Hallberg-Rassy and Javelin pick up awards

By IBI Magazine

Cruising World and Sailing World magazines have presented the Hallberg-Rassy 43 and the Javelin 2 as overall winners of the 2003 Boat of the Year (BOTY) awards, a ceremony for which took place at the opening day of the Sail Expo St Petersburg boat show.

The awards recognise standout designs launched for the coming year. The German Frers designed Hallberg-Rassy 43, captured top honours in the cruising category, and the Javelin 2, the overall performance winner. The Hallberg-Rassy 43 also won the Best Midsize Cruiser Under US$400,000 category.

Sailing World editor John Burnham presented the Javelin 2 as the 2003 Sailing World Overall Performance Boat of the Year. The Javelin 2, an 18ft doublehanded catamaran, is built in Italy by Bimare and designed by Michelangelo Petrucci.

The complete lineup of winners in the 2003 Boat of the Year awards comprised: SAILING WORLD WINNERS: 2003 Sailing World Overall Performance Boat of the Year - Javelin 2. Bimare (Bellaria, Italy) / Designed by Michelangelo Petrucci. (Distributed in the US by Novacaines Mutiny, Virginia Beach, Va.)

High-Performance Day Racer - Javelin 2 Bimare (Bellaria, Italy) / Designed by Michelangelo Petrucci (Distributed in the US by Novacaines Mutiny, Virginia Beach, Va.)

Racer/Cruiser - Swan 45 Nautor AB, OY (Pietarsaari, Finland) / Designed by German Frers

Sportboat - Ultimate 24 Ultimate Sailboats (Santa Cruz, Calif.) / Designed by Jim Antrim

Performance Dinghy - Fusion 15 Fusion Sailboats (Woodview, Ontario, Canada) / Designed by Steve Killing

Best Value - Precision 185 Precision Boat Works (Palmetto, Fla.) / Designed by Jim Taylor

CRUISING WORLD WINNERS: 2003 Cruising World Overall Cruising Boat of the Year - Hallberg-Rassy 43. Hallberg-Rassy (Sweden) / Designed by German Frers

Best Production Cruiser Under US$150,000 - Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32, Jeanneau America (Annapolis, Md.)

Best Midsize Cruiser Under US$250,000 - Beneteau 423, Beneteau USA (Charleston, S.C.)

Best Midsize Cruiser Under US$400,000 - Hallberg-Rassy 43, Hallberg-Rassy (Sweden) / Designed by German Frers

Best Full-Size Cruiser - Aerodyne 47 Aerodyne Yachts (Webster, Mass.) / Designed by Rodger Martin Yacht Design (Newport, R.I.)

Best Cruising Multihull - Voyage 580 Voyage Yachts (Cape Town, South Africa), (Distributed in the US by Voyage Charters, Annapolis, Md.)

Best Value - Prestige 38 Broadblue Catamarans (Suffolk, UK)

Most Innovative - Etap 32 Etap Yachts (Malle, Belgium)

(22 November 2002)