World Superyacht Awards 2019 celebrates superyacht industry’s finest

The 2019 edition of the much-anticipated World Superyacht Awards was held in Old Billingsgate, London in association with Oyster Yachts. Now in its 14th year, a glittering ceremony saw 24 awards presented to a wide range of yachts and was a celebration of all the superyacht industry has to offer.

The awards encompassed several different categories, with all yachts required to be 30-metres and over and all ‘new’ yachts to have been delivered to their owners in 2018, with different categories for different hull types. Other awards were for refitted, restored and rebuilt yachts, as well as the Voyager Award and Legacy Award. Dutch yard Oceanco was a stand-out achiever of the night, with two of its projects taking out the coveted ‘motoryacht of the year’ and ‘sailing yacht of the year’ awards. 

Motoryacht of the year went to 90-metre DAR, built by Oceanco, with naval architecture by Azure/Oceanco, exterior design by Luiz de Basto and interior design by Nuvolari Lenard. Chosen from all eight ‘new’ motor yacht categories, DAR stood out for the judges thanks to her many impressive features. These include exterior lines inspired by nature, expansive private owner’s deck, and technical applications including the wide use of darkened glass and the installation of flush doors around the vessel. DAR also took home the award for ‘Displacement Motor Yachts 2000GT and Above’

The Sailing yacht of the year award was presented to 106.7-metre Black Pearl, also built by Oceanco. This technically advanced yacht features naval architecture by Dykstra Naval Architects and Oceanco, exterior design by Ken Freivokh and Nuvolari Lenard and interior design by Gerard P Villate, Nuvolari Lenard and Ken Freivokh Design. This three-masted Dynarig schooner represented countless research and development hours and hugely impressive technological applications. Her combination of spaces to match those of a superyacht together with the low-impact cruising of a sailing yacht made her stand out for the judges, with particular commendation going to the environmentally-friendly thinking behind her design.

The Legacy Award went to His Highness the Aga Khan, founder of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, long term supporter of the superyacht industry, philanthropist and visionary yacht owner. The Voyager Award went to 56-metre Rosehearty, built by Perini Navi and owned by Joey Kaempfer, for its adventures crossing the Drake Passage at the top of South Africa towards Antarctica. Best refitted yacht went to 71.1m Haida 1929, refitted by Pendennis and with refit naval architecture and exterior design work by Cox & Stephens and interior refit work by Adam Lay – the entire refitted was carried out in a manner sympathetic to the yacht’s heritage, and was praised by the judges.

Congratulations from the KK SUPERYACHTS TEAM to all winners at the World Superyacht Awards 2019.