Announcing the Winners of the 2009 World Superyacht Awards

The World Superyacht Awards, the most glamorous evening in the yachting calendar, took place last night at Guildhall, in the heart of the City of London. Over 500 guests, 150 of whom were superyacht owners and their personal guests, gathered from around the world with preeminent members of the superyacht industry to enjoy a magnificent evening.

Now in its fourth year, the World Superyacht Awards celebrates excellence in the design and build of superyachts, recognising the dedication and passion of owners and the talents of the builders, naval architects and designers who delivered the most outstanding yachts of 2008.

An independent panel of judges comprised of 13 Superyacht owners and two highly respected industry professionals gave unstintingly of their time and knowledge to determine the best built yachts of 2008. All of the judges made extraordinary efforts to visit as many of the contending yachts as possible, and with the aid of a 400-page dossier containing a detailed brief on every yacht, they then gathered in Stuttgart in March to consider every finalist yacht in even greater detail. Each yacht is awarded marks under six headings and the total of these marks determines clearly the winning yachts.

Silver Sponsors Maybach, Chihuly, Oceanco, Camper & Nicholsons International, Miele Marine, Audemars Piguet, Greenline Yacht Interiors, Camper & Nicolsons Marinas and Vulkan Shipyard all had the opportunity to present an award to the winners of their respective sponsored categories.

The winners of both the Sailing Yacht of the Year, sponsored by Chihuly, and Motor Yacht of the Year, sponsored by Maybach, received both a Neptune and a dramatic art piece created especially for the occasion by world famous artist Dale Chihuly. A select number of outstanding finalists received Judges’ Commendations and were invited onto the stage to receive a Porcelain piece by Nymphenburg. Awards were also given to Newcomer of the Year, Technology Award, Legacy Award and the much anticipated Young Designer of the Year, sponsored by Camper & Nicholsons International.

Photographs from the evening will be available to view in the Gallery in the coming days and a full review of the fourth annual World Superyacht Awards will be included in the July issue of Boat International, on sale on 11th June.

Please visit the World Superyacht Awards Website to view the full details of the 2009 winners.