The categories for the World Superyacht Awards 2020

All yachts nominated for the World Superyacht Awards 2020 must be at least 30 metres long (LOA). Yachts entered for the ‘new yacht’ classes must have been completed and delivered to their owners between January 1 and December 31, 2019.

The categories have been established in consultation with yacht builders and naval architects to allow yachts to be fairly judged against other vessels of a similar size and type. There are categories for displacement motor yachts, semi-displacement and planing motor yachts and sailing yachts. This distinction is made because these various types of yacht call for very different design and construction philosophies.

A further three categories are reserved for yachts that have been given major refits, have been completely rebuilt or converted and that were finished within the qualifying year. With the agreement of the Chairman, class boundaries may be redefined and classes may be amalgamated depending on the number of entries in those classes.

We define a displacement yacht as a vessel that always displaces their own weight of water when under power at full speed.

Gross tonnage is the deciding entry qualification in the displacement classes. Because of this, the yacht’s gross tonnage as well as length overall must be given.

This category will be divided into sub-categories once nominations have been received.

Material required

• Specifications list - A blank specifications list will be supplied for completion following the nomination of the yacht
• Yacht profile and general arrangement plan of all decks
• A maximum of three A4 pages containing:

a) A statement from the owner detailing his requirements for the yacht and its anticipated use

b) A statement from the naval architect, exterior stylist and interior designers to describe how they achieved the owner’s wishes

c) A statement from the yacht's builder concerning the construction of the yacht, highlighting any elements that he particularly wishes to draw to the attention of the judges

• Photographs and video footage

a) Yachts of 60m LOA and above may submit up to 40 suitably captioned photographs of sufficient standard for projection onto a large screen

b) Yachts below 60m LOA may submit up to 30 suitable captioned photographs of sufficient standard for projection onto a large screen

c) A short video clip of around 2 minutes may be submitted, but is not a required element

We define semi-displacement and planing motor yachts as vessels that displace less than their own weight of water when under power at full speed.

This category will be divided into sub-categories once nominations have been received.

Material required

• Specifications list - A blank specifications list will be supplied for completion following the nomination of the yacht
• Yacht profile and general arrangement plan of all decks
• A maximum of three A4 pages containing:

a) A statement from the owner detailing his requirements for the yacht and its anticipated use

b) A statement from the naval architect, exterior stylist and interior designers to describe how they achieved the owner’s wishes

c) A statement from the yacht's builder concerning the construction of the yacht, highlighting any elements that he particularly wishes to draw to the attention of the judges

• Photographs and video footage

a) Yachts of 60m LOA and above may submit up to 40 suitably captioned photographs of sufficient standard for projection onto a large screen

b) Yachts below 60m LOA may submit up to 30 suitable captioned photographs of sufficient standard for projection onto a large screen

c) A short video clip of around 2 minutes may be submitted, but is not a required element

We define sailing yachts as vessels primarily powered by their sails.

This category will be divided into sub-categories once nominations have been received.

Material required

• Specifications list - A blank specifications list will be supplied for completion following the nomination of the yacht
• Yacht profile and general arrangement plan of all decks
• Standard polar diagram showing the yacht’s performance in various wind speeds and directions
• A maximum of three A4 pages containing:

a) A statement from the owner detailing his requirements for the yacht and its anticipated use

b) A statement from the naval architect, exterior stylist and interior designers to describe how they achieved the owner’s wishes

c) A statement from the yacht's builder concerning the construction of the yacht, highlighting any elements that he particularly wishes to draw to the attention of the judges

• Photographs and video footage

a) Yachts of 60m LOA and above may submit up to 40 suitably captioned photographs of sufficient standard for projection onto a large screen

b) Yachts below 60m LOA may submit up to 30 suitable captioned photographs of sufficient standard for projection onto a large screen

c) A short video clip of around 2 minutes may be submitted, but is not a required element

This class is open to all yachts, motor or sail, over 30 metres that have undergone refits or rebuilds in the qualifying year. Commercial or other vessels that have been converted into yachts and re-entered service can also be nominated.

With the agreement of the Chairman, class boundaries may be redefined and classes may be amalgamated depending on the number of entries in each class.

Material required

• Specification List - A blank specifications list will be supplied for completion following the nomination of the yacht showing ‘before refit/rebuild’ and ‘after refit/rebuild’ specifications
• Yacht profile and general arrangement plans, both pre-refit and post-refit, pre-rebuild and post-rebuild
• A maximum of three A4 pages containing:

a) A statement from the owner explaining his refit/rebuild requirements for the yacht that would make the vessel more suitable for its anticipated use

b) A statement from the naval architect, exterior stylist and interior designers to describe how they achieved the owner’s wishes. This should list the major upgrades carried out.

c) A statement from the builder to highlight any difficulties encountered in the refit/rebuild, and to mention those elements that should receive particular attention from the judges

• Photographs and video footage

a) Yachts may submit up to a total of 40 photographs which should include before and after shots of the same area, clearly captioned and displayed one after the other in the photo file

b) A short video clip of around 2 minutes may be submitted, but is not a required element

The Voyager’s Award is presented to the yacht that, in the opinion of the judges, completed the most inspirational cruise during 2019. Cruises that began in 2018 can also be nominated. The owner or a person nominated by the owner (for instance the principal of a charter party but NOT a member of the crew) must have been aboard for a significant proportion of the cruise.

The Voyager’s Award will be judged not only on the voyage but also the way it is described in text, photos and other media.

Material required

• A brief account of the cruise which should not exceed three (3) A4 pages (approximately 2,500 words). We do understand that many world-roaming yachts are continuously on the move, but for the purposes of this award we ask you to select starting and finishing points that were on your track between the qualifying dates for this year’s event, 1 January 2019 and the 31 December 2019. The text should inform the judges of noteworthy events and landfalls along your route.
• Charts: A minimum of one (1) chart showing the track of your yacht. This should be marked up to show significant stopping places and should also indicate your progress by showing dates at suitable intervals along the track.
• Photographs: Yachts may submit up to 100 photographs in jpg format taken during the voyage
• Further information: Your complete submission (excluding photographs) should not exceed six A4 pages. However, entrants are invited to submit any further information that they would like the judges to consider (such as copies of log pages, visitor/passage certificates or other interesting paperwork).

Motor Yacht of the Year

The motor yacht of the year is presented to a class winner in the motor yacht categories that is considered by the judges to be the most notable yacht of the qualifying year. No entry is required, or is possible, other than by entering the respective yacht category.

Sailing Yacht of the Year

The sailing yacht of the year award is presented to a class winner in the sailing yacht categories that is considered by the judges to be the most notable yacht of the qualifying year. No entry is required, or is possible, other than by entering the respective yacht category.

Legacy Award

The legacy award is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the superyacht industry over many years. Any individual who knows the nominee on a personal level is permitted to make a nomination. The required documentation should include a CV of the nominee which, while touching upon his business activities, should give particular emphasis to his yachting career and achievements.