Motor Yacht of the Year: Dilbar
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.
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Sailing Yacht of the Year: Sybaris
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.
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Rebuilt Yachts: Legend
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.
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Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts 40m to 49.9m: Amore Mio
This class tested the judges’ analytical skills and every yacht was treated to detailed scrutiny and discussion. Following this, the secret ballot proved the 45 metre HeesenAmore Mio to be their favourite. The judges admired the versatility of this vessel, which offers an unusual blend of 30-knot performance and a 2,750 nautical mile range at its 12-knot cruising speed.
Her owners’ requested a ‘summer house on the sea’ and the judges felt this to be well met, with spacious open decks offering admirable dining and lounging areas on two levels aft, while the foredeck offers additional sun-lounging and seating. With so much space devoted to outside areas, the interior layout had to make intelligent use of every available square metre, and the judges felt that this was achieved without compromising either the guest or crew quarters. The technical aspects of the yacht were also praised, particularly the build quality, the gyro-stabilisers that provide low speed and ‘at anchor’ stability, and the possibility to deploy life preservers at the push of a button.
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Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts 50m and Above: Galactica Super Nova
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.
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Displacement Motor Yachts Between 500GT and 1,499GT: Joy
It was not easy for the judges to select a winner in this class, but the combination of dynamic looks, forward-thinking design and excellence of construction eventually focused their attention on Joy. This yacht’s exterior styling, incorporating many scalloped surfaces and spacious decks, could not have been easy to construct, while the huge expanses of glass would also have tested the builder. But both elements have added to the appeal of this strikingly modern yacht.
The Judges were particularly impressed with the manner in which all three aft decks could be enclosed with full-height sliding glass panels, thus increasing the interior volume in times of inclement weather. The judges also felt that the interior designer, responding to the owner’s request for a home rather than hotel, created an enviable blend of comfortable modernism and striking design. Technical innovation – in the form of an active noise attenuation system for the gearboxes that keeps internal noise levels much lower than usual when underway – was also praised by the judges.
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Displacement Motor Yachts Between 1,500 GT and 2,999GT: Cloudbreak
Today, most yachts are similar in their layout so it is quite unusual to come across a yacht specifically designed for a task that reaches beyond this norm. The judges immediately identified Cloudbreak as such a yacht and she became the focus of their attention.
This yacht was created for, and by, an owner who knew exactly what he wanted – to be an explorer-styled vessel tailored to his wish to practice adventure sports on land and sea at both low and high latitudes – and this unique yacht is specifically designed to support mountaineering and hiking, as well as snow sports of all disciplines. Operating in remote areas calls for fully certified helicopter facilities as well as a wide range of tenders and toys, and a fully equipped ski-room that would not be out of place in Zermatt. Combine this with exterior design and interior layout by Espen Oeino, and interior design by Christian Liaigre and add the legendary build quality of Abeking & Rasmussen and the resulting yacht is very special.
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Judges’ Special Award for Quality & Value – Narvalo
The judges were impressed by the design, build quality and price of Narvalo, which they felt was a perfect example of a ‘pocket explorer yacht’ that combines sought-after characteristics with excellent value for money. Built by Cantiere delle Marche to a design by Nauta and naval architecture by Hydrotec, Narvalo offers all the essential elements of an explorer, including long range, good autonomy in respect of supplies that allows her to remain at sea for extended periods, high internal volume, a sturdy and well equipped 5.5 metre tender and good seaworthiness.
On top of this, she can also fill the role of a traditional motor yacht, with well-sized cabins, an internal dining saloon and two lounges, as well as spacious well considered deck areas. Importantly for a vessel that will remain at sea for long periods, the volume and facilities of the crew spaces provided in a yacht of this size, were also admired by the judges. Finishing second in her class to a much more costly vessel, she is a worthy winner of this award.
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Judges’ Special Award for Outstanding video – Latitude
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.
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Legacy Award – Alex Dreyfoos
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.
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