From 3 - 4 May, the World Superyacht Awards will be returning to Venice for a glittering evening that celebrates the builders and designers shaping the superyacht industry. While every Neptune is coveted, the black-tie ceremony closes with the judge's highest commendation: the Motor Yacht of the Year Award.
BOAT takes a closer look at the winners of the past decade, including their award-winning features and where they are now...
APPLY FOR A TICKETKenshō
2023
Builder: Admiral - The Italian Sea Group
Length: 74.9m
Designers: Azure Yacht Design and Naval Architecture, archineers.berlin, Jouin Manku
Kenshō''s flowing lines and metallic green-blue hull took six years to create, with the superyacht delivered to immediate acclaim. She picked up two coveted Neptune trophies in 2023, including a BOAT International Design & Innovation Award for Best Interior Design. On board highlights comprise a glass-fronted spa pool on the sundeck, a sunbed shaped in the image of a manta ray, and a diesel-electric system based on five variable-speed generators that earned the yacht its Eco classification.
Where is she now?
Kenshō was most recently spotted at this year's St Barths Bucket. The superyacht is now undergoing maintenance works at Savannah Yacht Center, according to BOATPro.
Read More/Kenshō: on board Admiral's Motor Yacht of the Year 75m KenshōViva
2022
Builder: Feadship
Length: 94m
Designers: Studio De Voogt, Azure Yacht Design and Naval Architecture, Feadship De Voogt, Peter Marino
Commissioned by a keen charterer of Feadship, the owner was eager to keep the environmental impact of Viva at the same as his previous 62-metre Feadship superyacht. This resulted in a hybrid propulsion system, a waste treatment plant and heat recovering systems on board. In fact, the owner’s "less is more" philosophy influenced every aspect of the design, including the exterior's clean lines and great edifices of glass. This "complete involvement" paid dividends when it came to the final verdict, according to the judges' of the World Superyacht Awards 2022.
Where is she now?
Viva's AIS was last registered in La Paz, with the superyacht having cruised around Mexico for the better part of a month. She was also one of 190 superyachts in attendance at this year's New Year's Eve celebration in St Barths.
Artefact
2021
Builder: Nobiskrug
Length: 80m
Designers: Gregory C. Marshall, Reymond Langton Design
Artefact's striking exterior, including split overhangs and 740-square-metres of glass, was more than an aesthetic choice. The designers decided that seeing the horizon would help members of the owner's close-knit family mitigate motion sickness. Interiors are equally inventive, with soothing wave patterns in walls and ceilings, a silk-embroidered recreation of Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss and an armillary sphere in the main saloon – an early astronomical device used for navigation. However, this superyacht is best known for her green footprint. She was one of the first to meet IMO Tier III emissions regulations and is equipped with solar panels and a large battery storage system.
Where is she now?
Artefact was last seen moored just off Kawau Island in Auckland, New Zealand.
Read More/Artefact: On board Nobiskrug's striking 80m hybrid superyachtPi (ex SYZYGY 818)
2020
Builder: Feadship
Length: 77.3m
Designers: Jarkko Jämsen, Feadship De Voogt, Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design
Pi's harmonious exterior lines and sophisticated, Zen-like interior earned her the evening's top accolade, according to the judges of the World Superyacht Awards 2020. In particular, the floor-to-ceiling glazing on the main deck and large, lower deck portlights result in a heightened connection to her surroundings. The superyacht was originally named Syzygy 818, after the owner's birthday (August 18) and the significance of the numbers in Chinese numerology, meaning "prosperous".
Where is she now?
Pi is currently undergoing a refit at MB92's facilities in La Ciotat, France. She checked into the yard in December 2023.
DAR
2019
Builder: Oceanco
Length: 90m
Designers: Luiz De Basto, Azure Yacht Design and Naval Architecture, Nuvolari Lenard
De Basto first dreamt up DAR's sinuous, shark-inspired design eight years before her delivery, while seated in his Miami office overlooking Biscayne Bay. On board, the key communal area is the main deck saloon, which boasts stunning views out to sea through tinted, 2.3-metre-tall windows, while the bridge deck swimming pool is flanked by sunpads and fed by a cascade of waterfalls starting on the upper deck. DAR also joined the market last month, making her one of the most expensive superyachts currently for sale.
Where is she now?
DAR has been moored in Port Hercule, Monaco since mid-March, where she was spotted by a member of the BOAT International team.
Read More/DAR: On board the 90m shark-inspired superyacht now for saleFaith
2018
Builder: Feadship
Length: 96.6m
Designers: RWD, Feadship De Voogt, Chahan Interior Design
Originally commissioned for Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll, this superyacht is best known for her revolutionary nine-metre pool, whose glass panels also form the ceiling of the beach club below. Her amenities are another clear award-winner, featuring a wood-fired pizza oven, a basketball court and her very own "snow room". Parisian studio Chahan Design also made a triumphant debut in the superyacht world with Faith, adorning her with a floating staircase and double-sided fireplace, finished in limestone and quartz.
Where is she now?
On New Year's Eve, Faith was in St Barths for the annual festivities, docked alongside fellow winners Viva and Kenshō. She is currently cruising in the British Virgin Islands.
Dilbar
2017
Builder: Lürssen
Length: 156m
Designers: Espen Oeino International, Winch Design
Dilbar is normally run by a crew of 80 that help maintain the superyacht and wait on her guests. When necessary, this crew capacity can be increased to a maximum of 96 crew members, meaning she can carry as many as 120 people at full capacity. The superyacht also has two helipads, a 25-metre-long swimming pool and her own garden, developed with a special variety of grass that tolerates salt air.
Where is she now?
Dilbar was sanctioned in April 2022 following the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. She was towed from Lürssen's facilities in Hamburg to Bremen the following September.
Savannah
2016
Builder: Feadship
Length: 83.5m
Designers: Feadship De Voogt, Cristina Gherardi Design
Savannah's boundary-pushing design landed her the Motor Yacht of the Year Award in 2016 and international acclaim as one of the fleet's first truly "eco-conscious" superyachts. Her most famous superyacht feature is her underwater Nemo Lounge, though her five-metre-high video walls, glass-encased owner's cabin and silver-sprayed exterior are also well worth noting. Other milestones for Savannah include a major refit in 2020 that cost upwards of €9,000,000 and her introduction to the brokerage market in September 2023.
Where is she now?
Savannah was last recorded cruising by Black Point, Bahamas. The region is best known for Pig Beach, an island populated by a colony of feral pigs.
Read More/Savannah: The 83m Feadship with the world's first Nemo loungeGrace E (now Nautilus)
2015
Builder: Perini Navi
Length: 73m
Designers: Philippe Briand, Vitruvius, Rémi Tessier
The original owners of Grace E (now Nautilus) went to Vitruvius "intrigued by the concept of better efficiency", according to Philippe Briand. The result is a supremely quiet superyacht, equipped with a more efficient hull (now a trademark of the Vitruvius brand) and two steerable Azipod propulsors. Her interiors are palatial while remaining light and relaxed, thanks to the superyacht's high ceilings – nearly two metres in the owner's cabin – and Tessier's daylight-inspired interiors. This includes palladium leaf on the ceilings, stainless steel furniture details and gold threads woven between the glass panels around the lift.
Where is she now?
Grace E was sold to a new owner and renamed Nautilus in 2018. She is currently moored in the port of La Ciotat, France.
Read More/Grace E: the superyacht with the ultimate sundeck spaMadame Gu
2014
Builder: Feadship
Length: 99m
Designers: Winch Design, Feadship De Voogt
Once the largest superyacht ever built in the Netherlands, Madame Gu is easily recognised by her tapered, arrow-like profile and bright Empress Blue hull. Amenities include a helicopter that can be stowed in a garage beneath the foredeck, a spa area, discotheque and collection of custom-designed tenders. Key numbers include a 14.9-metre beam, accommodation for 12 guests and a top speed of 16 knots.
Where is she now?
Madame Gu has been stationed in Dubai since Russian economic sanctions were introduced.
Loretta Anne (now Ab Initio)
2013
Builder: Alloy Yachts
Length: 47m
Designers: Dubois Naval Architects, Donald Starkey
Loretta Anne (now Ab Initio) was commissioned by a Canadian businesswoman who parlayed a three-way deal with the New Zealand-based yard, trading in her existing Dubois build (the 38.4-metre SQN) and also buying a new interim boat, the 39.9-metre Allogante. Interiors are relaxed and colourful, including a painted nature mural that runs down the staircase to the guest cabins. Other highlights on board Ab Initio include a gym, a formal dining area and a garage that converts into a beach club.
Where is she now?
Loretta Anne was sold and renamed in November 2023. She was last seen in Golfe-Juan, on the Côte d'Azur.
Read More/Everything you need to know about the World Superyacht Awards 2024