{"id":138075,"date":"2026-01-21T00:05:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T00:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/?p=138075"},"modified":"2026-01-21T11:59:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T11:59:26","slug":"2026-motor-boat-awards-winners-the-best-motorboats-of-the-year-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/microsites\/motor-boat-of-the-year-awards\/2026-motor-boat-awards-winners-the-best-motorboats-of-the-year-revealed-138075","title":{"rendered":"2026 Motor Boat Awards winners: The best motorboats of the year revealed"},"content":"The annual Motor Boat Awards event was celebrating the very best in design, performance, and seafaring innovation. It has taken months of testing, weeks of analysing and days of deliberating amongst our judges but the results of our annual Motor Boat Awards<\/a> can now be revealed.\r\n\r\nAs always we have chosen a winner in each of our ten categories based on how well the boat performed during our rigorous sea trials but also how well it meets the requirements of its target market in relation to its size, style and price.\r\n\r\nIn some categories we have also awarded a highly commended to boats which came a very close second or have moved the game on in some significant way.\r\n\r\nLast but not least we\u2019d like to thank Sleipner<\/a> for once again partnering with us as the headline sponsor of the 2026 Motor Boat Awards and our individual category award sponsors Garmin<\/a>, Lumishore<\/a>, JL Audio<\/a>, and MBY Awards drink sponsor Marinedi<\/a>.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

2026 Motor Boat Awards winners revealed<\/h2>\r\n\"\"\r\n

Best Sportsboats up to 30ft<\/h2>\r\nFinalists:<\/strong> Arksen Discovery 8<\/a> | De Antonio D29<\/a> | Ockelbo B25 Cabin<\/a>\r\nHighly commended:<\/strong> Aquaspirit 700<\/a> | Windy 29 Hurac\u00e1n<\/a>\r\nWinner:<\/strong> Nordkapp Enduro 830<\/a>\r\n\r\nNordkapp has spent 60 years forging a stellar reputation for compact family powerboats \u2013 and the new Enduro 830 is undoubtedly one of the best. Designed by Espen Thorup, it\u2019s a superb looking boat with plenty of flexibility in the layout, lots of breadth in terms of application and wonderful pace and balance when underway.\r\n\r\nFrom the dash buttons to the bow covers, every detail resonates with design intelligence \u2013 and if the sensible pricing and cleverly conceived options don\u2019t seal the deal, then the likelihood of strong residual values will certainly help. In short, as fast, open cuddy-style 27-footers go, the Enduro 830 is at the very top of its class.\r\n

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Best Weekender up to 40ft<\/h2>\r\nFinalists:<\/strong> Aiata Wayfinder 38<\/a> | Beneteau Antares 9 S2<\/a> | Delta 33 Coup\u00e9<\/a> | Duchy 25<\/a> | Fjord 39XL<\/a> | Navan S30<\/a>\r\nHighly commended:<\/strong> Fjord 39XL<\/a>\r\nWinner:<\/strong> Navan S30<\/a>\r\n\r\nThe fact there are so many slick multi-purpose centre-console sports boats on the modern market illustrates just how good the Navan has had to be to scoop top prize in this category. It certainly looks extremely potent, with its stylish reverse bow and black anodised rails, and it fully backs that up with its performance.\r\n\r\nBuild quality is strong, with clean, thick mouldings, heavy-duty steel work and a very high calibre of fit-out and the layout is also very pleasing, not least in the form of an innovative three-bench cockpit arrangement and a bow cabin that feels a cut above in terms of space, light and finish.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

Best Family Cruiser up to 45FT<\/h2>\r\nFinalists:<\/strong> Aquador 400HT<\/a> | Rustler 41<\/a> | Windy SR40<\/a>\r\nHighly commended:<\/strong> Marex 390<\/a>\r\nWinner:<\/strong> Viknes 10<\/a>\r\n\r\nDesigned and built in its native Norway, the Viknes 10 is a supremely clever and (even in standard format) very well-specced platform. This aft space integrates really well with the internal saloon and, wherever you look, the detailing is also very considered.\r\n\r\nWith its remarkable cruising capacity, its indoor and outdoor day spaces, its value for money and its unstinting design clarity, this is about as rewarding as a cruiser of this modest length and price could be.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

Best Passagmakers<\/h2>\r\nFinalists:<\/strong> Prestige M7<\/a> | Silent 62 Open<\/a> | Sirena 48 Coup\u00e9<\/a>\r\nHighly commended:<\/strong> Hardy 45 European<\/a>\r\nWinner:<\/strong> Absolute Navetta 62<\/a>\r\n\r\nA lot of boats claim to have a pair of owner\u2019s cabins but this one genuinely does. Up in the bow, you get a classical Absolute forward-facing bed plus vast taper-free hull windows, an authentic walk-in wardrobe and a spacious bathroom in the forepeak.\r\n\r\nIn terms of day spaces, the stars of the show are the saloon and the flybridge \u2013 the flybridge for its sheer scale and the saloon for the loveliness of its layout and finish. We\u2019re huge fans of the Navetta line and this combination of style, luxury and cruising practicality is exactly the reason why.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

Best Sportscruiser over 45ft \u2013 Sponsored by JL Audio<\/h2>\r\nFinalists:<\/strong> De Antonio D60<\/a> | SAY 52<\/a> | Wallywhy100<\/a>\r\nHighly commended:<\/strong> Bluegame BGF45<\/a>\r\nWinner:<\/strong> Pardo GT75<\/a>\r\n\r\nThis largest Pardo ever is designed to combine the style and openness of a classical P-series walkaround boat with the extra shelter, four-season ability and cruising credentials of Pardo\u2019s pilothouse-equipped Endurance line; and it really doesn\u2019t put a foot wrong.\r\n\r\nGreat for day parties, practical for long-term cruising, excellent to drive and lovely to look at, this is undoubtedly the most broadly capable multi-purpose powerboat we\u2019ve ever seen from this illustrious Italian boating brand.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

Best Flybridge up to 55ft \u2013 Sponsored by Garmin<\/h2>\r\nFinalists:<\/strong> Greenline 45 Fly<\/a> | Prestige F4.3<\/a>\r\nHighly commended:<\/strong> Merry Fisher 1095 Fly<\/a>\r\nWinner:<\/strong> Beneteau Swift Trawler 37<\/a>\r\n\r\nYou don\u2019t expect a trawler-style boat to look especially pretty but this one really is. As the replacement for the Swift Trawler 35, it combines its extra couple of feet with a lowered superstructure, a raised foredeck and a one-piece reverse screen. Factor in some generous glazing, both in the hull and the wheelhouse and you have one of the best looking trawler yachts we\u2019ve seen at this length.\r\n\r\nThe price also hits the mark. It goes from \u20ac299,000 for the Sedan model or \u20ac315,000 for this fly-equipped variant, which is actually less than the smaller boat it replaces. And yet it beats the outgoing 35 in all kinds of ways...\r\n\r\nThe new galley arrangement uses a clever cut-out to enable people to pass along the central walkway. The owner\u2019s cabin is bigger and brighter, with direct access to the bathroom. The sociable flybridge comes with a folding radar strut and a demountable davit so you can fit beneath bridges. And the lower helm is one of the brightest and most spacious you will ever see on a boat of this type.\r\n\r\nIn essence then, the 37 takes all the proven qualities of its predecessor and makes everything bigger, better, slicker and (remarkably) cheaper \u2013 and you really can\u2019t argue with that.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

Best Flybridge Over 55ft - Sponsored by Lumishore<\/h2>\r\nFinalists:<\/strong> Pardo Endurance 72<\/a> | Pearl 63<\/a>\r\nHighly commended:<\/strong> Pershing GTX70<\/a>\r\nWinner:<\/strong> Princess F58<\/a>\r\n\r\nPrincess has a knack for building exceptionally good flybridge boats and the F58 puts all that knowledge and experience to good use. Bigger, better, more luxurious and more refined than the previous F55, it does everything you\u2019d expect of a 60ft family cruiser and whole lot more you wouldn\u2019t.\r\n\r\nBut it\u2019s the space and comfort it offers combined with Princess\u2019s legendary build quality and attention to detail that really impressed our judges. Those extra couple of feet over the F55 create enough room for a separate dedicated dining area on the main deck in addition to the lounging area forward.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

Best Custom Yacht Over 80ft<\/h2>\r\nFinalists:<\/strong> Ferretti Infynito 80<\/a> | Sanlorenzo SL96A | Zeelander 8<\/a>\r\nHighly commended:<\/strong> Arksen 85<\/a> | Sunseeker Ocean 82 Enclosed\r\nWinner:<\/strong> Azimut Fly 82\r\n\r\nAzimut always builds pretty boats but the new Fly 82 offers so much more than that. With its clever Deck2Deck cockpit extension, lavish foredeck lounge and expansive flybridge, it offers a wide variety of comfortable outdoor entertaining spaces.\r\n\r\nBut it\u2019s the way it drives that really impressed our judges, delivering effortless speed, refinement, fuel efficiency and comfortable seakeeping in equal measure. All this and a tender garage makes this the full motoryacht package.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

Customer Service Award<\/h2>\r\nFinalists:<\/strong> Approved boats | Boats.co.uk | Mallorca Marine Group | Tingdene Marinas & Boat Sales | Ventura Yachts\r\nWinner:<\/strong> Wessex Marine\r\n\r\nSelling a boat is the easy part, keeping the customer happy for the days, months and even years that follow is far trickier. All of this year\u2019s finalists got it right according to the dozens of glowing emails we received from customers, but one company was singled out for its unwavering determination to deliver on that promise regardless of time, hassle and expense.\r\n\r\nWessex Marine, based at Salterns Marina in Poole, is the UK dealer for Targa and Marex. A family-run business with a long track record, its approach to after sales service is as thorough as it is welcome, as the following testimonials demonstrate:\r\n\r\n\u201cWhen you do business with Wessex Marine you\u2019re not dealing with a \u2018salesman\u2019. You are dealing with a family member of a very tight team who are Targa.\u201d\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

Best Technical Development<\/h2>\r\nFinalists:<\/strong> Fathom & Integrel E-Power 15 | Garmin OnBoard MOB system | Simrad Autocaptain\r\nHighly commended:<\/strong> SEA.AI Watchkeeper\r\nWinner:<\/strong> Volvo Penta Electric IPS\r\n\r\nThis clever new propulsion package is much more than a just another clean electric motor. By offering the superior propulsion efficiencies of a forward- facing IPS drive with the handling characteristics of a joystick controlled pod and the packaging benefits of a more compact but equally powerful electric motor, it delivers many real world benefits in addition to cleaner, quieter running.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

Judges' Special Award<\/h2>\r\nWinner:<\/strong> Sakari Mattila\r\n\r\nThe Judges\u2019 Special Award is given to a person, a company or an institution that has made an exceptional contribution to the world of motorboats, and this year\u2019s winner has unquestionably done that over a career that has already spanned 48 years, six different industries and five separate boat companies.\r\n\r\nA true polymath with an exceptional eye for design, he has been behind many of the boat world\u2019s most innovative boats of recent years. After leaving Axopar in 2018, he went on to found Saxdor Yachts in 2019. Since then, Saxdor has become Europe\u2019s fastest growing motor boat brand. This year\u2019s winner is the founder and chief designer of Saxdor Yachts, Sakari Mattila.","excerpt":{"rendered":"

The annual Motor Boat Awards event was celebrating the very best in design, performance, and seafaring innovation. It has taken months of testing, weeks of analysing and days of deliberating amongst our judges but the results of our annual Motor Boat Awards can now be revealed. As always we have chosen a winner in each […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3349,"featured_media":138089,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[283,28],"tags":[463,1593],"review_manufacturer":[],"acf":[],"introduction":[""],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138075"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3349"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138075"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":138096,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138075\/revisions\/138096"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138075"},{"taxonomy":"review_manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review_manufacturer?post=138075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}