT speaks to the judges to find out…
What if the world’s newest superyachts were judged not by editors or industry committees, but by the people who understand them best - their owners? When the idea was first proposed more than two decades ago, it was a radical departure from the norm.
At the time, most yachting awards were determined by the organisations or publications hosting them, and in many cases, that remains the model today. But BOAT International set out to create something different: a peer-led judging process in which experienced yacht owners would evaluate the latest launches and refits across the industry. From that concept, the World Superyacht Awards were born in 2005.
Central to the process is the annual World Superyacht Awards judges’ meeting, where the panel gathers to debate the merits of each entry and decide the winners. Chaired by one of the judges, the session forms the cornerstone of the awards weekend, which brings the panel together for two days of deliberations and cultural events.
Read More/In pictures: The World Superyacht Awards 2026 judging weekendFor current chair Richard Raper, former owner of a 39-metre sailing yacht, 2026 is a bittersweet one as he steps down after eight successful years leading the judging panel.
“The World Superyacht Awards are about recognising the best of the best,” he says. “You see so many different boats and so many different approaches to superyachting, but winning an award is truly difficult - it’s the ultimate achievement.”
For Raper, the best yachts always bear the unmistakable imprint of their owners. “Exceptional yachts have always had lots of owner input,” he explains. “Lots of thought goes into them - getting the sight lines right, the proportions, all the details.” Ultimately, he says, the real test comes when you experience the yacht in person: a winner is one you step aboard and immediately get a good feeling about in the first few steps.
Matthew Voorhees, who has served as a judge for more than a decade, agrees that the awards carry weight precisely because of the experience behind them.
“It’s a very important stamp of approval,” he says. “My experience as an owner gives me sympathy for everyone else who has made the financial sacrifices to create these entries. We understand everything that goes into the process - and it’s exciting to see that other people are as crazy as we are!”
Judging by experience
The awards panel consists of 22 current or former superyacht owners, each with different specialisms and interests, which brings a well-rounded perspective to the judging process. The result, Raper says, is a discussion that draws on a remarkable depth of collective knowledge. “You only have to listen to the combined wisdom around the table,” he says. “If you don’t understand something yourself, somebody else will.”
That breadth of experience is key to the awards’ credibility, adds Sebastian Vibe-Peterson, owner of both a 54-metre and a 52-metre sailing yacht.
“They really know the industry inside out,” he says of the panel. “Many of the judges have built a superyacht from the ground up with some of the world’s most respected shipyards. They’ve visited many others as well, so they have a very good understanding of what a shipyard needs to do to build a boat exactly the way an owner wants it.”
The judging process itself is thorough and often demanding. Judge Ilia Rigas (owner of a 50-metre sailing yacht) explains that the panel makes a concerted effort to visit as many nominated yachts as possible.
“We see different boats, classes and categories,” she says. “We judge the details — the innovations, the flow of the boats, the overall execution. And we also have to make sure that our personal taste doesn’t interfere with what we do and say.”
Driving innovation
Beyond the prestige of the trophies themselves, the awards play a broader role in shaping the industry.
Raper believes the programme helps shipyards and designers measure themselves against the very best. “It allows them to benchmark their performance against the rest of the world,” he says. “And that’s what drives innovation.”
Few people understand that influence better than Tim Ciasulli, former owner of an in-build 42-metre and a previous 40-metre motor yacht owner. “I think it encourages people to build something new and novel and fun and sexy,” he says. “Maybe take some chances along the way - step out of the box.”
Innovation is certainly something the judges are keen to see, but not for its own sake. Ciasulli believes technological advances must ultimately prove their value on the water. “From my perch, I like to see real, usable technology in these yachts,” he says. “It all starts with design - it has to capture the eye - but it also has to be functional. Reliability, durability and quality are critical.”
A competitive year
Each edition of the awards brings a new set of challenges for the judges, and no two years are alike. “You see new entries, new yards taking on the old guard,” says Voorhees. “As a judge, it’s very exciting to watch that process and see the quality that emerges.”
This year, he says, the field is particularly competitive. “We have a dense field of entries,” he reveals. “There’s tremendous variation year to year, but this year there’s a lot of strong competition.”
Some categories have proved especially difficult to judge. Voorhees notes that the refit and rebuild entries were particularly strong this year, prompting lengthy discussions among the panel. “There was a lot of debate amongst the judges about some wonderful projects we looked at,” he says.
Raper agrees. “There’s lots of innovation - very much more than last year in the traditional categories, especially the larger yachts. And in the refit category, there were several big projects as well, which made it very interesting — and very difficult to come to the right decisions.”
A shared passion
For the judges, the awards are not simply about selecting winners. They are also an opportunity to come together with fellow enthusiasts who share a passion for great yachts.
As Rigas reflects, the judging process itself is part of the appeal. “It’s a privilege to sit among people who care so deeply about excellence,” she says. “You leave the weekend feeling optimistic about the future of yachting.”
Tickets for the 2026 World Superyacht Awards are now on sale. If you have any questions, please contact the events team.
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