The World Superyacht Awards are unique in that they are judged by a dedicated team of current and former superyacht owners. The judges travel all over the world to visit the nominated yachts, and use their knowledge and expertise to make informed judgements about each entrant. Personal inspections are supplemented by detailed dossiers on each nominee, which include photos, video, specifications, layouts and statements from the owner, designers and shipyard. Voting is done by secret ballot after detailed discussions on each nominated yacht. Turn the page to discover the winners of this year’s prestigious event.
WSA
MOTOR YACHT OF THE YEAR
SPONSORED BY AKYACHT
WINNER
VIVA
Length 94m
Builder Feadship
Naval architect De Voogt Naval Architects
Exterior design Studio De Voogt & Azure Yacht Design
Interior design Peter Marino
In selecting the winner of the highly coveted Motor Yacht of the Year Award, the judges were faced with the unenviable task of choosing a single yacht from all the individual winners of the Semi-Displacement and Displacement Motor Yacht classes. Making this choice is not just a simple matter of choosing the largest yacht, or the yacht that won its class by the greatest margin, as the judges are also required to consider how each of these vessels might have advanced the design, construction and appearance of future generations of yachts.
After lengthy debate, the secret ballot revealed Viva to be the winner by a large margin, and while many factors influenced this decision, it was Viva’s consistency in all aspects of the judgement that took her into the lead. Such all-round excellence, the judges felt, was largely due to the detailed consideration given to every aspect of the vessel during her 12-year gestation period; a time when the owner’s knowledge and complete involvement with specifications paid dividends. As a result, this yacht has it all, from an attractive exterior design with superb deck spaces to an enviable beach club and a modern interior that connects with the outside through huge windows, plus a GA plan entirely suited to the needs of the owner, guests and crew. Viva also lacks nothing on the technical and operational side. Her sustainably minded power and propulsion system, optimal technical areas, a practical tender garage, excellent living and working facilities for her crew and a superlative quality of build sets her apart as a very special yacht, and a worthy winner of the 2022 Motor Yacht of the Year Award.
SAI LING YACHT OF THE YEAR
SPONSORED BY AKYACHT
WINNER
PERSEVERANCE 1
Length 35.8m
Builder Baltic Yachts
Naval architect Dykstra Naval Architects
Exterior design Dykstra Naval Architects
Interior design deVosdeVries design
The title of Sailing Yacht of the Year is awarded to the yacht that is considered by the judges to be the most notable of the class winners in this year’s sailing yacht categories. Selecting the winner is not a matter of merely choosing the yacht that won its class by the greatest margin – the judges are required to consider all the other elements that led to their being chosen as class winners. Both yachts in contention were conceived as fast cruisers with the aim of circumnavigating the globe in stages and, as their owners both invested a great deal of thought and experience into their designs, so choosing the winner was a difficult task for the judges. After lengthy discussion it was agreed that built by Baltic Yachts in Finland to the design of along with her attractive combination of traditional looks with exceptional sailing performance. Additionally, she was praised for her efficient diesel-electric propulsion system and well-integrated technology that takes her batteries to full charge in just 4.5 hours and permits eight to nine hours of silent running at anchor.
