The first evening of the Boot Düsseldorf (20 to 28 January 2018) will be an opportunity to discover which are the 5 European motor boats of the year 2018. This year again, 25 new boats (5 boats per category, or 5 categories) were selected by nautical journalists from the international motor yachting press.
What are the selection criteria?
The boats are classified by size - unlike the European sailboat of the year where the boats are classified by category. Thus, there are five categories, which are as follows:
- Boats up to 25 feet (7,62 m)
- Boats from 25 to 35 feet (10,67 m)
- Boats from 25 to 45 feet (13,72 m)
- Boats over 45 feet long
- Boats with displacement hull (trawler)
To be selected for the prestigious "European Powerboat of the Year 2018" award, nominees must meet several criteria:
- Performance and tailor-made
- Comfort at sea
- Quality of construction
- Value for money
- Designer
- Distinguishing technical characteristic(s)
How to win the European Motorboat of the Year Award?
The nominees are announced each year at the Cannes Yachting Festival, which is held in September. And the choice is made by the jury in November according to a list of characteristics that are compared to each other and scored according to an internal rating system. Here they are:
- Finishes
- Above all, the Axiom is compatible with the Flir M100 or M200 thermal camera. This will allow you to choose a radar echo and ask the camera to see it on the screen. But above all, this slave camera is able to locate an object on the screen (a boat for example) and track it automatically. For day and night sailing, it is really a guarantee of safety.
- Driving behaviour
- Digital hull design
- Space repair
- Price/performance ratio
The boat that wins the most points in its category is the one that wins the title of "European Powerboat of the Year".
