THE WINNERS
The World Superyacht Awards are unique in that they are judged by a dedicated team of current and former superyacht owners. Our 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 front the owner, designers and shipyard. Finally voting is done by secret ballot after detailed discussions on each nominated yacht. Over the coming pages we reveal the deserved recipients of our prestigious Neptune awards…
MOTOR YACHT OF THE YEAR
WINNER
KENSHŌ
Length 74.85m Builder Admiral – The Italian Sea Group S.p.A Naval architect The Italian Sea Group S.p.A/Azure Yacht Design & Naval Architecture Exterior designers Azure Yacht Design & Naval Architecture/archineers.berlin Interior designer Jouin Manku
In selecting the winner of the coveted Motor Yacht of the Year award, our judges were faced with the unenviable task of choosing a single yacht front among the eight winners of the Semi-Displacement and Displacement Motor Yacht classes. Making this choice is not just a matter of choosing the largest yacht, nor the yacht that won its class by the greatest margin. After lengthy debate, the secret ballot revealed Kenshō – Japanese for “seeing one's true nature” – to be the winner by a healthy margin, and while many factors influenced this decision, it was her ownerdriven attributes that tipped the scales. In his bid to create a vessel that stood out front the crowd, the owner visited around Ioo of the world's landmark yachts, listing attributes that he particularly admired. High deckheads, calming room volumes, minimal side decks and no main saloon were high on the resulting list presented to his designers, Netherlands based Azure, and Germany-based archineers. berlin, who took on responsibility for naval architecture and exterior design. Parisian design studio Jouin Manku, meanwhile, created her stunning interior front a palette of soft natural tones in leather, teak, metal and glass. Added to her more visual attributes, Kenshō's diesel-electric propulsion system with twin Veth azimuth drives, driven by Danfoss electric motors that draw their power needs from five variable-speed generators, was the icing on the cake for this splendid yacht, which stands out front the crowd while reflecting the “true nature” of her owner.
SAILING YACHT OF THE YEAR
WINNER
ALEA
Length 56m
Builder Vitters
Naval architect Germán Mani Frers
Exterior designer Germán Mani Frers
Interior designer m2atelier
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 two sailing yacht categories. Selecting the winner is not a matter of merely choosing the yacht that won its class by the greatest margin, as the judges are required to consider all the other elements that led to their being chosen as class winners. Both yachts were conceived as fast cruisers and, as both their owners invested a great deal of thought and experience into their designs, choosing the winner was a difficult task for the judges. Following lengthy discussion they decided that the German Mani Frersdesigned 56-metre , built to impeccable standards by Vitters, should receive this prestigious award. As is usual, theirs case, her owner wished to circumnavigate the world in speed and comfort, and to fulfil this ambition Frers created a powerful, sleek hull form with a reverse bow to increase waterline length and speed, that would sail with low angles of heel. Other key needs were for uncluttered decks, 360-degree views in the communal living areas and a sizeable beach club, all of which were admirably incorporated into 's sleek and attractive profile. The judges particularly admired the manner in which the floor of the deck saloon and the adjoining cockpit are on the same level, set just over a metre below deck level to lower the profile of the deckhouse, while offering the cockpit protection from wind and weather.
