Cruising World and Sailing World magazines announced today the nominees for the 2016 Boat of the Year (BOTY) awards at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Md. The annual awards recognize and honor the best and newest sailboat models introduced to the North American market.
Nominating panels consisting of each magazine’s editors examined the new sailboat models before the start of the show. The nominated boats will move on to the judging round, during which the boats will be inspected and sailed by teams of independent judges for each magazine.
“The 20 nominees for our 2016 Boat of the Year competition represent a vast and impressive collection of performance cruisers, long-distance voyagers and cruising catamarans,” said Cruising World Executive Editor Herb McCormick. “This year, especially, our independent panel of judges will really have their work cut out for them.”
The Cruising World judges will focus on production boats laid out and equipped for coastal and offshore cruising and voyaging, while judges on the Sailing World panel will concentrate on boats designed and built for racing and performance sailing. The 2016 BOTY winners will be announced in the January issue of Cruising World and the January/February issue of Sailing World — both set to hit newsstands in mid-December.
“Diverse is the term that best describes our field of 13 nominees,” said Dave Reed, editor of Sailing World. “We have new raceboat models that will cater to every type of performance sailor, from our dinghies to the impressive crossovers and our two foiling catamarans. Sailboat design is so evolutionary, and I think this year’s new boats are really pushing the evolution much further.”
Sailing World’s performance-oriented models for Boat of the Year Nominees are:
- Melges 14
- RS Quest
- Nacra 15
- FarEast 28
- Whisper Catamaran
- Seascape 18
- Salona 41
- Italia Yachts 13.98
- Dehler 46
- Grand Soleil 43
- X-Yachts Xc-45
- Hanse 315
- Gunboat G4
The Cruising World 2016 Boat of the Year nominees are:
Midsize Cruisers
- Dufour 350
- Dufour 382
- Hanse 315
- Marlow-Hunter 31
Performance Cruisers
- Dehler 46
- Grand Soleil 43
- Italia Yachts 13.98
- Salona 41
- X-Yachts Xc-45
Full-Size Cruisers, Under 50 Feet
- Azuree 46
- Hallberg-Rassy 43 Mk III
- Oyster 475
Full-Size Cruisers, Over 50 Feet
- Beneteau Oceanis 60
- Jeanneau 54
- Passport 545
Cruising Catamarans
- Bali 4.3 Loft
- Bavaria Catamaran Open 40
- Fountaine Pajot Ipanema 58
- Leopard 40
- Voyage 480
Grand Soleil 43
