The industry came together for FLAGSHIP NIGHT, the joint maritime get-together of Delius Klasing Verlag (Germany) and boot Düsseldorf, to kick off the world's largest water sports fair. During the course of the gala, the winners of the two renowned awards ‘European Yacht of the Year 2025’ (EYOTY) for sailing yachts and ‘European Powerboat of the Year 2025’ (EPOTY) for motorboats were chosen. And, as well, the US-American Cole Brauer was honoured with the ‘SEAMASTER Award’ for her solo and non-stop circumnavigation of the world

Bielefeld/Düsseldorf, 19 January 2025. The international ‘European Yacht of the Year’ and ‘European Powerboat of the Year’ awards were presented for the 22nd and 19th time respectively. A jury of experts made up of the test directors and editors-in-chief of the twelve leading sailing and six powerboat magazines in Europe has always decided which boats are worthy of these prestigious awards. YACHT publisher Jochen Rieker and BOOTE editor-in-chief Torsten Moench chair the jury.

As in many other industries, the pandemic-related boom of previous years is currently being followed by a significant decline in sales figures, with many shipyards cancelling or stretching their development projects. As a result, the number of nominated innovations for 2025 has almost halved compared to the previous year. From almost 40 newcomers that have enriched the sailing yacht market this year, the jury members initially selected 16 nominees. However, only twelve of these actually took part in the extensive tests, which are a requirement for being considered for the title. Even though the jury has never had to assess as few new releases as this year, the nominated boats all delivered strong performances.

The winners of Europe's Yacht of the Year are determined in a complex process. During the tests, which last several days at sea, the candidates have to face the jury's judgement – and the competition. The Kiel Fjord was the venue for the rigorous practical tests for the second time. For the second phase of the test, the jury of experts visited the island of Majorca for the first time.

This year's winner in the Family Cruiser category is the Hanse 360 (hull length 10.60 metres, basic price ex-works 221,220 euros). The yacht from Greifswald had to hold its own against strong competition from France. In the end, its solid structure, precise steering and maximum versatility helped it to victory. According to the jury, the Hanse 360 fulfils almost all the requirements of a modern family cruiser.

Among the nominated performance cruisers, the J/40 (hull length 12.47 m, basic price ex-works 374,820 euros) wins the ‘European Yacht of the Year’ Award 2025. Its timeless aesthetics already set it apart from the crowd. She impresses with performance and an almost exhilarating light-footedness. For the jury, the J/40 is a dream boat that sails fast in all conditions. With a responsive and two-finger-operable central rudder, a proven, highly efficient cockpit layout and a finely balanced sail plan, she was able to impress in all conditions in the test.

The Contest 63 CS (hull length 19.29 m, basic price ex-yard 3,448,620 euros) wins the ‘European Yacht of the Year’ Award 2025 in the nominated Luxury Cruisers category. Designed by Judel/Vrolijk in Bremerhaven and built in Medemblik in the Netherlands, this boat impressed the jury in every respect. She sails with an ease that does not even remotely suggest that she displaces around 30 tonnes. Another advantage: at more than 19 metres in length, there is not a centimetre on the Contest 63 CS that is not put to good use.

In the multihull category, the Nautitech 48 Open (hull length 14.67 m, basic price ex-works 1,189,760 euros) came out on top. The top model from the catamaran shipyard belonging to the Bavaria holding company was convincing across the board – not least under sail. This all-rounder combines the best of the worlds of cruising catamarans and performance cats. A coherent overall package.

This year, the smallest of the finalists, the Bay Cruiser 21 (hull length 6.02 m, basic price ex-works 41,350 euros), won the award in the Special Yacht category. She is a real surprise package and won the hearts and minds of the jury with her super-likeable practicality and ingenious simplicity. Swallow Boats from Great Britain has packed her Bay Cruiser full of clever solutions that make handling on and off the water a breeze.

The awarding of the ‘European Powerboat of the Year 2025’ prizes for motorboats was also extremely exciting this year. The jury of experts is made up of the editors-in-chief and test managers of the leading European motorboat media from Norway (Båtmagasinet), Italy (Boatmag.it), France (Neptune, MoteurBoat), Spain (Nautica y Yates), Switzerland (Marina.ch), Austria (YachtRevue) and Germany (BOOTE).

It was no easy task for the experts of the motorboat trade press to select 30 nominees in six categories for the European Powerboat Award 2025 from more than 100 new boat models. In recent years, the organizers have already responded to the increasing presence of catamarans and electric boats by creating categories for them. In addition to the usual quality features of a boat, such as workmanship or handling, the jury pays particular attention to the candidates' interior layout, safety and price-performance ratio. The implementation of innovative ideas and concepts can also be crucial in the end.

In the compact class of pleasure craft up to 10 metres, the Axopar 29 Cross Cabin (length 9.31 m) can secure a place on the winners' podium. It is characterised primarily by its excellent rough water performance and its practicality. The boat is well thought out in every respect, with a strong focus on safety. Added to this is a good price-performance ratio.

For almost 70 years, the renowned American boat brand Wellcraft has been setting new standards time and again. In the category of powerboats up to 14 metres, the jury selected the Wellcraft 38 T-Top (length 11.69 m). It is a high-performance centre console boat designed for offshore use. This model combines robustness with a sleek design and features a striking T-top for sun protection, plenty of deck space and powerful drive options. The advanced hull design also ensures stability in all driving situations.

The Nimbus 495 Fly (length 14.90 m) is a convincing choice in the powerboat class up to 18 metres. The current flagship of the Nimbus fleet is the first flybridge model from the traditional Swedish shipyard. The hull of the 495 Fly was designed for low fuel consumption and hybrid drive solutions, making the boat economical.

The motorboat experts were also impressed by the well-known high quality of workmanship and the space concept, which make the Nimbus 495 Flybridge the ideal touring boat in their opinion.

Among power yachts up to 24 metres, the Cranchi Sessantadue 62 (length 20.23 m) from Italy comes out on top. The Sessantadue is a successful blend of modern design, ingenious use of space and traditional Italian boatbuilding skills. It offers plenty of space for its size and is very easy to manoeuvre with its two 1000 hp Volvo-Penta IPS drives, which are more than powerful enough.

In the power cat category, the YOT 41 (length 12.50 m) takes first place. It embodies everything that makes a modern touring catamaran: outboard drive and fold-out side panels make the French catamaran a real space miracle. In addition, the central passage in the saloon benefits from the room layout and the two cabins in the hulls offer plenty of space for four people.

The Frauscher x Porsche Fantom 850 Air represents engineering at the highest level. It has been awarded the ‘European Powerboat Award 2025’ in the Electric Boats category. The hull and deck of the sports boat come from the Austrian Frauscher shipyard, while the newly developed drive train with a peak output of up to 400 kW comes from the current Porsche Macan. The performance is correspondingly high, with the boat reaching around 45 knots.

And someone else had every reason to celebrate at this year's FLAGSHIP NIGHT: in addition to the ‘Watersports Oscars’, the ‘SEAMASTER’ award was also presented that evening. With this honour, the two partners Delius Klasing and boot Düsseldorf pay tribute to a personality who has made a special impact in water sports. On Saturday evening, the sailor Cole Brauer was honoured with the SEAMASTER Award 2025 at the gala. She is the first American woman to have completed a solo, non-stop round-the-world regatta. Although the ‘Global Solo Challenge’ and Brauer were still unknown at the start of the race, the 30-year-old quickly managed to build up a fan base of around 500,000 followers on Instagram and get them excited about the race.The celebratory speech in honour of Cole Brauer, who was unable to attend the event in person, was delivered by Pip Hare, IMOCA skipper and Vendée Globe participant.

Source: Boot Dusseldorf