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The best yacht builders were awarded in Amsterdam

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The third annual Boat Builders Awards took place on 13 November at the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In the category «Best cooperation between a superyacht yard and its partners» was awarded to Italian yacht builder Ferretti Group. This year the jury chose its design for the 38.36-metre Custom Line 120, more precisely the innovative glass door to the salon developed in partnership with the Francesco Paszkowski design studio and Mecaer Aviation Group.

Installed at an angle of 45 degrees, the door can be moved apart or up into the recess below the ceiling. Both operations are performed by electric motors. With this mechanism, the cockpit and saloon can be transformed into a single 80-square-metre space. The system also includes a non-reversible motor that ensures the safety of the door movement in the event of a power failure.

«Innovation is the door to the future. In our case, it is literally a door», joked Alberto Galassi, CEO of the Ferretti Group.

In Cannes in September theCustom Line 120 also received the World Yachts Trophie for the best exterior design among yachts of its size.

In the same category, for yachts without the prefix «super», the best example of collaboration was Lewmar's partnership with SunseekerInternational and HanseGroup for the glass roof and with Prestige Yachtsfor the lowering window for the patio door.

The prize for the best combination of interior and exterior on a yacht was awarded to the Polish shipyard Galeon . The jury recognized the 640 FLY and 650SKYDECK for the idea of opening up the windbreak and sun visor on the captain's bridge which visually integrates with the interior of the forward lounge area. Although Galeon was not the first to use this technique, the jury found their implementation particularly appealing.

The Amer 94 by Amer Yachts was the best ecological initiative of the year. The yard's fourth model was designed to minimise its ecological footprint. She has two Volvo Penta IPS 1350 engines and lithium batteries. In addition, the yacht has been fitted with a high performance variable speed generator. The hull is lighter due to a higher percentage of fiberglass and the use of vacuum infusion. All these measures allowed to increase the range with a noticeable reduction in fuel consumption.

Also the standard teak deck on Amer 94 has been converted to cork, the textiles on board are made of recycled fabric, and the chemical anti-fouling agents on the bottom have been replaced by a special underwater film. These and many other measures have greatly reduced the environmental impact of the project.

«Dan Bl oice Smith, Head of Design at Williams Jet Tenders in the UK, was named a Rising Star at the» Boat Builders Awards. Nominees for this new award had to be no more than 35 years old, work for a shipbuilding company and, whatever part of the job they are responsible for, they must have made a significant contribution to the development of the shipyard. Bloys Smith has been involved in the creation of 16 new Williams Jet Tenders over the past eight years. And all of his designs have been loved by audiences.

For her lifetime contribution to the industry, the Boat Builders Awards went to Annette Roux, Beneteau's majority shareholder and member of the Supervisory Board. She started her career many years ago in a traditional shipyard, which built ships in wood, and she continues to work for the industry today in one of the largest shipbuilding corporations in the world.

«If what we see from this year's awards reflects the situation in the industry as a whole, then our industry has every reason to be optimistic about the prospects for innovation and growth in exciting new directions. Even if the world around us is changing»," says Ed Slack, chairman of the Boat Builder Awards jury.
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