The winners of the prestigious 2011 Motor Boat of the Year Awards, sponsored by Garmin, were announced at a spectacular invitation-only award ceremony held at the Savoy Hotel in London on Monday January 10th 2011. Boats nominated for an award are those whose design and performance impressed the professional journalists from Motor Boat & Yachting and Motor Boats Monthly during rigorous sea trials. Representatives from the boat manufacturers and sales companies, together with marine industry VIPs, were among the evening’s 200 invited guests.
London's Savoy Hotel - Credit Savoy Hotel
2011 Motor Boat of the Year Awards winners announced
Fifty-six boats were short-listed for this year’s Awards which feature ten categories ranging from the smallest ‘Starterboat’ to the fast and furious ‘Performance and Superboat’. The standard of the design and performance of this year’s nominated boats was of such a high quality that as well as the ten winning boats, a further five were recognised by the judging panel and Highly Commended.
Simon Owen, Publishing Director at IPC Marine Media welcomed guests and gave special thanks to sponsors Garmin, KVH and Peters & May for their support of the event adding, ‘Their contribution to this evening’s event has allowed us to continue celebrating in the style that befits such a fantastic industry.’ Now in their fifth year, the Awards are firmly established as the motor boating industry’s ultimate definition of excellence in design, innovation and manufacture.
Each and every boat nominated has been personally tested by IPC’s unparalleled panel of experienced and talented boat testers who rigorously put them through their paces on and off the water.
The 2011 Awards were sponsored for the third year running by marine electronics manufacturer and global leader in satellite navigation, Garmin.
The company also sponsors the eleventh award of the evening, the Garmin Outstanding Service Award, which rewards a company that displays excellence in customer relations. Nominations are made by readers of Motor Boat & Yachting and Motor Boats Monthly and visitors to ybw.com.
The recipient of this year’s Garmin Outstanding Service Award was Val Wyatt Marine, a company that impressed the boating public by offering exceptional service where nothing was too much trouble, even after the purchase.
In tradition of the Motor Boat of the Year Awards, a Judges Special Award was also presented. This year the Judges Special award was rewarded to the Seaway group, which has been working at the very heart of marine design and build for almost two decades. The Seaway Group has continuously innovated and made boating more accessible and exciting. It has been involved in delivering design, engineering and construction solutions for craft as diverse as the Marex 370, Monte Carlo Yacht and the Windy Blackbird and most recently, the hybrid-powered Greenline 33.
WINNERS OF THE MOTOR BOAT OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2011
In some categories where the judging was particularly close, the judges nominated a Highly Commended boat as well.
1 – STARTERBOAT – Trophy 2203CC
Manufacturer: Brunswick Boat Company
UK dealer: Bates Wharf Marine
Highly Commended – Williams Turbojet 505
2 – WHEELHOUSE & WALKAROUND – Greenline 33
Manufacturer: Seaway Group
UK Dealer: Salterns Brokerage
Highly Commended – Jeanneau NC11
3 – PERFORMANCE AND SUPERBOAT – Goldfish 29 RIB mkII
Manufacturer: Goldfish Boat AS
UK dealer: Salterns Boatyard
Highly Commended – Windy Blackbird
4 – STEEL AND INLAND – Privateer 52
Manufacturer and dealer: Privateer Yachts UK Dealer: None
5 – TRAWLERS AND AFT CABINS – Marex 370
Manufacturer: A/S Marex
UK Dealer: Wessex Marine
6 – SPORTSCRUISER UP TO 45ft – Beneteau Monte Carlo 42
Manufacturer: Beneteau
UK Dealer: AM Dickie & Sons
Highly Commended – Atlantis Verve 36
7 – SPORTSCRUISER ABOVE 45ft – Fairline Targa 58 GT
Manufacturer: Fairline Boats
Highly Commended – Sunseeker Portofino 48
2011 Motor Boat of the Year Awards winner of the SPORTSCRUISER ABOVE 45ft - FairlineTarga 58 GRAN TURISMO - Credit Fairline
8 – FLYBRIDGE UP TO 55ft – Sealine F42
Manufacturer: Sealine International Ltd
9 – FLYBRIDGES ABOVE 55ft – Monte Carlo Yachts MCY76
Manufacturer: Beneteau
UK Dealer: None
2011 Motor Boat of the Year Awards winner of the FLYBRIDGES ABOVE 55ft - Monte Carlo Yachts MCY76 – Photo Credit Monte Carlo Yachts
10 – CUSTOM YACHT – Arcadia 85
Manufacturer: Arcadia Yacht
UK Dealer: None
2011 Motor Boat of the Year Awards winner of the CUSTOM YACHT - Arcadia 85 motor yacht
11 – GARMIN EUROPE LTD OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD
– Val Wyatt Marine
12 – JUDGES SPECIAL AWARD
– Seaway Group
