Winners of the Motor Boat of the Year Awards 2013
Find out which boats triumphed in the MOBOs 2013
The winners of the 2013 Motor Boat of the Year Awards have been announced at London’s Savoy Hotel.
Sponsored by one of Europe’s most respected providers of yacht & motor boat insurance, Pantaenius UK Limited, the event was attended by over 200 invited guests including representatives from the boat manufacturers and sales companies, together with marine industry VIPs.
Every boat nominated for an Award had been personally tested by the experts from Motor Boat & Yachting and Motor Boats Monthly, who rigorously put the boats through their paces on and off the water during 2012.
Sixty boats were short-listed for this year’s Awards which featured nine categories ranging from the smallest ‘Starterboat’ to luxurious ‘Custom Yachts’.
Simon Owen, Publishing Director at IPC Marine Media welcomed guests and praised all of the short listed finalists: “To be included in our short list is a triumph in itself, our judge’s criteria are stringent and considerable debate goes into final selection. Now in our seventh year, the Awards are firmly established as the motor boating industry’s ultimate definition of excellence in design, innovation and manufacture.”
A tenth award of the evening was presented by Garmin Europe, the Outstanding Service Award, for the company that displays excellence in customer relations. Nominations of this Award are made by readers of Motor Boat & Yachting and Motor Boats Monthly and visitors to ybw.com. This year’s recipient was Haven Knox-Johnston, one of the UK’s leading specialists in boat Insurance, having impressed the boating public by offering exceptional service.
In the tradition of the Motor Boat of the Year Awards, a Judges Special Award was also presented. This year the Judges awarded the two people who helped to make the Thames Pageant one of the highlights of the Queens Jubilee year; Adrian Evans, Pageant Master for the Jubilee Pageant and Mike Shefras, Organiser of the recreational motorboat squadron at the Jubilee Pageant.
WINNERS OF THE MOTOR BOAT OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2013
In some categories where the judging was particularly close, the judges also nominated a Highly Commended boat.
1 – Starterboat – Winner: Quicksilver Activ 705
Manufacturer: Brunswick Marine
Highly Commended – Bayliner 642
2 – Wheelhouse & Walkaround – Winner: Minor Offshore 36
Manufacturer: Sarins Boats
Highly Commended – Duchy 27
3 – Performance and Superboat – Winner: XO 240 RS
Manufacturer: Nordic Marine
4 – Trawlers and Aft Cabins – Winner: Marex 320 AC
Manufacturer: A/S Marex
5 – Sportscruiser up to 45ft – Princess V39
Manufacturer: Princess Yachts
Highly Commended – Gradezza 39CA
6 – Sportscruiser above 45ft – Delta 541PS
Manufacturer: Delta Powerboats
Highly Commended – Azimut 55S
7 – Flybridge up to 55ft – Bavaria Virtess 420
Manufacturer: Bavaria Yachtbau
Highly Commended – Sealine F48
8 – Flybridge above 55ft – Monte Carlo Yachts 65
Manufacturer: Monte Carlo Yachts
9 – Custom Yacht – Sunseeker 28 metre Yacht
Manufacturer: Sunseeker International
10 – Garmin Europe Ltd Outstanding Customer Service Award
– Haven Knox-Johnston
11 – Judges Special Award
– Adrian Evans, Pageant Master for the Jubilee Pageant and Mike Shefras, Organiser of the recreational motorboat squadron at the Jubilee Pageant.