Nominees for 2020 Boat of the Year

Annapolis, MD (October 10, 2019) – Cruising World magazine revealed today its roster of nominees for the 2020 Boat of the Year awards. Testing for the awards is taking place during and after the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, which begins today along the shores of Chesapeake Bay.

Twenty-four boats – 17 monohulls, 6 catamarans, and a trimaran – have been nominated for the 2020 Boat of the Year prizes. The annual awards, selected by an independent judging team, recognize the best new production cruising boats and multihulls laid out and equipped for coastal and offshore sailing and voyaging.

This year’s judging panel is comprised of systems expert Ed Sherman of the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC); Ralph Naranjo, a veteran cruising sailor and author; and well-known technical writer and cruiser Dan Spurr.

“This is a deep and highly diverse fleet, ranging in size from the compact Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 to the full-sized Hanse 675 to the Eagle Class 53 catamaran, a radical foiling cat with a rotating wing mast,” said Herb McCormick, Cruising World Boat of the Year director.

“It promises to be a very competitive contest, and our judges will certainly have their work cut out to determine the winning entries.”

The 2020 Boat of the Year awards will be announced in the January issue of Cruising World. The full list of nominees is below:

Amel 50
Bali 5.4
Bavaria 50
Bavaria 57
Beneteau Oceanis 30.1
Beneteau First Yacht 53
Catalina 545
Dufour 390
Dufour 430
Eagle Class 53
Elan Impression 45.1
Excess 12
Fountaine Pajot Elba 45
Grand Soleil 34 Performance
Hallberg-Rassy 44
Hanse 675
Italia 9.98
J/99
Sun Fast 3300
Lagoon 46
McConaghy MC 50
Neel 47
Swan 48
X4.6