The winners of the World Superyacht Awards 2018

The winners of the World Superyacht Awards 2018 were announced at a glittering ceremony held at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence in May 2018. Click through or use the links below to see all the winners.

Built by Feadship, Broadwater took home the Neptune for the refitted yachts category. During the refit the yard installed a completely new interior designed by Adam Voorhees, added a sixth stateroom, created a dining/living space aft of the bridge, installed an exterior gym and spa, and created a beach club in her stern. Technical aspects were also upgraded and modernised.

These included the AV system, the conversion of all areas to LED lighting, and the installation of updated navigation and safety systems throughout. In addition, the original ‘Flume Tank’ passive anti-roll system was removed, releasing internal volume that was reassigned to storage space. The yacht also received a full exterior repaint, changing her hull colour from white to blue, and a new set of tenders and water toys. The judges were impressed that this extensive work list had been carried out on Broadwater in just eight months, and admired both the quality of workmanship and the modern design of the new interior that rejuvenated a deserving yacht. They also commented that the change in hull colour served to hide windows and portlights giving the yacht a cleaner and more sophisticated appearance.

Judges’ Commendation: White Star

White Star has now been dramatically reborn and was considered eminently worthy of a Judges’ Commendation.

An entry that was particularly admired for the tenacity of her owner in restarting and completing what had initially been a failed project. The judges saw Genesia as the ultimate rebuild, starting out as a commercial tug at the end of her working life, and finishing as a capable expedition yacht. The extent of the work invested in this rebuild was truly remarkable.

Genesia was stripped of her original interior and machinery as well as substantial elements of her superstructure before being taken back to clean steel, at which point rebuilding commenced. While her new appearance remains commercial, this yacht has the rugged ‘go-anywhere’ look, together with the necessary equipment, for a yacht that has been created to tackle the challenges of long-distant cruising in both high and low latitudes. The judges also noted that her interior suitably reflects this use, being modern and eminently practical as well as comfortable.

The introduction of this new Support Vessel category reflects a change in the world of superyachts that is increasing in momentum. Modern yacht usage is more adventurous than in the past, with many vessels roaming the entire globe from ice cap to ice cap. At the same time there is an understandable reluctance among owners to build yachts of a size that could properly carry the range of support equipment, such as a helicopter and a larger number of specialist tenders that this modern usage demands, because it would limit their access to many charming ports and anchorages. The solution, it seems, is to restrict the size of a mother ship, while offloading all the necessary expedition equipment to a support vessel.

Three such vessels were nominated for this year’s Awards and, whilst examining the capabilities that each added to their mother ship, the judges’ attention soon focused on Game Changer. In their opinion, the ability of this vessel to provide excellent helicopter landing, support and hangar facilities, as well as the deck space to carry and launch four specialist tenders, three PWCs, four trail bikes, and a submarine, in addition to the provision of excellent crew areas and a hospital facility, made her the winner.

This yacht was not only judged to be extremely well designed and constructed, but was considered to be a yacht that could ably fulfill the specific superyacht racing and fast cruising roles that her highly experienced owners had requested. The judges admired many aspects of this dual-role yacht, but her well-planned general arrangement plan, equitably divided between the aft crew area and forward guest area with no noticeable intrusion from technical aspects such as her lifting centerboard, and her futuristic glass-topped saloon that fills the yacht with light, were the prime examples.

Following in close succession were the excellent quality of her construction and her admirably modern style of interior decoration while, last, but in no way least, the judges noted her excellent sailing qualities that were ably demonstrated by her class victory in the Rolex Cup last September.

Judges' Commendation: Svea

During the judges’ discussions on this class, it became clear that Svea, built to the J-Class Rule, one of the most elegant yacht in this year’s awards, while her racing performance in her class has also been outstanding. It was, therefore, unanimously agreed that Judges’ Commendation should be awarded.

Three similarly sized blue-water cruising yachts competed in this class, two sloops and a ketch. Each was a beautifully constructed and highly practical example of their breed, and this served to stimulate a thorough discussion among the judges, whose opinions were finally reflected in the judging sheets.

Built from carbon fibre and displacing just 250 tonnes, Pink Gin's hull and rig were considered to be a triumph of structural engineering in that her fore and aft deflection is a mere 76mm, despite a 300-tonne rig loading imposed by her 68-metre high carbon mast. While contributing enormously to the practicality and functionality of the yacht, the two large hull openings – a guest’s boarding platform to port and a balcony in the master cabin forward – further added to the complexity of this engineering. Other notable technology was her ‘force feedback steering’ power-assisted system that operating over a wireless link, provides the helmsman with an accurate assessment of the yacht’s trim and balance.

Judges' Commendation: Ngoni

There was no doubt among the judges that Ngoni is a superb sailing yacht, having been designed and built to the very highest standards seen today. To recognise such perfection, they had no hesitation in awarding her a Judges’ Commendation.

Having thoroughly reviewed all the yachts in this class, the judges unanimously selected the 34.7 metre Letani, built by Feadship’s De Vries yard in Aalsmeer, as the winner. The owner’s outline brief was for a yacht that would give his family the capability to undertake local cruising as well as longer voyages, while preserving the ability to access shallow waters and small ports.

The judges were first attracted to Letani by the high quality of her build that was evident in all areas, from hull construction to her outfitting and detail of finish. Many other facets also received praise including her modern, masculine appearance, a well-considered general arrangement plan that meets the needs of guests and crew alike, and an efficient fuel burn throughout the yachts speed range. This was a yacht whose owner was highly involved in the design and construction, and this fact became particularly apparent in the interior where his desire for a floating home in which his family would be comfortable, led to an original layout with informal spaces, such as a ‘bistro’ dining area, a television ‘nook’, and children’s cabins laid out to optimise play areas.

MR. OH, a newly designed semi-custom yacht from Azimut-Benetti, filled the top spot and took home the Neptune for this next award. Today’s yacht owners are demanding the maximum from their yachts and the judges’ felt that this is what had been delivered, all wrapped in an attractive and novel package. As such, MR. OH offers amazingly large deck areas that include not one, but two beach clubs, a high-volume, timeless interior that incorporates a saloon, master suite and five guest cabins, as well as good crew quarters and a tender garage. Add to this a bright and light interior with flowing free-form furniture and elegantly curved surfaces, and it is clear that this two-deck vessel provides excellent value. Additionally, the judges found a high quality of construction throughout her guest, service and technical areas.

Once again it was modern lines, bright and tranquil interior spaces, and impressive performance that attracted the judges’ attention to the winner of this class, the 33 metre Custom Line Navetta 33, Telli. Her sleek contemporary exterior lines incorporate excellent deck spaces on three levels with optimum sunbathing, dining and lounging areas, while the builders’ desire to create a seamless join between deck and interior has meant that the volume of both appears to be greatly enhanced.

The judges admired much of the detail that added to this effect, including the manner in which the aft deck’s teak planking continues without interruption into the main deck saloon through floor-to-deckhead sliding windows. Among other design features appreciated by the judges were the interior’s contemporary yet classic decorative style, the sense of calm induced by the high level of insulation against sound and vibration, and the volume of the owner’s cabin. Additionally, the ingenious ‘dual movement’ design of the stern door made it possible to combine a splendid beach club with a simple to operate ‘drive-in’ tender garage. 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.

It was the 36 metre Delta One, built in The Netherlands by Mulder Shipyard, that topped the list of this displacement category. In the opinion of the judges, Delta One is a well-balanced yacht offering an attractive masculine profile and some agreeable, well-considered features that, in the past, have only been associated with much larger vessels.

Among these are an admirable beach club in the stern with easy access from the main deck aft, and a transverse garage sufficiently large to house a 6.25-metre Williams tender. The deck areas, spacious and purpose designed for the owner’s family use, include a large Jacuzzi tub as well as two shaded dining areas, while the interior is enlivened by huge windows that bring light and a real feeling of connection with the surroundings. Last, but not least, the judges were impressed by the yacht’s low figures for fuel consumption, particularly noting that while running at 10-knots the fuel burn was a meagre 73 litres-per-hour.

Judges’ Commendation: Soprano

The second yacht that attracted the admiration of the judges in this class was the 38.3 metre Soprano, built by Hakvoort Shipyard. The judges considered her to be a perfect modern interpretation of a classic motor yacht and awarded her a Commendation.