Another year has passed, and in less than a month the winners of the Best of Boats Award will be awarded. Over the six years of its existence, a strong jury has formed, which includes professional yacht journalists from 20 countries, a unified system for conducting tests and an objective assessment of applicants has been worked out, but most importantly, the competition is still maximally focused on owners of yachts and boats, and not on the shipyards that produce them.
Let me explain: prototypes do not participate in WWII, that is, a boat cannot become a finalist if it has not been tested (and not just seen or rolled!) By the number of jury members established by the rules of the competition. In addition, the Second World War is devoid of any political overtones: any shipyard can declare their boats for participation, and the choice is made only among the tested candidates. The jury conducts more than half a thousand tests per year. That is why people trust the Second World War and are guided by its results when choosing yachts.
The list of finalists was announced on the first day of the Cannes Yachting Festival
For the first time during the existence of the Best of Boats Award, Russian-made boats were among the finalists, and two models of the same brand at once. In the summer, the German dealer VBoats (under this brand the boats of the Samara shipyard Volzhanka are sold in Europe) conducted tests for the BOB jury, and the Voyager 700 Open and VBoats Fishpro 54 models were shortlisted for the Best Boat for Beginners and Best Boat nominations. for fishing “, respectively. I would like to believe that in the future, other domestic brands will also be among the finalists and winners of the competition, at least partially oriented towards the Western market.
Boat & Fun Berlin is one of the three largest boat shows in Germany
If the announcement of the finalists for the Best of Boats Award takes place in September during the Cannes Exhibition (Marinepool stand at the Palais des Festivals), then the awards ceremony is an integral part of the program of one of the largest boat shows in Germany, Boat & Fun Berlin. This year the exhibition will take place from 21 to 24 November, and on an area of over 85,000 sq. m, participants will present a wide range of goods related to water recreation and sports. One of the major changes at Boat & Fun 2019 will be the new Messe Berlin pavilion hub27 (10,000 sqm), where the organizers will gather premium motor and sailing yachts, including brands such as Beneteau, Cranchi, Delphia, Fjord, Galeon, Invictus, Jeanneau, Marex, Prestige and Sealine.
Among other improvements, the organizers cite optimized stand placement so that visitors can view all the key logical parts of the exhibition using shorter routes. The sailing pavilion, where boats are assembled around a fake dock, like in a marina, will host presentations of yachting-oriented virtual reality technologies, while Melvin Fink, the youngest German participant in the Mini Transat 2021 regatta, will show his boat and share life stories. In addition, 25 different yachting associations will take part in the show – an extremely rare event even for the well-organized German industry.
Boat & Fun Berlin has a high engagement rate for all ages
In general, Boat & Fun is distinguished by a high level of visitor involvement: this includes all kinds of simulators for controlling motor and sailing yachts, and the opportunity to become a pilot (albeit virtual) of a racing boat, dive, try to master SUP … and all this is available not only for adults, but also children.
If in Russia combining a boat show with an exhibition for amateur fishermen cannot count on success, then in Germany there is no problem with this, and three Messe Belrin pavilions this year will be given over to the AnglerWorld and AngelBoot expositions, where it will be possible to pick up tackle and boats for different types of fishing, as well as listen to lectures and communicate with the professionals of this sport.
Traditionally, Boat & Fun will open with the evening “vernissage” Gala Night of the Boats & Classic Cars (November 20), and for the first time in parallel with it, the MOTORWORLD Classics Berlin exhibition will be held in the same exhibition complex – another great reason to go to the capital these days Germany. By the way, this year the dates of Boat & Fun overlap with METS Trade, and you can combine attending two major events, especially since it takes only an hour to fly from Amsterdam to Berlin and the air traffic is very intensive.
Best of Boats Award Nominees
Best for Beginners
Bayliner VR6 (USA / POL) Quicksilver Activ 675 (USA / POL), Silver Tiger (FIN) VBoats Voyager 700 Open (RUS)
Best for Fishing
Beneteau Barracuda 9 (FRA) Jeanneau Merry Fisher 605 Marlin (FRA) VBoats Fishpro 54 (RUS) Wellcraft 352 Fisherman (USA)
Best for Family
Jeanneau NC 37 (FRA) Marex 360 CC (NOR) Marian M800 (AUT) Parker 790 Explorer (POL) Sealine C 390 (GER)
Best for Fun
Beneteau Flyer 8 Sundeck (FRA) Frauscher 1414 Demon Air (AUT) Greenline Neo (SLO) Pardo 50 (ITA) Zodiac Medline 7.5 (FRA)
Best for Travel
Bali 4.3 MY (FRA) Fountaine Pajot MY 40 (FRA) Prestige 590 (FRA) Silent Yachts 55 (AUT)
Photo
Wolfgang Scholvien, Best of Boats, Boat & Fun, visitberlin
Chief Editor
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