The shortlist for the European Yacht of the Year awards 2016 has been announced. Here is an introduction to each of the 25 yachts nominated, before we set about testing them this autumn
And this year has some crackers, including the first foiling yacht to make the competition, some rapid multihulls and some oh-so-stylish performance cruisers.
Now in its 12th year, the European Yacht of the Year is the most thorough competition there is for production yachts. Yachting World teams up with 10 other leading magazines from surrounding European nations. We collectively test all 25 yachts, divided in five different categories, over two separate weeks in two different locations this autumn.
The five category winners are announced at the Dusseldorf Boatshow in January. Here is a breakdown of each of the five categories and their nominees:
PERFORMANCE CRUISERS
A versatile yacht that offers fixed, swing and twin keels. The beam of the 9.98 affords good accommodation in three double cabins, plus generous stowage aft. The mainsheet traveller is abaft the rudder shafts to free up the cockpit, and she looks easy and fun to sail at speed short-handed. €115,000 (£82,753) ex VAT. See more HERE
Ice Yacht’s new 52 looks pretty awesome. The bow profile of the 52 is the part that really catches the eye. It has very full forward sections and an unusual stem shape. Ice Yachts describe the latter as a ‘scimitar’ in style – the inverted curve similar to the curved swords of the early Middle East.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO on the Ice 52
The Ice Yachts brand began in 2013 with 44ft and 62ft Felci-designs, but the team behind it have built maxi yachts for the last 30 years at the former CN Yacht 2000 facilities near Milan. The Ice 52 will make its boatshow debut in Cannes in September. €520,000 ex VAT.
The 9.98 is a potent-looking racer-cruiser from the Venice-based yard. Like the 15.98, this 34-footer is designed by Italia Yachts’ Matteo Polli, a 34-year old past protégé of ORC expert Maurizio Cossutti. In 2006 Cossutti and Polli designed the M37, which reigned in ORC events for three seasons.
In 2013, the same M37 owner gave Polli a new quest: “to design a smaller new boat to reduce running costs and loads,” says Polli. “So I had the difficult task to design a boat that could be at least as good as the current overall best boat in ORC!” The hull is designed to meet the delicate balance of rating well in both ORC and IRC. So it has slender hull lines for poled-out spinnaker performance downwind, combined with a waterline that increases significantly at heel for symmetrical stability. €119,000 ex VAT.
The J/112, a long-proven fast cruiser-racer, is the latest of J/Boats’ existing range to receive the “E” treatment – joining the J/97E and J/122E. The “E” is for elegance and evolution in performance cruising design, says J/Boats. So while the hull and deck remain largely identical, the J/122 has been refreshed throughout. So the ‘e’ version now includes hull windows and a more luxurious feel to the interior. The 36-footer has a two cabin / aft head layout with 6ft 3in headroom. €218,500 ex VAT.
One of the most stylish and impressive new launches we have tested in some time, the Solaris 50 puts a generous lashing of cool into fast cruising.
Click here for our report and video Price (ex VAT) €480,000.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OTHER FOUR CATEGORIES