Winners of the 2019 Motor Boat Awards revealed

The winners of the 2019 Motor Boat Awards were announced last night at the Corinthia Hotel London. We explain why they came out on top in their respective categories. Sportsboats and RIBs Sponsored by Finalists Agapi 950 Finnmaster T8 Jeanneau Cap Camarat 9.0 Nimbus W9 Parker 850 Voyager Winner: Jeanneau Cap Camarat 9.0 The Cap Camarat range has always been one of practical, value-conscious boating. Not ostentatious but solid and dependable, a natural step into the world of boating and an ideal tool for a family to enjoy themselves on the water.

The 9.0 is different though, it still has all of these important elements but with this model, Jeanneau has created a boat that will also keep the driver happy. With a pair of 250hp Yamaha outboards it will achieve a top speed just short of 50 knots and cruise anywhere from the mid-teens to the mid-40s. The hull rides softly and grips tenaciously when pushed from the helm but at no point feels like it might turn around and bite you.

It’s a versatile craft too, available as either a walkaround with a sociable bow area or as a centre console with a cuddy cabin for overnight stays or some shelter if the weather turns.

Jeanneau could have so easily built a safe and sensible 30ft sportsboat but instead it created a boat with the creature comforts expected of a Cap Camarat and endowed it with real ability and exhilarating performance, which has to be applauded.

Highly commended: Agapi 950

This is a RIB that dares to do things differently. It fits on a trailer (just!), has sleeping space for four and performs impressively with twin outboard engines.

Superboats Finalists Brabus Shadow 800 Cockwells Titian Tender Levi 8.5 SACS Strider 10 Sealegs 9.0 Hydrasol Zeelander Z44 Winner: Zeelander Z44 There is simply nothing like the Zeelander 44. Only 44ft (16.8m) in length but designed and crafted with the care and attention to detail of a multi-million pound superyacht . The closer you look the more enraptured you become by its quality, craftsmanship and unwavering commitment to beauty no matter the cost. It deserves an award for its devotion to curvature alone.

Some of the fine detailing beggars belief; the ‘wood’ inserts aren’t wood at all but a hard-wearing artificial material which is hand painted individually to give the flawless appearance of timber.

The transom panel folds down to create a huge, unencumbered bathing platform and the interior is a feast of top-drawer timber and yet more swooping lines. Top-end performance is conservative but it’s the refinement and cruising potential even in rough seas that is so impressive.

Noise from its IPS600 engines is suppressed astonishingly well, making the Z44 a peerless long- distance cruiser. It’s as comfortable doing day boat duties as it is overnight stays and once at your destination you can enjoy the best bit of Zeelander ownership – turning around and staring at it.

Highly commended: Cockwells Titian Tender

The ambition of this gem of a boat yard is a joy to see. Here, a flawless handcrafted wooden hull meets exhilarating water jet propulsion.

Sportscruiser up to 45ft Sponsored by Finalists Fairline Targa 43 Open Grandezza 34 OC Keizer 42 Pardo 43 Prestige 460S Winner: Fairline Targa 43 Open It’s one thing to build a large, expensive sportscruiser that looks and feels the part but it’s far harder to achieve in the under-45ft sector where competition is rife and the conflicting demands of spacious accommodation and rakish looks are trickier to balance.

Fairline has pulled this off superbly well with the Targa 43. Alberto Mancini’s distinctive styling plays a big part in that but perhaps the bigger achievement is that despite this being the smallest sportscruiser in the Fairline range, the quality is right up there with its flagship model, the Targa 63 GTO . It even includes a built-in level of customisation that allows owners to make their mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEIe0XUdCZo It impresses throughout, from the wonderfully open cockpit and flawless driving position to the lavish full-beam master cabin and handy tender garage for a Williams Minijet.

Crucially, it also drives like a Fairline should with reassuring sea-keeping, agile handling and the kind of refined, easygoing cruising that owners appreciate.

Targas of this size have traditionally been among the best boats that Fairline has ever built and this latest generation looks set to carry on that trend.

Sportscruiser over 45ft Sponsored by Finalists Azimut S7 Azimut Atlantis 51 Beneteau Gran Turismo 50 Riva 56 Rivale Sunseeker Predator 50 Winner: Sunseeker Predator 50 The market may demand a bigger, more voluminous 50ft (15m) sportscruiser than Sunseekers of old but the Predator 50 meets those requirements in the inimitable Sunseeker way. With those dramatic slashes in the topsides and vast quantities of glazing in the superstructure sides and roof it demands attention.

Where at one time speed and handling were top of the priority list, these days it’s more about comfort, refinement and ease of control, and this is where the Predator 50 really shines. Like a Bentley Continental GT, it’s capable of sucking up long distances in luxurious, laid back, and very refined comfort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoKduV0nM40 The extra volume is most welcome in the full-beam master suite amidships where there is full standing headroom throughout and fabulous views through the near unbroken hull windows.

Its pair of 800hp diesel engines on vee drives deliver strong mid-range performance, a useful top speed of 32 knots, surprisingly light steering and predictable low speed handling.

This is what customers now demand and the Predator 50 delivers them in a very elegant and well-rounded package.

Wheelhouse & Cockpit Cruisers Sponsored by Finalists Aquador 35 AQ Beneteau Antares 9 Botnia Targa 27.2 Grand Banks Eastbay 44 Jeanneau Merry Fisher 10.95 Parker Monaco 110 Rhéa 850 Timonier Winner: Botnia Targa 27.2 The Botnia range is one that defines a genre. If you’re after a wheelhouse cruiser that will take you anywhere all year round then a Targa is the obvious choice. It’s just a question of picking which size you want.

The 27.2 is a sweetspot in the sweetest of ranges. It’s compact enough to be manageable single-handed and not too expensive to berth but big enough to tackle conditions that would send far larger craft back down their own wake trail, tails between legs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN1KpYeitPw It is as tough as old boots yet it has the agility and performance of Nike running spikes. In the Blackline trim it even looks more modern, while still retaining the timeless Targa appeal.

This is a boat that has to be driven to be believed, preferably in a gale with sheets of water slapping off the impenetrable hull. Even by Botnia’s own lofty standards, the 27.2 is exceptional.

Passagemakers Sponsored by Finalists Absolute Navetta 48 Absolute Navetta 73 Beneteau Swift Trawler 47 Hardy 65 Linssen Grand Sturdy 500 Variotop Pogo Loxo 32 Silent Yachts 55 Sirena 58 Winner: Hardy 65 We tested the 65 in undoubtedly the worst conditions of any test performed last year. Freezing temperatures and snow on the decks made worse by a howling Force 7; the ideal cocktail for a sea trial on a true passagemaker.

The Hardy plugged through it as if it were a Sunday afternoon jaunt on Lake Windermere. We moved about the saloon, brewed coffee and ate lunch while the conditions outside went from bad to worse.

Eagle-eyed readers will recall that the boat started life as 62 but in its transition to the 65 Hardy has done much more than tart up the exterior and change the name.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMq1_20xbqE The interior is modern and spacious, beautifully appointed yet entirely fit for purpose. The cabins are no longer dark and dated but comfortable and luxurious enough to challenge more stylish flybridge competitors.

But the heart of the 65 is still its fastidious engineering and sheer ability to cross huge distances in bad conditions while insulating its occupants from them. We’ve rarely been on a boat that makes progress seem so laughably easy.

It’s taken a while to get it right but Hardy has now got it sussed and in the 65 has created a star.

Highly commended: Silent Yachts 55 It’s not the finished article but for creating the most convincing electric boat we’ve seen to date, Silent Yachts deserves recognition.

Flybridges up to 60ft Sponsored by Finalists Azimut 55 Galeon 360 Fly Galeon 460 Fly Princess 55 Prestige 520 Sasga Menorquín 42 Sealine F430 Winner: Princess 55 With the launch of the R35 at one end of the Princess range and the radical X95 at the other, it’s easy to forget the bread and butter of its mid-size flybridge range. The 55 is a sharp jab in the chest and a reminder that the Plymouth shipyard is expert at creating flybridge cruisers of this size.

The 55 simply does not put a foot out of line. Okay, the optional hardtop detracts from its looks but that is a droplet of a complaint within a vast pool of flawless execution. Its interior is vast; be it the saloon, the master ensuite or the twin guest cabin, there is space and light in abundance. It is beautifully made and the decor is achingly tasteful – stylish and sophisticated without ever appearing gauche.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MxxzkQnuVQ There is lots of storage space, the engineroom is immaculate, the flybridge huge and the foredeck comfortable enough to be a living space in its own right.

The list goes on. It even drives well and is light and agile in a way that it has no need to be, given the type of boat it is. But that’s the beauty of the 55, no stone has been left unturned. It’s probably the most well-rounded boat on the market right now and, in most cases, all the boat you will ever need.

Highly commended: Galeon 360 Fly A huge pat on the back for Galeon for addressing a part of the market that has been ignored for so long and making such a good job of it.

Flybridges over 60ft Sponsored by Finalists Azimut 60 Ferretti 670 Galeon 640 Fly Grand Banks 60 Fly Winner: Galeon 640 Fly Galeon is innovating in a way that few other manufacturers are and the 640 is the pinnacle of its adventurous attitude to boat design. The experience of British designer Tony Castro and the exuberance of Galeon’s youthful management team results in a boat with a litany of brilliant features that are as playful as they are effective.

Why has no one thought of putting a door in the windscreen before? This seemingly small addition totally changes the way the boat fits together and it does so for the better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWZu-ve0w1A The foredeck area with its adjustable seating and sliding modules is the best in class, as is the cockpit with its transformer party trick comprising a pair of folding balconies with glass panels that hover invitingly over the water. Surely all these gubbins hamper performance and make the 640 wobble like a jelly out at sea? Not the case, the 640’s basics are outstanding too and its driving manners accomplished.

There was a time when you would only buy a Galeon because it was cheaper than its rivals. Not any more, the 640 is a genuine game-changer that is built to a high standard, performs well and does things no other craft can.

Highly commended: Grand Banks 60 Fly The 60 Fly stays true to Grand Banks’ heritage but, thanks to a new hull and IPS, moves the game on hugely in terms of dynamics.

Custom Yachts Sponsored by Finalists Azimut Grande 27 Metri Dominator Ilumen 28M Ferretti 780 Horizon FD85 Monte Carlo Yachts 96 Pearl 80 Pershing 9X Winner: Ferretti 780 In the company of some extraordinary exotica in this category, the 780 has won out due to its consistent excellence from engineroom to flybridge. Ferretti ’s boats go about their business in a decidedly unflashy manner and the 780 is no exception – you just know that you’ll never regret buying one.

It does everything well, offers an extraordinary array of interior layouts and is imbued with the kind of exemplary engineering and build quality that owners value above all else.

Despite its vast experience as a boatbuilder, Ferretti is also moving with the times so every glass fibre moulding is resin-infused and the hardtop reinforced with Kevlar to add strength and reduce weight.

Performance from a boat like this would have been unthinkable years ago but the 780 is genuinely good to drive and clips along in a manner which belies its volume and weight. Twin MAN 1,500hp diesels are good for a top speed of 30 knots and a cruising speed of 20-27 knots.

The 780 may not have the flashy looks or game-changing features of some rivals but it’s as close to faultless as any boat of this size and complexity is likely to get.

Highly commended: Horizon FD85 A fast displacement hull form, a truly custom built interior and a remarkable feat of packaging make this the closest thing yet to the ideal compact superyacht.

Customer Service Award Finalists Boats.co.uk Boat Shop Menorca Clipper Marine TBS Boats Penton Hook Wessex Marine Westwood Boats Winner: TBS Boats Penton Hook Although the judging panel decides the winner in every category, for the service award, it bases its ultimate decision on the quality and quantity of the nominations it receives from members of the public. The competition was as stiff as ever but there was one company that shone through.

Chris Manners and the team at TBS Boats Penton Hook clearly pride themselves on looking after their customers before, during and after the sale or purchase of their boats. The following are just a small selection of customer commendations we received.

“Their commitment to customer service is based upon a long-term relationship built upon mutual trust and understanding of their clients as individuals.”

“Their after-sales service and attention to detail has been exemplary. Nothing is too much trouble and they have created a perfect boating ownership experience for me and my wife.”

“After completing the purchase of a boat I ran into problems with the engine. They could have walked away but not only did I get expert advice, they also made a considerable contribution to costs.”

Judge's Special Award Sponsored by Winner: Fabio Buzzi Fabio Buzzi isn’t just the most successful powerboat racer of our era (or possibly ever), he’s also a brilliant designer, engineer, boatbuilder and innovator.

He has won almost every major powerboat race on the planet from marathon events like the Round Britain Race, to the Class 1 Offshore World Championship and the terrifying Pavia to Venice river race, all in vastly different boats that he’s designed and built in his own factory. To put that in perspective it’s like Lewis Hamilton winning the F1 title, the World Rally Championship and the Le Mans 24 hour race, in cars that he’s personally created.

As if that weren’t enough, he’s still winning races and setting new records today. Last year, at the tender age of 75, he set a new world record for diesel powered boats of 277.5kmh in a Buzzi-built hydroplane, adding to a collection of speed records that includes the infamous New York to Bermuda challenge over 684nm.

Crucially, he has also translated that sporting success into the commercial boatbuilding world. In 1986 he designed the legendary Seatek high-speed diesel engine and his company, FB Design, goes from strength to strength having won 52 World Championships and set 40 world speed records.

Today, it is better known for building high-speed patrol boats and counts no fewer than 43 different police and military forces (including Britain’s SBS) among its customers. It also develops and builds the FPT range of light but powerful diesel engines and is responsible for the design and build of Sunseeker’s Hawk 38 hull.

It’s this remarkable breadth of talent combined with the longevity of his career and his continuing influence on fast boat design that make Fabio Buzzi this year’s winner of the Judges’ Special Award.

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Customer Service Award

Finalists

Winner: TBS Boats Penton Hook

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