The winners of the World Superyacht Awards 2018

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.

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.

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.

Built by Feadship at the De Vries shipyard in Makkum, this elegant 96.6 metre yacht, Faith was constructed for an extremely experienced owner who wanted a ‘true modern gentleman’s yacht, with timeless elegance and grace and a nautically inspired, contemporary-yet-cosy interior.’

The judges were excited by the stylishly flowing exterior lines and the extremely high quality of construction evident throughout the vessel, from her machinery spaces, through crew and technical areas, to the owner and guest quarters. In particular they admired the way that large windows connected guests with the surrounding seascapes, while the beach club – open on three sides to the sea, allowed unhindered access to the water. In fact, it could be said that four sides are open to the sea as a large portion of the deckhead is the curved glass bottom of the nine-metre swimming pool on the deck above.

Built as a ‘sail-assisted motor yacht’, it seemed inappropriate to most judges that Sailing Yacht A should be judged in either the Motor or Sailing Yacht categories because of her attributes in both fields. The judges debated this yacht at great length before coming to the conclusion that a new Sail-Assisted Motor Yacht category should be established for this and any future occasion when such a yacht is entered, particularly as further examples of this hybrid seem likely as we move towards a more environmentally-friendly future.

This decision made her the sole competitor in this class and, as such, there is previous judging precedent to be followed. In the past, the presentation of a Neptune in classes had been decided by the judges on the basis of whether the yacht in question was of ‘sufficient merit’ to receive such an accolade. It was clear from the discussion that followed that this was a yacht that either found strong favour or disapproval but it was clearly acknowledged, particularly by those judges who had visited the yacht, that the technical and environmental aspects of the vessel were truly admirable, as was the scale and quality of her construction and high level of owner satisfaction. It was therefore decided that a Neptune would be appropriate recognition of her achievement.

The Sailing Yacht of the Year is chosen from those yachts that won the individual sailing yacht classes and this year the competition was between Ribelle and Pink Gin. In the eyes of the judges, both of these vessels represented the current peak of sailing yacht design and construction, and they encountered some difficulty in choosing between them.

In the end, it was Pink Gin that prevailed, mainly due to the advanced structural engineering employed by the designer, judel/vrolijk and her builder, Baltic Yachts in creating a 53.9 metre epoxy-carbon cored hull with two large shell doors capable of withstanding the considerable forces imposed by a carbon mast with a 69.5 metre air draft. Although not intended for racing, her owner requested excellent sailing performance combined with minimum angle of heel, and this translated to a displacement of just 250-tonnes - extremely light for a cruising vessel. Reflecting her main use as a high performance global cruising yacht, Pink Gin has ample sail area to perform well in the lightest of breezes as well as in brisker conditions, when she is able to achieve speeds of up to 20-knots. In the judges view, Pink Gin is a yacht incorporating highly advanced design and technology that perfectly reflects her owner’s wishes. As such, she is a worthy winner of the Sailing Yacht of the Year award.

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 to see all the winners.

This year, eight 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 Faith had to take the title.

Not only did her owner expect new standards in design and construction to create an aesthetically pleasing vessel, but also in novel glass technology. The nine-metre long and 2.5-metre deep swimming pool on the main deck aft, for example, has a 68mm curved glass bottom, constructed by laminating five layers of glass interspersed by a clear foil. More obviously, the cap rail is supported by glass to avoid the ‘fussy’ appearance of multiple stanchions. Many other features also attracted the judges’ eyes, including the three-metre high skylight dome in the master stateroom, and a wood-burning pizza oven on the top deck – a seemingly simple installation but one that required advanced design to clean soot and other particles from its smoke. A combination of elegance, style, and the highest quality of design and construction, this yacht is a worthy winner of this prized trophy.