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.

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 judges commented that this was a diverse class comprised of ultra high-speed two-deck sports boats, as well as raised pilot house and three-deck vessels, thus increasing the difficulty of comparing individual yachts. Additionally, three of the yachts were of the same basic design that inevitably required the judges to consider the individual style of interior decoration in more detail than usual. The yacht that came to the fore following the usual secret-ballot vote was Botti, a 32.6 metre raised pilot house design, built from advanced composites by Monte Carlo Yachts.

Her elegant exterior design permits a large bimini-covered sundeck with dining and lounging and a second dining area on the main deck aft, while the design makes use of the foredeck as a further lounging space and cinema. A sizeable bathing platform adds to the appeal. Inside, the judges admired the clean, practical lines and subdued decorative scheme. The technical spaces were considered well-constructed, especially the engine room that houses twin MTU diesels and practical gyro-stabilisers that afford low speed stability.

Judges’ Commendation: Kohuba

The judges felt that Kohuba demonstrated Princess Yacht’s commitment to delivering a vessel of custom-built standards in a semi-custom series, and felt that this yard deserved praise for its high quality design and build process.

Judges’ Commendation: Spectre

This stylish yacht’s top speed of over 50-knots wowed the panel, as did Spectre's superb finish. To pack so much power into a solid yet lightweight platform is difficult, and the judges commended them for this achievement.

This vessel is an example of a newly developed category of fast yachts whose hull form provides optimum performance at both full displacement speeds and well above. Whether this 30-knot yacht has a full-displacement or a semi-displacement hull is arguable, but it has been placed in the Semi-Displacement Class for this event because, being a high performance vessel, she shares a semi-displacement yacht’s need for lightness of construction, in that any excess of weight will seriously detract from her performance.

Given this decision, the judges also felt that, because Galactica Super Nova is 20 metres longer than the next largest yacht in her class and therefore able to pack in far more luxury, it was impossible to compare her with the smaller boats. She was, therefore, put into her own category and the judges applied the test of whether she is worthy of a Neptune. In view of her build quality, appearance and high level of superb facilities, she passed this test with flying colours and was rewarded with a Neptune.

Explorer yachts are often given this name by virtue of their styling, rather than their suitability for long range expeditions in all climates. But the judges found X to be a true explorer – a rugged yacht with a good range that carries the tenders and equipment required for the owner and his family to cross the largest oceans and explore the world in comfort and safety.

This well constructed, steel and aluminium vessel is powered by twin 970kW Caterpillar diesels that provide a 15.5 knot top speed, while her 14 knot cruising speed provides the 4,000 nautical mile range necessary for her trans-ocean role. While the main deck aft is devoted to tenders and PWCs, the remaining two decks provide the usual facilities for open air living in a mild climate while in adverse weather, large saloon windows allow guests to view the scenery in comfort. The judges also admired the crew areas that provide accommodation for up to eight as well as ample storage and laundry facilities. This, they believe, is a well-conceived explorer.

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.

Very little quietens a room full of superyacht owners who are debating the merits of superyacht design and construction, and the debate sometimes reaches fever pitch. There was one thing, however, that managed to still them utterly – the remarkable footage of last year’s Voyagers Award winner, Anil Thadani’s latest cruise around the frozen wastes of the Svalbard Archipelago. By employing drones and ensuring that his crew was well stocked with video experts, Anil has managed to produce an absolutely stunning video of his adventure – including being stalked by polar bears, to coming within touching distance of whales and even hula-hooping on ice floes. This is one owner who is not shy to shout about the wonderful world we have to cruise and he demonstrates this in his videos, while offering inspiration and encouragement to any yacht owner who’s ever thought… “what if…”. For his outstanding achievements in the field of video and for making his footage freely available, the judges felt Anil, Shelton Dupreez (an up and coming film maker) and the rest of the crew deserved a special award.

To view The Highest Latitude: An Arctic Svalbard Expedition, please click here.

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.