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.

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.

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.

There were some excellent entries in this competitive class but, while the result was close, the judges were almost of one mind in selecting the winner as Seven Sins, the newest addition to the Sanlorenzo stable.

The owner declared an immediate love for the elegant, sculpted lines of this yacht when he first saw a model at a show and, like the judges, he was not disappointed when he first saw the vessel in reality. But elegance of line was not the only attribute that drew the judges’ attention. Huge outdoor spaces provide choices for relaxing and dining in both shade and sun, while the main deck aft is put to excellent use with a huge pool, whose innovative glass bottom transmits light to the superb beach club beneath. This lower deck area spans the yacht’s full-beam, opening to the sea on three sides, while the central floor lowers to allow the tender to enter through the stern. Adjacent are a sauna and hammam.

The judges also admired the yacht’s contemporary interior that, lit through huge windows, provides incredible exterior views. In the opinion of the judges, the way in which Sanlorenzo have packed so many modern and desirable features into a 52 metre package has created one of the best semi-custom vessels of this size in today’s marketplace.

There was little doubt among the judges that Aviva is not only extremely well built, but a very special yacht. From first sight, her flowing modern lines and attractive hull colour draws one’s attention but the thrill continues for those privileged to see her interior, which is perfectly customised to the needs of an owner who lives aboard full time. Flowing lines also dominate an agreeable general arrangement plan, but the most unexpected feature is the padel court (one third the size of an LTA court) that sits at the heart of her lower deck, a quite unique facility that is used every day by the owner, guests or crew. So many judges were enthusiastic about this yacht - a close runner-up in this class - that the award of a Neptune in the form of a Judges’ Special Award was proposed and readily accepted by the whole jury.

All three entries submitted for this year’s award plotted routes that all took them long distances while providing out-of-the-ordinary experiences, but one stood out as being truly educational and life changing. This was the Caribbean and Pacific cruise undertaken by the owners of the 61 metre CRN, Constance and their four young children, supported by two teachers, two nannies, a naturalist and 16 crew members. The four children were taken out of school for the eight-month long voyage, continuing their regular studies on board, while gaining memories that will always remain. Leaving from Florida, the cruise visited the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, the Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Galapagos, French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, and Tonga.

During this voyage they not only met and interacted with local children, but they individually discovered new lifetime hobbies in scuba diving, fishing, photography and nature, both on land and beneath the waves. Additionally, the eldest daughter compiled a charming log of their experiences that formed part of the submission for this enlightening cruise.

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.