We are so excited to share all of the awards and nominations that Beneteau, EXCESS, and AMEL are rolling in from all over the world. This year, we’ve seen an amazing lineup of luxury sailing yachts and catamarans that have simply blown us away with their incredible features, styles and of course, performance.
The NEW Oceanis 30.1 is the perfect introduction to Beneteau’s cruising range, and we just can’t get enough of its unbeatable living space, comfortable cruising, and ready-to-sail price.
The Oceanis 30.1 is bringing in multiple nominations and awards leaving us proud to represent the Beneteau brand.
On top of that, the NEW First Yacht 53 is also stealing the limelight with a European Yacht of the Year nomination, thanks to its ultra-sleek minimalist design, supreme on-board technology and spacious living areas featuring the best in quality materials.
The new EXCESS catamaran range from Groupe Beneteau is truly breaking conventions of classic sailboats and creating a catamaran that unites a sailor’s need for performance with the perfect on-water lifestyle. And it’s this aspiration that’s secured EXCESS with a trifecta of awards. Both the EXCESS 15 and EXCESS 12 are turning heads with multiple nominations and awards, and we couldn’t be more excited about the EXCESS brand.
And finally, the AMEL 50 and AMEL 60 brought home an award and nomination for its breathtaking design, comfort and sailing performance over blue waters.
American magazine SAIL, the world’s leading sailing magazine, has announced their awards for the best boats of 2020 and EXCESS, Beneteau and AMEL have all won in three categories.
The objective of SAIL magazine is to offer the public a broad vision of the world’s boating industry.
As one of the world’s most prestigious sailing awards, we’re delighted to see multiple brands that Flagstaff Marine carries being recognized on such a grand platform.
And over the years, Beneteau has been no stranger to winning SAIL magazine’s leading awards. In 2019, Beneteau won two awards for the First 14 and Figaro 3.
This year, Groupe Beneteau’s new EXCESS 12 took out the award for Best Cruising Multihull Under 40ft and we couldn’t be more excited to see a brand new model receive high praise and recognition from the judges.
The editors commented:
“While the new boat possesses a good bit of Lagoon DNA in its construction and design, it very much stands on its own as a different kind of boat. Something else EXCESS has done possibly better than any other aft-helm model out there is to make sure there’s excellent visibility forward.
They’ve also redesigned the hulls with a pair of chines that not only create more interior volume but also a whole new aesthetic, yet another reason the boat is a winner.”
The new EXCESS catamaran range that has recently launched has seen tremendous success and we’re incredibly proud to see sailors from all over the world praising its features, design and comfortable space.
Learn more about the EXCESS catamaran range.
Also, SAIL magazine awarded Beneteau’s Oceanis 30.1 Best Small Cruiser of 2020, where the judges were particularly impressed with its adaptability under sail.
Here are more comments from the editors:
“To top it off, the Oceanis 30.1 boasts a quality of finish one normally doesn’t find aboard entry-level mass-production boats. The boat also abounds in well appreciated big-boat details, like cockpit locker lights, proper bronze through-hull fittings, an accumulator tank for the freshwater system, clever storage cubbies and USB charging sockets right where you most want to find them.
We’re glad to see more builders paying attention again to this important segment of the market and believe Beneteau’s new “little big boat” raises the bar to a new level.”
Learn more about the Oceanis range.
And finally, AMEL 50 was awarded the Best Monohull Cruising Boat 41 to 50ft, with SAIL magazine praising the AMEL 50, “our panel couldn’t imagine a better boat than the AMEL 50 to be its winner in this category.”
Here are more comments from the editors:
“From a distance, you might think this is just another Euro-styled boat, with its plumb bow, long waterline, double-headed rig, wide stern and hull windows. Look a little closer, though, and it becomes apparent the AMEL 50 is a true voyager of the type that will take you in equal safely and comfort either down the coast or across an ocean.”
Learn more about the AMEL range.
We’re continuing to pop the champagne as we’re delighted to see that Beneteau has nominations in three categories, and AMEL with one nomination, for the European Yacht of the Year 2020.
Beneteau is no stranger to the EYOTY awards as the Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 took out the Family Cruiser category in 2019.
And this year, Beneteau takes the helm of a nominee once more as Beneteau’s Oceanis 30.1 has been nominated in the Family Cruiser category.
In the Performance Cruiser category, Beneteau’s NEW First Yacht 53 is nominated for its sporty sailing and regatta courses.
The AMEL 60 was also nominated in the Luxury-Cruiser category, while Groupe Beneteau’s NEW EXCESS 15 catamaran was nominated in the Multihulls category, for its enormous amount of living space and extremely safe sailing characteristics with a great speed potential.
The winners will be announced at the upcoming Boot Düsseldorf on the 18th – 26th January 2020.
Cruising World magazine has also just announced the nominees for the 2020 Boat of the Year awards and among them the NEW EXCESS 12 continues to turn heads, winning Best Midsize Cruising Catamaran.
Here are the judges’ comments:
“I like having the sail controls and the main living space on the vessel all on the same level. You have that nice continuity between the main saloon and the cockpit, so the off watch is only a few steps away from the helm and all the action.
And I liked the overall workmanship. It really performed in the heavy air. I think she’s a great boat.”
Also taking an award was the Beneteau Oceanis 30.1, winning the Best Performance Cruiser for 2020.
Here are the judges’ comments:
“It’s a cool boat, a nice little starter boat for a family getting into the sport. At $160,000, it was also the least expensive boat in this group, so it represents good value. We sailed it in a pretty good breeze, and it absolutely sailed wonderfully.
It has dual wheels, which might seem like overkill on a boat this size, but they actually worked well; they weren’t big, monstrous things—they were appropriately sized. I actually had a feeling of security driving it in the heavy air.”
The applause just keeps ringing! Groupe Beneteau’s NEW EXCESS 15 has just won the prestigious British Yachting Awards 2019 in the Multihull of the Year category.
The award was voted on by the subscribers of both Sailing Today and Yachts & Yachting. We’re thrilled to see so many people adoring the new EXCESS catamaran range and can’t wait to see what the future holds for EXCESS.
The EXCESS 15 combines sportiness and aesthetics while giving pride of place to sensations. Her bright interior, her lacquered finish, and her sharp design have thrilled boating enthusiasts about this all-new catamaran brand from Groupe Beneteau!
Multihulls World magazine, in partnership with the International Multihull Show, is also organizing the election of the Multihull of the Year for 2020. For her launch, the NEW EXCESS 12 has been nominated in the category of Multihulls under 40 feet.
The sporty and fun EXCESS 12 brings together performance and lifestyle for the sailor who truly craves excitement and connection.
Read more about EXCESS 15 and EXCESS 12.
Don’t forget, you can witness the award-winning luxury sailing yachts on display in one place! Join Flagstaff Marine Director Graham Raspass at Boot Düsseldorf for VIP tours as we share all the details of the latest models.
Please also keep an eye on our luxury boat awards and reviews.
