It was a YACHT initiative that 20 years ago established the world's most highly regarded award for the best in boatbuilding. Back then, the leading magazines from ten nations made up the expert jury. Today there are twelve partners from Finland to Spain, from France to Austria, who jointly select Europe's Yachts of the Year in a multi-stage process.
All new or significantly revised boats from the current model year are eligible for nomination as Yacht of the Year. The number of newcomers varies between 50 and 70 and are recorded in a separate database. Every year in June, the judges jointly filter the most interesting representatives in the respective categories from the possible candidates. This is followed by two test events at which the candidates are compared and assessed. The first round takes the jury to La Rochelle at the end of September. The second, even more extensive test follows in October off Port Ginesta, near Barcelona. It lasts a whole week. As always, the winners will be chosen at boot Düsseldorf in January. Only if the shipyards commit to one of the two tests in autumn and present their yachts there will they be in the running for the coveted trophies.
You can see which boats have made it onto the list of nominees and what characterises them in the galleries for the respective categories.
Cruising yachts
Luxury yachts
Special boats
Performance cruiser
Performance catamarans
Cruising catamarans
