Cruising World and Sailing World magazines have announced nominees for the highly anticipated 2017 Boat of the Year awards at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Md. The annual awards, elected by independent judging teams for each of the publications, recognize the best of the year’s new sailboat models being introduced in North America.
The nominated boats move on to the judging round, where they will be inspected and sailed by the judges from each magazine. Cruising World judges focus on production boats laid out and equipped for coastal and offshore sailing and voyaging, while the Sailing World panel concentrates on boats designed and built with racing in mind.
“The two dozen nominees in this year’s Boat of the Year contest represent an intriguing blend of sporty racer/cruisers, flat-out long-range voyagers, state-of-the art catamarans and versatile coastal cruisers,” said Herb McCormick, Cruising World Boat of the Year director. “Our independent panel of judges will have a challenging time deciding which boats for model year 2017 ascend to the winner’s circle.”
“We have an incredible diversity of boats for our judges to experience this year,” says Dave Reed, Sailing World editor. “From the 14-foot foiling Waspz dinghy to the Italian-built Solaria 50, which is a thing of beauty, we have the sport covered.”
The 2017 Boat of the Year winners will be announced in the January issue of Cruising World and the January/February issue of Sailing World, both available in late December.
2017 Cruising World Boat of the Year Nominees:
Full-Size Cruiser Under 50 Feet
- Hallberg-Rassy 40 MkII
- Catalina 42
- Elan Impression 45
- X-Yachts X4
- Dufour 460 Grand Large
Full-Size Cruiser Over 50 Feet
- Jeanneau 58
- Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 62
- Solaris 50
Performance Cruisers
- Alerion 30 Sport
- Elan E4
- J/112E
- Dehler 34
Cruising Catamarans Over 50 Feet
- St. Francis 50 Mk II
- Balance 526
- Royal Cape Catamarans Majestic 530
- Xquisite X5
Cruising Catamarans Under 50 Feet
- Lagoon 42
- Lagoon 450 S
- Fountaine-Pajot Lucia 40
- Seawind 1190
Charter Catamarans
- Gemini Freestyle
- Bali 4.0 Lounge
- Bavaria Nautitech Fly 46
- Leopard 45
2017 Sailing World Boat of the Year Nominees:
- J/112E
- Corsair Pulse 600
- Diam 24
- Fareast 24
- X-Yachts X4
- Elan E4
- Topaz Cat 16
- Alerion Sport 30
- Seascape 24
- VX Evo
- Dehler 34
- Solaris 50
- Waspz
The full list of nominees is below. For more information, visit www.cruisingworld.com and www.sailingworld.com.
