See the boats that won at the Motor Boat of the Year Awards IMG_8766.jpgJudges Special Award Last year saw many high points, but none were quite so wonderfully unexpected or galvanising as the winner of the Judges Special Award.It started slowly, with historic whispers, it ended as one of our nation's finest achievements and it had boats, lots and lots of boats. Us Brits aren't supposed to do celebrations, nor indeed patriotism, particularly well, but this event brought joy and pride to millions and created a groundswell of optimism that the Olympic Games rode quite magnificently. With goose-pimpled memories of fluttering flags and defiant smiles, with a welcome lump in our throats and some admittedly damp clothing, the Judges Special Award goes to the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.Judges Special Award | Motor Boat of the Year Awards 2013Judges Special Award winner: the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant Adrian Evans, Pageant Master for the Jubilee Pageant, and Mike Shefras, organiser of the Recreational Motorboat Squadron, accepted the award on behalf of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.Quicksilver Activ 705.JPGStarterboatsThis category continues to surprise and inspire in equal measure, for 2013 we have a breathtaking selection of craft ready and able to launch people into the great boating adventure. Judging was tight and we do have a highly commended award, which goes to the perfect piece of sportsboat design that is the Bayliner 642.However, another boat stood out with its mixture of practical family-friendly design and hugely versatile performance. It forced its way to the head of this impressive field, showing a level of thought rarely seen in boats twice its size. The winner of the Starterboat category is the Quicksilver Activ 705.Starterboat | Motor Boat of the Year Awards 2013Starterboat Winner: Quicksilver Activ 705 Manufacturer: Brunswick Marine Highly Commended Bayliner 642182.jpgPerformance & SuperboatThe winner is a boat whose looks, performance, build quality and handling far outstrip its relatively modest size and price. We even had some discussion over whether it would sit more comfortably in the Starterboat category but its styling, exquisite fit and finish, and above all its fast and hugely entertaining hull, more than justify its inclusion here. Our Performance & Superboat of the year is the outrageously brilliant and wonderfully affordable X0 240 RS.Performance & Superboat | Motor Boat of the Year Awards 2013Performance & Superboat winner: XO 240 RS Manufacturer: Nordic Marinecov 3.jpgTrawler Yacht & Aft CabinThis category covers a wide variety of shapes and sizes of craft, making it very hard to draw a fair comparison between our finalists, but this year one contender stood out as offering an unbeatable combination of style, ability and space in a remarkably compact and affordable package. Quite how they manage to pack two such extraordinarily comfortable and private cabins into a 32ft aft-cabin design and still make it look good is one of the great conjuring feats of our time, our winner is the Marex 320 Aft Cabin Cruiser.Trawler & Aft Cabin | Motor Boat of the Year Awards 2013Trawlers and Aft Cabins winner: Marex 320 AC Manufacturer: MarexMinor 36 offshore.jpgWheelhouse & WalkaroundFrom hybrid cruisers to all-weather bruisers and everything in between, this category is home to some of the most exciting motorboat design out there. After much deliberation the judges gave a highly commended award to the exquisitely built and surprisingly good value Cockwells Duchy 27. But the winner's award goes to a craft that is as much at home pounding through an icy storm at 40 knots as it is taking a family across a flat calm fjord, our winner is the super-smart Minor Offshore 36.Wheelhouse & Walkaround | Motor Boat of the Year Awards 2013Wheelhouse & Walkaround winner: Minor Offshore 36 Manufacturer: Sarins Boats Highly Commended Cockwells Duchy 27Bavaria Virtess 420.JPGFlybridge up to 55ftAfter a couple of sparse years for this category it's great to see some new blood coming in to this vital sector. We had some serious debate here, and it all boiled down to an old pro and a young gun. We have given a highly commended award to the hugely improved Sealine F48. But the winner is a boat that introduces a number of brilliant new innovations in a practical, stylish and above all great value package. Our winner is the Bavaria Virtess 420.Flybridge up to 55ft | Motor Boat of the Year Awards 2013Flybridge up to 55ft Bavaria Virtess 420 Manufacturer: Bavaria Yachtbau Highly Commended Sealine F48cov pic 1234.jpgSportscruiser up to 45ftOur group of death. Having a boat nominated in this sportscruiser category is like your home team drawing Brazil, Italy and Germany in the first round of the world cup.Every one these boats deserves to take home a gong but we have to find a winner. Before we get to that, the judges singled out one boat for its innovative and hugely successful take on interior design with a highly commended award going to the Grandezza 39CA.But the overall winner came down to a straight fight between two boats, and I reckon you can guess which two they are. Arguments will no doubt run and run on this one but our winner of the Motor Boat of the Year Sportscruiser up to 45ft award goes to the Princess V39.Sportscruiser up to 45ft | Motor Boat of the Year Awards 2013Sportscruiser up to 45ft Princess V39 Manufacturer: Princess Yachts Highly Commended Gradezza 39CAMCY_65.jpgFlybridge over 55ftAnother talented fleet of contenders but for us one boat stood out as offering all the usual qualities and luxuries you would expect of a large flybridge motoryacht and a number of others that you would normally only associate with the class above. Luxuries like a fully equipped foredeck lounging area, a carbon fibre T-Top, a Portuguese bridge and an engineroom with full standing headroom all wrapped up in one of the classiest and best equipped packages we've ever seen. Our winner is the Monte Carlo Yachts 65.Flybridge over 55ft | Motor Boat of the Year Awards 2013Flybridge over 55ft Monte Carlo Yachts 65 Manufacturer: Monte Carlo YachtsDelta 54.jpgSportscruiser over 45ftThis was another epically difficult judging decision, which eventually boiled down to a straight head to head between two very different but (almost) equally talented new boats. After repeated sittings, heated debates and far too many cups of low quality instant coffee, we eventually decided to give a highly commended award to the achingly beautiful and extremely desirable Azimut 55s. However, by the smallest of margins we felt the rightful winner of this award should be the daring, innovative, fast and efficient all carbon wonder, the Delta 54 IPS.Sportscruiser over 45ft | Motor Boat of the Year Awards 2013Sportscruiser over 45ft Delta 541PS Manufacturer: Delta Powerboats Highly Commended Azimut 55S.SUNSEEKER 28M.jpgCustom YachtOur winner is a stunning yacht that combines dramatic looks and high performance with great liveability - and for the first time in this category, it's British! It's the Sunseeker 28M.Custom Yacht | Motor Boat of the Year Awards 2013Custom Yacht Sunseeker 28 metre Yacht Manufacturer: Sunseeker InternationalHaven logo.jpgGarmin Europe Ltd Outstanding Customer Service Award Voted for by the readers of Motor Boats Monthly and Motor Boat and Yachting, this category is sponsored by Garmin and this year's winners were Haven Knox-Johnston.Garmin Service Award | Motor Boat of the Year Awards 2013Garmin Europe Ltd Outstanding Customer Service Award winner: Haven Knox-Johnston.
