Quartet of World Superyacht Awards: music to the ears for Feadship
Feadship won four prestigious prizes at the 2022 BOAT International World Superyacht Awards (WSA) on Saturday 21 May. VIVA, Somnium and Vanish triumphed in their respective categories, with VIVA taking home the ultimate accolade by winning the Motoryacht of the Year award.
In its 17-year history, several cities have hosted the World Superyacht Awards, including Amsterdam, Istanbul, Florence and Monaco, but this year the ceremony has returned to London. The gala ceremony to announce the winners of the 2022 Neptune trophies was held in front of a live audience at the historical Guildhall and completely sold out. As always, the winners were decided upon solely by a panel of superyacht owners, making the prizes even more appreciated by their industry peers.
Jan-Bart Verkuyl – Feadship Director / CEO Royal Van Lent Shipyard, who attended the ceremony, said that “receiving four awards including Motoryacht of the Year is another great recognition for the passion of our Feadship craftsmen and the teamwork of all parties involved. We would like to thank the owners of VIVA, Somnium and Vanish, who made this possible.”
Many factors influenced the judges’ decision, but it was Viva’s consistency in all aspects that made her a winner by a large margin of the 2002 Motoryacht of the Year award. “Such allround excellence”, the judges felt, “was largely due to the detailed consideration given to every aspect of the vessel. The owner’s knowledge and complete involvement with specifications also paid dividends. As a result, this yacht has it all, from an attractive exterior design with superb deck spaces to an enviable beach club and a modern interior by Peter Marino that connects with the outside through huge windows, plus a general arrangement plan entirely suited to the needs of the owner, guests and crew. Viva also lacks nothing on the technical and operational side”. The judges were equally impressed by “her sustainablyminded power and propulsion system, optimal technical areas, a practical tender garage, excellent living and working facilities for her crew, and a superlative quality”. VIVA is also the winner of the Displacement Motoryachts between 2,000GT and above category.
The next prize for Feadship was in the Displacement Motoryachts between 500GT and 999GT category in which the voting the 55.20-metre Somnium was revealed as the winner. Unlike the majority of boats in this size range, the judges noted that “Somnium is a full custom yacht built for an exacting owner who made bi-weekly visits to the shipyard throughout the design and build process”. The judges praised her excellent balance between the calmly decorated facilities for the owner and his guests – all perfectly tailored to the needs of the family.
High quality Another coveted award came in the Displacement Motoryachts between 1,500GT and 1,999GT category. Vanish scored “particularly highly for her appearance and interior layout” which are from the drawing boards of Harrison Eidsgaard Design. The judges also were impressed by “the extremely high quality of build seen throughout the yacht”. Overall, the jury felt, Vanish “is not a revolutionary yacht, but one that completely fulfils her owner’s requirements, offers delightful interior and exterior spaces, and is guaranteed to turn heads wherever she goes”.
