We celebrate the well-deserved winners of the 2019 Motor Boat Awards, as chosen by our select group of judges
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.
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.
