Winners of the World Superyacht Awards 2014

May 05, 2014

The newly crowned winners of a prominent Neptune trophy were unveiled at the 9th annual World Superyacht Awards on Saturday, May 3, 2014. The host city of Amsterdam, with its rich maritime history, offered a fitting backdrop as a distinguished audience of superyacht owners as well as industry specialists gathered at the Het Scheepvaartmuseum, Amsterdam’s National Maritime Museum.

Winners of the World Superyacht Awards 2014 celebrate with their Neptune trophies

The ceremony, which celebrates excellence in superyacht build and design, is the most anticipated event in the superyacht calendar. Throughout the evening, international broadcaster, Natasha Kaplinsky, presented a selection of prized awards to the owners of the finest sail and motor yachts delivered in 2013. A total of twenty-seven coveted Neptune trophies and Judges’ Commendation prizes, custom made for the occasion by Baccarat, were presented throughout the ceremony.

Motor Yacht of the Year was awarded to the 99m Madame Gu
The Motor Yacht of the Year Award honours the very best motor yacht delivered to its owners in 2013, chosen from amongst the winners of the motor yacht classes. Whilst size is not a factor in determining the victor of this award, this year the judges did select the largest yacht of those shortlisted. Built by Feadship–de Vries in Makkum, The Netherlands, with both exterior and interior design from Andrew Winch Designs, motor yacht Madame Gu is widely recognised as one of the most exquisite yachts afloat. It was not just appearance that swayed the judges; a superb quality of structural build, the design and installation of the mechanical elements and systems, and the perfection of interior joinery and decoration was absolutely beyond reproach. This resulted in a unanimous decision to name her as the highly deserved Motor Yacht of the Year.

Motor Yacht of the Year - Madame Gu - Image Credit Jeff Brown/Superyacht Media

Sailing Yacht of the Year went to 32.64m Inukshuk
After much consideration of the two sailing yacht class winners – sailing yacht Ganesha and superyacht Inukshuk – the judges voted almost unanimously to select Inukshuk, a 32.6-metre sloop built by Baltic Yachts in Finland, as the winner of this prestigious award. Their decision was largely based on recognition that this yacht provides an optimal balance between excellent sailing performance and the high degree of comfort and customisation offered to its owner. Inukshuk’s elegant looks, which feature uncluttered deck spaces derived from the drawing board of German Frers, state-of-the-art sailing systems and the high standards of construction seen both in the structure of the vessel and its interior finish by Adam Lay Studio, were all factored into the decision.

Sailing Yacht of the Year - Inukshuk - Image Credit Jeff Brown/Superyacht Media

World Superyacht Awards 2014 Winners

Displacement Motor Yacht of 2,000GT and above
Sponsored by Holland Jachtbouw

Winner: Madame Gu
Madame Gu
Length: 99.00m
Builder: Feadship
Naval Architect: Feadship
Exterior Stylist: Andrew Winch Designs
Interior Designer: Andrew Winch Designs

Judges’ Commendation: Chopi Chopi

Luxury motor yacht Chopi Chopi by CRN

Length: 80.00m
Builder: CRN
Naval Architect: CRN Engineering
Exterior Stylist: Zuccon International Project
Interior Designer: Laura Sessa

Displacement Motor Yacht of 1,300GT to 1,999GT

Winner: Sea Owl
Length: 62.00m
Builder: Feadship
Naval Architect: De Voogt Naval Architects
Exterior Stylist: Andrew Winch Designs
Interior Designer: Andrew Winch Designs

62m Feadship superyacht Sea Owl - Photo credit to Kees Torn

Judges’ Commendation: Axioma (ex Red Square)

Length: 72.50m
Builder: Dunya Yachts
Naval Architect: Dunya Yachts
Exterior Stylist: Sterling Scott
Interior Designer: Alberto Pinto

Dunya MegaYacht Red Square - Profile Image courtesy of Dunya Yachts

Judges’ Special Award for technically advanced construction

Winner: Invictus
Length: 66.00m
Builder: Delta Marine
Naval Architect: Delta Design Group
Exterior Stylist: Delta Design Group
Interior Designer: Diane Johnson Design / JW Architecture

66m Delta luxury super yacht INVICTUS

Displacement Motor Yacht of 500GT to 1,299GT
Sponsored by Clyde & Co

Winner: Event
Length: 60.00m
Builder: Amels
Naval Architect: Amels
Exterior Stylist: Tim Heywood Design
Interior Stylist: Laura Sessa

Displacement Motor Yacht of below 500GT
Sponsored by Royal Huisman

Winner: CaryAli
Length: 39.16m
Builder: Alloy Yachts
Naval Architect: René van der Velden Yacht Design
Exterior Stylist: René van der Velden Yacht Design
Interior Designer: Lynne Grossman in collaboration with Redman Whiteley Dixon

39m explorer yacht CaryAli by Alloy Yachts

Judges’ Commendation: Sofia

Length: 41.78m
Builder: Moonen Shipyard
Naval Architect: Stolk Marimecs
Exterior Stylist: René van der Velden Yacht Design
Interior Designer: Art-Line Interiors

42m Moonen motor yacht Sofia

Semi-Displacement or Planing Two-Deck Motor Yacht including Raised Pilothouse Designs
Sponsored by Admiral Tecnomar

Winner: Finish Line
Length: 36.70m
Builder: Trinity Yachts
Naval Architect: Trinity Yachts
Exterior Stylist: Yacht Next / Joanne Lockhart
Interior Designer: Yacht Next / Joanne Lockhart

Trinity Yachts superyacht FINISH LINE (Hull T-058) - Profile

Semi-Displacement or Planing Three-Deck Motor Yacht of 30m to 44.99m
Sponsored by Tansu

Winner: Cacos V
Length: 40.00m
Builder: Admiral Tecnomar
Naval Architect: Admiral Tecnomar
Exterior Stylist: Luca Dini Design / Admiral Centro Stile
Interior Designer: Admiral Centro Stile

Cacos V Yacht

Semi-Displacement or Planing Three-Deck Motor Yacht of 45m and above
Sponsored by Esenyacht

Winner: Galactica Star
Length: 65.00m
Builder: Heesen Yachts
Naval Architect: Van Oossanen Naval Architects / Heesen Yachts
Exterior Stylist: Omega Architects/ Heesen Yachts
Interior Designer: Bannenberg & Rowell Design

65m Heesen superyacht Galactica Star - Photo credit to Jeff Brown

Judges’ Commendation: Vellmari
Length: 47.50m
Builder: Rossinavi
Naval Architect: Arrabito Naval Architects
Exterior Stylist: Team for Design by Enrico Gobbi
Interior Designer: Team for Design by Enrico Gobbi

Vellmari superyacht by Rossinavi - Copyright- Alberto Cocchi

Catamaran Award

Winner: Quaranta
Length: 33.70m
Builder: Curvelle–Logos Marine
Naval Architect: Incat Crowther Naval Architects
Exterior Stylist: Mauro Giamboi
Interior Designer: Alex Isacc

Motor Yacht of the Year Award
Sponsored by Embraer Executive Jets

Winner: Madame Gu
Length: 99.00m
Builder: Feadship
Naval Architect: Feadship
Exterior Stylist: Andrew Winch Designs
Interior Designer: Andrew Winch Designs

Sailing Yacht in 40m+ Size Range
Sponsored by Heesen Yachts

Winner: Ganesha
Length: 46.00m
Builder: Vitters Shipyard
Naval Architect: Dubois Naval Architects
Exterior Stylist: Dubois Naval Architects
Interior Designer: Newcruise

Rendering of the 46m Vitters superyacht Ganesha

Spirit of Tradition Award
Sponsored by Feadship

Winner: Mikhail S. Vorontsov
Length: 64.50m
Builder: Dream Ship Victory / Balk Shipyard
Naval Architect: Dream Ship Victory / Dykstra Naval Architects
Exterior Stylist: Ken Freivokh Design / Dykstra Naval Architects
Interior Designer: Ken Freivokh Design

Mega yacht Mikhail S. Vorontsov

Sailing Yacht in 30m to 39.99 size range
Sponsored by Dream Ship Victory

Winner: Inukshuk
Length: 32.64m
Builder: Baltic Yachts
Naval Architect: Frers Naval Architecture & Engineering
Exterior Stylist: Frers Naval Architecture & Engineering
Interior Designer: Adam Lay Studio

Judges’ Special Award for advanced design and high quality construction

Winner: Inoui
Length: 33.44m
Builder: Vitters Shipyard
Naval Architect: Philippe Briand
Exterior Stylist: Philippe Briand Yacht Design
Interior Designer: Andrew Winch Designs

Luxury yacht Inoui - side view - Photo by Carlo Baroncini

Sailing Yacht of the Year Award
Sponsored by Embraer Executive Jets

Yacht Conversion Award
Sponsored by Amels

Winner: Enigma XK
Length: 72.00m
Original Builder: Richards Shipbuilders
Refit Yard: Atlantic Refit Center
Refit Naval Architect: Macfarlane Yacht Design
Refit Exterior Stylist: Vitruvius Yachts
Refit Interior Designer: Vitruvius Yachts

Luxury explorer yacht ENIGMA XK

Rebuilt Yacht Award
Sponsored by Amels

Winner: Keyla
Length: 45.30m
Original Builder: Trinity Yachts
Refit Yard: RMK Marine with project management by Mark Poirier
Refit Naval Architect: Trinity Yachts & RMK Engineering Department
Refit Exterior Stylist: Hot Lab Yacht & Design
Refit Interior Designer: Hot Lab Yacht & Design

45m superyacht Keyla refitted by RMK Marine and Hot Lab

Refitted Yacht Award
Sponsored by Amels

Winner: Auspicious
Length: 50.80m
Original Builder: Mondo Marine Refit Yard: Mondo Marine with project management by KK Superyachts
Refit Naval Architect: Mondo Marine
Refit Exterior Stylist: Cor D. Rover Design
Refit Interior Designer: Eidsgaard Design

Motor Yacht Auspicious (ex Streamline)

Quality & Value Award
Sponsored by Hodgdon

Winner: Ileria
Length: 50.4m
Builder: Proteksan-Turquoise Yachts
Naval Architect: Proteksan-Turquoise Yachts
Exterior Stylist: Proteksan-Turquoise Yachts
Interior Designer: J.G. Verges Design

NB56 motor yacht Ileria

Voyager’s Award
Sponsored by Alloy Yachts

Joint Winner: Exuma
Length: 50.00m
Builder: Picchiotti / Perini Navi
Voyage: New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Palau, Sabah, Philippines

Super Yacht Exuma photo courtesy of Perini Navi

Joint Winner: Zeepaard

Length: 37.00m
Builder: JFA Yachts
Voyage: Circumnavigation through 39 countries

Zeepaard superyacht in Carribean - Copyrights Zeepaard

Legacy Award
Sponsored by Gassan Diamond

Winner: Sir Donald Gosling

Voyager’s Award

The Voyager’s Award credits superyacht owners who have undertaken a passage of an unusual or exploratory nature. This award, determined by the jury who have all cruised the world extensively, unusually resulted in the secret ballot creating an exact tie. Rather than breaking the deadlock to determine a single winner, the judges decided to award an equal first place to two owners who have both undergone extraordinary voyages – The owners of superyacht Exuma and luxury yacht Zeepaard.

Superyacht Exuma is a 50-metre motor yacht built by Picchiotti/Perini Navi to a design by Philippe Briand of Vitruvius Yachts. At the design stage, Exuma was specifically customised for cruising the more remote areas of the Pacific and her entry, written personally by the owner, catalogues an example of this: An adventurous voyage, made between 2012 and 2013, that started in New Caledonia and Vanuatu and progressed through the Solomon Islands to Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Palau, and Sabah ending in the Philippines. Not only was the account well written and beautifully illustrated, it also displayed an enviable depth of knowledge of, and interaction with the various populations encountered throughout the itinerary. The judges considered it to be an excellent example of a cruise that deserved recognition.

Images of Exuma superyacht's navigation throughout the South Pacific and beyond

Built by JFA Yachts in France in 2003, superyacht Zeepaard is a 37-metre expedition yacht designed for adventurous voyages. Her circumnavigation between 2009 and 2013, starting and finishing in the Mediterranean, certainly qualified as such, covering a total of 50,000nm and 39 countries. While the totality of the voyage was too long a duration to qualify for the Voyager’s Award, the judges extracted a portion which fell within the two year limit specified within the rules. Even so, this was an epic cruise. As the judges were to see from a small sample of the 40,000 or so images, it was clear that the owner, along with his family and friends, encountered incredible experiences everywhere they went, even in the rather more adventurous ‘pirate zones’, for which they were well prepared. This was a notable voyage of exactly the type for which expedition yachts were designed, and the judges considered it most worthy of a Neptune.

A small sample of over 40,000 images captured during Zeepaard yacht's circumnavigation of the globe

Legacy Award

The Legacy Award was presented to Sir Donald Gosling who, with over 60 years in superyachting – and counting – is the archetypal yacht owner. His love affair with the sea began at a young age and enrolling in the Royal Navy was a logical route for his career to take. In 1953 he acquired his first yacht which was followed by an array of pre-owned and custom yachts throughout the years. In 1993, Sir Donald Gosling’s current yacht, Leander G (named after HMS Leander – Sir Donald’s Royal Navy posting), was launched and she has been a much-loved staple of the superyacht scene ever since, welcoming both charter guests and Royalty on a regular basis.

Sir Donald Gosling

The 2014 edition of the awards relocated to one of Europe’s foremost hubs of yacht design with the support of leading Dutch yacht builders; Amels, Feadship, Heesen, Holland Jachtbouw and Royal Huisman. Boat International Media would also like to thank Gold Sponsor, Embraer Executive Jets, Silver Sponsors; Dream Ship Victory, Esenyacht, Gassan Diamonds and Hodgdon, Bronze Sponsors; Admiral Technomar, Alloy Yachts, Baccarat, Clyde & Co and Tansu and Contributing Sponsors; Royal Delft, Sabrina Monte-Carlo, Spyker, Wajer & Wajer and Holland Yachting Group for helping to create a wonderful evening and for making the World Superyacht Awards a resounding success.