A stage is set for the “Oscars of the boating industry”!
The presentation of the awards "European Yacht of the Year" for sailing yachts and "Powerboat of the Year" for motor yachts is a major highlight every year at the boot Düsseldorf and an event that gets the hearts of many watersports fans pumping. The winners of 2025 were awarded on 18 January 2025.
At the traditional FLAGSHIP NIGHT on Saturday, 25 January 2025, the major industry get-together of Delius Klasing Verlag and boot, the prestigious awards were presented in a festive act on site in Düsseldorf.
European Yacht of the Year: Jury test drives of the nominated sailing yachts
For the 22nd time, the international "European Yacht of the Year" awards and, for the 19th time, the "European Powerboat of the Year" awards were presented. The prestigious awards are always decided by a professional jury consisting of the test directors and chief editors of the twelve leading sailing and six motorboat magazines in Europe. The jury is chaired by YACHT publisher Jochen Rieker and BOOTE editor-in-chief Torsten Moench.
Following the pandemic-driven boom of previous years, the current trend in many industries is a significant decline in sales figures, with many shipyards either canceling or stretching their development projects. As a result, the number of new nominees for 2025 has almost halved compared to the previous year. From nearly 40 newcomers enriching the sailing yacht market this year, the jury members initially selected 16 nominees. However, only 12 of them actually participated in the extensive tests required for the title awards. Even though the jury has never had fewer new models to evaluate, the nominated boats all delivered strong performances.
The winners of Europe's Yacht of the Year are determined through an elaborate process. The candidates must undergo multi-day sea trials and face the judgment of the jury – and the competition. For the second time, the Kiel Fjord was the venue for these rigorous practical tests. However, for the first time, the expert jury held the second phase of testing in Mallorca.
European Powerboat of the Year: Winner voting with points system
The awarding of the "European Powerboat of the Year 2025" prizes for motorboats was also extremely exciting this year. The expert jury for this category is made up of the chief editors and test directors from the leading European motorboat media outlets, including Norway (Båtmagasinet), Italy (Boatmag.it), France (Neptune, MoteurBoat), Spain (Nautica y Yates), Switzerland (Marina.ch), Austria (YachtRevue), and Germany (BOOTE).
For the motorboat experts, it was no easy task to select 30 nominees in six categories for the European Powerboat Award 2025 from more than 100 new boat models. In response to the increasing presence of catamarans and electric boats, the jury has introduced specific categories for these in recent years. In addition to the usual quality features of a boat, such as craftsmanship and performance, the jury places particular emphasis on the layout, safety, and value for money of the candidates. The implementation of innovative ideas and concepts can also be a decisive factor in the final decision.
And someone else had every reason to celebrate at this year’s FLAGSHIP NIGHT: In addition to the "Water Sports Oscars," the "SEAMASTER" Award is also presented during the evening. This honor, bestowed by partners Delius Klasing and boot Düsseldorf, recognizes a personality who has made a significant impact in the world of water sports. During the gala on Saturday evening, sailor Cole Brauer was awarded the "SEAMASTER" Award 2025. She became the first American woman to complete a solo, nonstop race around the world.
Although both the "Global Solo Challenge" and Brauer were relatively unknown at the start of the race, the 30-year-old quickly built a fan base of around 500,000 followers on Instagram, inspiring them with her race journey.
The celebratory speech for Cole Brauer, who could not attend the event in person, was delivered by Pip Hare, Imoca skipper and Vendée Globe participant.
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