Despite all the difficulties and limitations of 2020, the jury of the European Yacht of the Year competition was able to test 15 sailing yachts and award winners in 5 categories.
The jury consists of 12 judges from different European countries. All of them have vast experience in yacht testing. The tests themselves took place last autumn in Kiel, Cannes and La Rochelle.
Usually, this largest, most influential and respected award in the field of shipbuilding takes place at a special event. But this year, due to restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, everything happened online. As a result, 5 winners were named in different categories.
Family cruisers Bavaria C42
The yacht, 12.38 m long and 4.29 m wide, was created by BAVARIA YACHTS in collaboration with Cossutti Yacht Design. The main goal, according to the developers, was the maximum simplification of working with sails, but at the same time achieving the highest possible speed. Buyers can choose between the more comfortable two-cabin version and the more spacious three-cabin version. The cost of the yacht is from 157,900 euros.
Speed Cruisers: Dragonfly 40
The trimaran from the Danish shipyard Dragonfly has a length of 12.1 m and a width of 4 m. The judges noted that this yacht proved to be excellent when moving at a speed of 15-20 knots (maximum speed is 24 knots), it is well suited for long-distance travel and for short cruises. Despite the small width of the main body, the developers managed to provide the crew with sufficient comfort. The cost of this vessel is 570,000 euros.
Luxury cruisers: Contest 55CS
An excellent example of a beautiful vessel (length 17 m, width 5.02 m), which is characterized by increased comfort and at the same time allows you to make long ocean cruises. For 2 million euros, the buyer receives the highest build quality, an increased level of comfort (the owner's aft cabin can compete in luxury with the rooms of many famous hotels) and a bunch of all kinds of technical innovations. At the same time, the buyer is offered a choice of many different interior design options.
Ocean (Bluewater) cruisers: Boreal 47.2
According to the jury, this is a yacht that can go almost anywhere. A practical, thoughtful and easy-to-handle vessel, 13.8 m long and 4.3 m wide. There is no particular luxury here, but a high level of comfort is provided. The cost of the vessel is 541,620 euros, various configurations of aft cabins are available to the buyer. By the way, Boreal 47.2 has already won in this category in 2015.
Special yachts: Saffier SE 27 Leisure
A very interesting solution, 8.2 m long and 2.6 m wide, suitable for short-term cruises on windows, seas or lakes. The yacht is distinguished by the simplicity of working with sails, but at the same time it is capable of developing good speed, it can be steered alone. According to the creators, they paid a lot of attention to safety and weight loss. The presence of a small cabin for 4 people means the opportunity to relax in more or less comfortable conditions. The cost is 77,500 euros. Interestingly, this yacht has already received an award 12 years ago.
