2016 Boat Of The Year Nominees: Cruising Catamarans
Cruising World and Sail magazines announced the nominees for the 2016 Boat of the Year (BOTY) awards in October at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD. The annual awards recognize the best and newest sailboat models introduced to the U.S. market. This year’s Cruising Catamaran nominees for the competition represent the best of this division. These nominees pushed the evolutionary boundaries of catamaran design with the introduction of catamarans such as the Bali range.
About the Cruising Catamaran Nominees
Bali, in a controversial design move, completely eliminated the trampolines and further enhanced the “open design” with entirely unimpeded by bulkheads. Nominee Bali 4.3 also has a uniquely designed “tilting” door that closes the living space for safety at sea or retracts the door into the roof on electrical struts to make the best possible use of the outdoors.
The Nautitech Open 40 makes a bold styling statement with its angular lines and open living space with canvas enclosures much like the Seawind 1000.
The one large cruising catamaran that got a lot of attention was the Fountaine Pajot Ipanema 58. Fountaine Pajot has won three Best Boat awards with previous models, so the Ipanema 58 has a good chance to make a great impression with big catamaran fans. The Leopard 40 is an interesting entry-level boat with big boat features and the customary opening door onto the foredeck, like it’s big sisters. The new 40ft to 45ft catamarans were the ones with the most innovative design surprises that broadly appealed to the cruising community. The 2016 winners will be announced in the January issues of the magazines.
Full List of Cruiser Nominees
Cruising World Magazine Cruising Catamaran Nominees: Bali 4.3 Loft, Bavaria Catamaran Open 40, Fountaine Pajot Ipanema 58, Leopard 40, Bali 4.5, Voyage 480.
Sail Magazine Cruising Catamaran Nominees: Balance 451, Bali 4.5, Bali 4.3, Nautitech Open 40, FP Ipanema 58, Leopard 40, Mainecat 38, Outremer 51
