The shortlist for the European Yacht of the Year 2009/10 has been finalized, and (without meaning to sound like a presenter at the Oscars) the nominations for all five separate categories are:

Performance Cruiser:
Arcona 340
First 40
Grand Soleil 46
J-97
Winner 12.20

Family Cruiser:
Bavaria 32
Delphia 47
Dufour 405
Ovni 445
Sunbeam 30.1

Luxury Cruiser:
Allures 51
Feeling 52
Halberg Rassy 372
Jeanneau 57
Saare 41

Multihull:
Catana 41
Dragonfly 28
Lagoon 400
Lipari 41
Outremer 49

Special:
Comet 21
K-650
Olsen 370
Seascape 18
Tofinou 12m

The judges, made up from 11 yachting magazines across Europe, have an extensive meeting to decide this shortlist before testing the nominated boats in Ijmuiden in September and Barcelona in November. This is the 7th edition of the award and the winners will be announced at the Dusseldorf Boatshow in January 2010.

(Pictured is the Grand Soleil 46, nominated in the Performance Cruiser category)