Kenshō wins Motor Yacht of the Year at the World Superyacht Awards

The 75-metre Admiral superyacht Kenshō has been named Motor Yacht of the Year at the World Superyacht Awards.

A secret ballot by the independent panel of judges revealed the flagship of the Italian Sea Group as the winner by a healthy margin, chosen from among the eight individual winners of the Semi-Displacement and Displacement Motor Yacht classes.

Kenshō – a Japanese word meaning “seeing one’s true nature” – took six years to create from 2016 when the initial foundations were laid through to her delivery and debut at the Monaco Yacht Show in 2022. Her flowing lines and green-blue metallic paint inspired by a Ford Mustang colour from the 1960s are eye-catching, but it was her owner-driven attributes that tipped the scales for the judges.

The owner visited around 100 of the world's landmark yachts to draw up a list of what he wanted in the vessel: high deckheads and minimal side decks; efficient interaction between crew and guests; large, calming volumes; and no main saloon. Designers at Netherlands-based  Azure Yacht Design and Naval Architecture and Germany-based archineers.berlin developed the naval architecture and exterior design. 

Nature is a theme that is seen continuously throughout Kenshō. Her exterior is said to represent the curves of a pebble shaped by the forces of nature over time, while the stairs of the pool deck have been designed to look like they were carved out by the sea. The same feeling is captured inside too thanks to Parisian design studio Jouin Manku, who created a palette of soft natural tones in leather, teak, metal and glass  – it was the studio's first yachting project.

Kenshō’s diesel-electric propulsion system with twin Veth azimuth drives, driven by Danfoss electric motors, draw their exact power needs from five variable-speed generators to help minimise her footprint.

This is not the first piece of silverware the vessel has collected since her launch. She was awarded a Neptune at the 2023 BOAT International Design & Innovation Awards for Best Interior Design in the Motor Yachts 500GT and Above category.