WORLD SUPERYACHT AWARDS 2009 MOVES TO LONDON

Boat International Media are delighted to announce that the fourth annual World Superyacht Awards will take place at London's historic Guildhall on Saturday 16th May 2009.

Situated in the heart of the City of London, this medieval building has been the epicentre of England's commercial life for more than 800 years. The current building dates back to 1411, but the site was already in use from Anglo-Saxon times as a meeting place for the city's guilds and livery companies.

The Awards ceremony will take place in the vaulted splendour of the Great Hall of Guildhall. Through the ages, countless royal and state visitors have been entertained within these five-foot thick 15th Century walls. The walls record the names and arms of every Lord Mayor and the Monarchs they served, dating back to the very first Lord Mayor of London Henry Fitz Ailwyn in 1189 during the reign of King Richard I.

The Hall also displays the funereal honours the City has granted to leading British political and military leaders: most notably the Duke of Wellington, Admiral Lord Nelson and Sir Winston Churchill.

The champagne reception and after party will be held in the Guildhall Crypts, offering the unique opportunity to socialize with an elite guest list of owners and leading industry professionals in the history-soaked atmosphere of the largest medieval crypts in London. The East Crypt predates even the Great Hall, having been built in the time of Edward the Confessor before the Norman Conquest (1042). The low vaulted ceilings are embossed with the coats of arms of the city and its foremost citizens, while the stained glass windows commemorate Geoffrey Chaucer, William Caxton, Sir Thomas More, Sir Christopher Wren and Samuel Pepys.

An international hub for both business and entertaining, London is a cosmopolitan city making it the perfect location for the World Superyacht Awards 2009. London's five airports and central location on the world's flight paths will allow easier travel for our guests from all sides of the globe as well as the many superyacht owners based in the city.

Tony Harris, CEO of Boat International Media:

"In response to the positive feedback we have received from superyacht owners, we have chosen 2009 as the year to move the event to a new city. By bringing the World Superyacht Awards to the magnificent Guildhall, a larger venue in the centre of the city of London, many more of the owners and teams responsible for all the nominated superyachts will be able to join us at the gala awards ceremony to celebrate the best builds of 2008.

Tables at last year's event sold out in record time and we were inundated with applications to attend this most prestigious occasion - the 'Oscars' of the superyacht world.

Table applications for the World Superyacht Awards 2009 are now open.

Priority will be given to superyacht owners and nominees and will then be allocated on a first come first-served basis so please be sure to apply early to avoid disappointment.