Euro Yacht of the Year Awards

More than 80 new sailing yachts reach the market in Europe every year. However, only five shipyards could look forward to winning the prestigious “European Yacht of the Year 2015” title.

This is the first year that the jury has introduced the “Bluewater Cruisers” category for boats designed and equipped for open sea journeys lasting several months. The jury from the eleven leading sailing magazines held two test sessions, the first in La Rochelle on the French Atlantic coast and the second just two weeks later in the Italian harbour town of Santa Margherita, where all 25 nominated craft were put through their paces and evaluated. The eleven jury members are subject to strict rules that effectively preclude manipulation and outside influence. In the final analysis, all decisions are made by a majority vote, while a nationalities clause prevents jurors from casting their votes for candidates from their own country.

 

SPECIAL YACHTS: ADVANCED A 44 The smart-looking Italian craft succeeds in uniting two apparently contrary concepts and is a weekender and a racer rolled into one. Loft-style luxury is the dominant impression below deck, while the A44 also scores highly with radical performance on the water.

 

LUXURY CRUISER: WAUQUIEZ CENTURION 57 The sporty flagship of the French Centurion range is characterised by an athletic elegance that is particularly emphasised by the clear layout and modern finish in the finest teak.

 

PERFORMANCE CRUISER: JPK 10.80 FROM FRANCE JPK specialises in single-handed or two-handed craft.

 

FAMILY CRUISER: BAVARIA CRUISER 46 The previous model had already been nominated for the award in 2010, when it came a close second. Much-improved in both technical and conceptual terms, the Bavaria Cruiser 46 managed to convince the jury. This is regarded as one of the most sophisticated boats in this class.