Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Emerging Tech
  3. News

World Superyacht Award winners cover a diverse range of ships you can’t afford

By

If you’re going to check out superyachts, start with the very best. Boat International Media’s World Superyacht Awards 2017 winners were announced last weekend, at the 12th annual presentation event held in Florence, Italy. Comparable to the film industry’s Academy Awards, World Superyacht Awards winners take home Neptune trophies instead of Oscars.

Fifteen of the world’s biggest and best superyachts were selected for 17 awards from 60 nominees. Two vessels, Dilbar and Sybaris, won two awards each.

The following is a summary of the winners.

Recommended Videos

Displacement Motor Yacht of 3,000gt and Above and Motor Yacht of the Year

Dilbar

Boat International Media

Dilbar won both the Displacement Motor Yacht of 3,000gt and Above and Motor Yacht of the Year Awards. Her 180-cubic-meter swimming pool and 30,000-kilowatt diesel electric power plant are the largest of any yacht. Plus, what other superyacht has two helipads?

Sailing Yacht of 40-meters and Above and Sailing Yacht of the Year

Sybaris

Boat International Media

Sybaris won both the Sailing Yacht of 40-meters and Above and Sailing Yacht of the Year Awards. The 70-meter sailing vessel has deceptively low-profile styling, a luxurious interior, technical innovation, and highly rated sailing ability.

Voyager’s Award

Glaze

Boat International Media

The 49-meter Glaze won the Voyager’s Award for the most daring and inspiring expedition by a superyacht. The cruise was along North West Australia’s rugged coastline, much of which is poorly or totally uncharted.

Displacement Motor Yachts of Between 1,500gt and 2,999gt

Cloudbreak

Boat International Media

Cloudbreak is an explorer superyacht designed specifically to support mountaineering, hiking, and snow sports. Cloudbreak won the Displacement Motor Yachts of Between 1,500gt and 2,999gt Award.

Displacement Motor Yachts of Between 500gt and 1,499g Award

Joy

Boat International Media

Joy impressed with her spacious decks, full height sliding glass panels, and active noise attenuation when underway. Joy won the Displacement Motor Yachts of Between 500gt and 1,499g Award.

Displacement Motor Yachts of Below 500gt — 43 meters and Above Award

La Passion

Boat International Media

La Passion won the Displacement Motor Yachts of Below 500gt — 43 meters and Above Award because of her interior and exterior design, seaworthiness, and hull efficiency. This is the first yacht launched by SARP Yachts.

Displacement Motor Yachts of Below 500gt, 30-42.9 meters Award

Superyacht X

Boat International Media

The Displacement Motor Yachts of Below 500gt, 30-42.9 meters Award went to X, an explorer yacht. X was praised by the judges for her power and range as well as loads of space on the main deck for toys.

Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts 50-meters and Above Award

Galactica Super Nova

Boat International Media

Galactica Super Nova won the Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts 50meters and Above Award. She was judged for her performance, build quality, appearance, and facilities, including an outdoor cinema.

Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts of 40-49.9 meters Award

Amore Mio

Boat International Media

The winner of the Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts of 40-49.9 meters Award, Amore Mio, won because of her versatility as a “summer house on the sea.”

Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts of 34-39.9 meters Award

Gipsy

Boat International Media

Gipsy’s simple lines and optimized use of space appealed to the judges. Gipsy is lived in year round and won the Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts of 34-39.9 meters Award.

Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts of 30-33.9 meters Award

Botti

Boat International Media

Botti’s 32.3-meter design, including a bimini-covered sundeck, a bathing platform, and a foredeck lounge with a cinema. Botti won the Semi-Displacement or Planning Motor Yachts of 30-33.9 meters Award.

Sailing Yacht of 30-39.9 meters Award

My Song

Boat International Media

The sailing yacht My Song is a comfort-filled cruising yacht that also does well in races. For that combination, My Song won the Sailing Yacht of 30–39.9 meters Award.

Judge’s Special Award for Quality and Value Award

Narvalo

Boat International Media

The explorer superyacht Narvalo won the Judge’s Special Award for Quality and Value Award. Narvalo scored on the basis of her spacious staterooms and living spaces as well as her long range, well-equipped and sturdy tender, and high level of autonomy.

Rebuilt Yachts Award

Legend

Boat International Media

Legend started as a 34-year-old Russian tugboat. Little remains of that source vessel. Her hull was extended 3.6 meters and now includes a bathing platform, a 16-person swimming pool, and a helipad.

Refitted Yacht Award

Aquila

Boat International Media

The 85.6-meter Aquila has no visible resemblance to her former self, which was the reason for her Refitted Yacht Award.

Topics
Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown
Contributing Editor
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…
Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.
costco ev charging us electricera fast station 1260x945

Costco, known for its discount gas stations, has left EV drivers in need of juicing up out in the cold for the past 12 years. But that seems about to change now that the big-box retailer is putting its brand name on a DC fast-charging station in Ridgefield, Washington.
After being one of the early pioneers of EV charging in the 1990s, Costco abandoned the offering in 2012 in the U.S.
While opening just one station may seem like a timid move, the speed at which the station was installed -- just seven weeks -- could indicate big plans going forward.
Besides lightening-speed installation, Electric Era, the Seattle-based company making and installing the charging station, promises to offer “hyper-reliable, battery-backed fast charging technology in grid-constrained locations.”
Its stalls can deliver up to 200 kilowatts and come with built-in battery storage, allowing for lower electricity rates and the ability to remain operational even when power grids go down.
If that sounds like it could very well rival Tesla’s SuperCharger network, it’s no coincidence: Quincy Lee, its CEO, is a former SpaceX engineer.
Costco also seems confident enough in the company to have put its brand name on the EV-charging station. Last year, the wholesaler did open a pilot station in Denver, this time partnering with Electrify America, the largest charging network in the U.S. However, Costco did not put its brand name on it.
In an interview with Green Car Reports, Electric Era said it was still in talks with Costco about the opening of new locations. Last year, Costco said it was planning to install fast chargers at 20 locations, without providing further details. It has maintained EV-charging operations in Canada, the UK, Spain, and South Korea.
Meanwhile, the wholesaler’s U.S. EV-charging plans might very well resemble those of rival Walmart, which last year announced it was building its own EV fast-charging network in addition to the arrangements it already had with Electrify America.

Read more
The UK’s Wayve brings its AI automated driving software to U.S. shores
wayve ai automated driving us driver assist2 1920x1152 1

It might seem that the autonomous driving trend is moving at full speed and on its own accord, especially if you live in California.Wayve, a UK startup that has received over $1 billion in funding, is now joining the crowded party by launching on-road testing of its AI learning system on the streets of San Francisco and the Bay Area.The announcement comes just weeks after Tesla unveiled its Robotaxi at the Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California. It was also in San Francisco that an accident last year forced General Motors’ robotaxi service Cruise to stop its operations. And it’s mostly in California that Waymo, the only functioning robotaxi service in the U.S., first deployed its fleet of self-driving cars. As part of its move, Wayve opened a new office in Silicon Valley to support its U.S. expansion and AI development. Similarly to Tesla’s Full-Self Driving (FSD) software, the company says it’s using AI to provide automakers with a full range of driver assistance and automation features.“We are now testing our AI software in real-world environments across two continents,” said Alex Kendall, Wayve co-founder and CEO.The company has already conducted tests on UK roads since 2018. It received a huge boost earlier this year when it raised over $1 billion in a move led by Softbank and joined by Microsoft and Nvidia. In August, Uber also said it would invest to help the development of Wayve’s technology.Just like Tesla’s FSD, Wayve’s software provides an advanced driver assistance system that still requires driver supervision.Before driverless vehicles can legally hit the road, they must first pass strict safety tests.So far, Waymo’s technology, which relies on pre-mapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar, and lidar (a laser-light radar), is the only of its kind to have received the nod from U.S. regulators.

Read more
Aptera’s 3-wheel solar EV hits milestone on way toward 2025 commercialization
Aptera 2e

EV drivers may relish that charging networks are climbing over each other to provide needed juice alongside roads and highways.

But they may relish even more not having to make many recharging stops along the way as their EV soaks up the bountiful energy coming straight from the sun.

Read more