The "European Yacht of the Year" award ceremony is one of the most important awards in the industry. On six pages, YACHT presents all the award winners who were able to prevail against strong competition. The jury, consisting of specialised journalists from leading European sailing magazines, intensively tested and evaluated the nominated boats.
The award ceremony at boot Düsseldorf brought a few surprises. The winners impressed with their innovative concepts, outstanding sailing characteristics and well thought-out detailed solutions. For potential buyers, the article offers valuable insights into the current trends in yacht building and presents the strengths of the award-winning boats in detail.
Sports boat with a fun factor: The Lago 26 Speedster
A highlight of this issue is the test of the Lago 26 Speedster from Championships Yachting. The boat developed by Hans Spitzauer is already the fourth version of the Lago series and has been specially optimised for single-handed sailing. YACHT has extensively tested the sporty boat. The detailed report describes the strengths of the fast daysailer and explains why this boat is particularly interesting for sporty sailors who are looking for an uncomplicated, yet performance-orientated boat.
Craftsmanship at the highest level: the "Best of"
The Performance Classic 41 with the fitting name "Best of" is a special piece of jewellery. It was built by Lutz Schröder, who crowned his life's work with it. The boat is exceptional in many respects and combines features from a wide variety of boat types. As the name suggests, Schröder has brought together the essence of what he has already laid on the keel in his earlier projects. YACHT was on board and reports on this impressive example of perfect craftsmanship, which shows what is possible when building a boat yourself.
From Florida to Europe: a special Atlantic crossing
For most sailors, a transatlantic passage is something very special - especially when the course leads from west to east. YACHT editor Morten Strauch took on this very adventure and sailed from Florida to Europe on an aged Hanseat 70. He recounts his experiences on this challenging route. His report makes it clear why such a crossing is still one of the great adventures of sailing today.
Germany's best marinas put to the test
Where are the best places for sailors in Germany? This question is answered by a study commissioned by YACHT. It reveals how satisfied skippers and crews are with German marinas. More than 100 harbours were scrutinised. The results provide a valuable guide for planning cruises on German coasts and inland waters.
Navigation yesterday and today
Two articles are dedicated to the topic of navigation - albeit from completely different perspectives. Sailing instructor Leon Schulz reports on how he crossed the Bay of Biscay using a sextant instead of GPS. He shows that traditional astronomical navigation still works today and is by no means as complicated as many people think. His report makes it clear that this skill is not only a fascinating nautical craft, but can also be a valuable backup solution if the electronics ever fail.
This contrasts with the article in Skippers magazine, which deals with modern navigation electronics. This is about how all on-board instruments, from anemometers to logs, can communicate with each other. The article provides the necessary technical know-how for device networking and explains what is important and how to proceed ideally.
Other topics in the magazine
In addition to the main topics presented, YACHT 4/2026 offers many other interesting articles:
- Panorama: 150-m² skerry cruiser in the archipelago, news about the "Gorch Fock", monster waves, GPS malfunctions, autonomous cargo ship, antifouling podcast and an accident in winter storage
- Travel reports: South Caribbean crisis area, dispute over Airbnb boats, Barther Bodden and the Elbe-Lübeck Canal
- New boats: The trailer boat NFun 29 and the Bavaria Voyager 45
- Sport: Review of the Sydney Hobart Race and outlook for the America's Cup
- Books: Eight new releases for the on-board library
- Equipment: Tests of mini messenger and emergency transmitter, sanding aid, electric motor, sailing jacket, cockpit screen, switch panel, headlamp, chart plotter, cushion covers and reflective ropes
- Pantry: A quickly prepared and delicious pasta and mushroom pan dish as well as tests of a thermos flask and a mobile induction hob
- YACHT-Markt: Eleven pages with the complete range for sailors with used boats, purchase requests, broker and insurance offers, school and charter adverts as well as the specialist market and price puzzle
- Wake: Interview with Mini Globe Race participant Christian Sauer before the start of the final stage
