To mark the occasion, Europe’s largest motorboat awards ceremony hosted a rooftop event at the Cannes Yachting Festival. The awards ceremony will take place in Berlin on 26 November 2026.
At a cocktail reception on 9 September in Cannes, the jury of the Best of Boats Awards announced this year’s finalists for the Best Motorboats of the Year. The Cannes Yachting Festival hosted this gathering of the European boating industry for the first time. In front of 150 invited guests, the 30 boats selected for the 2026 edition were announced across seven categories against the summery backdrop of the VIP Club at Port Canto. The winners will be announced on 26 November 2026 at OutVenture Berlin. This marks the 13th time that the international jury has honoured the most outstanding motorboats of the year. The awards recognise the most impressive new boat models that have stood out following numerous tests over the past twelve months. The 16-member expert jury, comprising editors-in-chief and motorboat test editors from across Europe and the USA, scrutinised the most interesting new European motorboats during more than 300 test runs in numerous sailing areas.
What makes the Best of Boats Awards special is that the jury’s verdict is based on the perspective of boat users, not on the length of the boat. Only boats that have been tested by at least four jurors are considered. The thoroughness and technical depth with which the tests are carried out and evaluated according to a detailed set of criteria make the Best of Boats Award a mark of excellence for the exceptional quality of the selected boats. The BOB Award is therefore one of the most internationally renowned accolades in the boating industry. Following an intense season, the categories for 2026 have now been finalised, alongside the 30 finalists. Alongside the established categories ‘Best for Beginners’, ‘Best for Family’ and ‘Best for Fun’, boats will be honoured for the second time in the new ‘Best for Adventure’ category, which is dedicated to hard-hulled recreational craft. In keeping with the ‘Green Route’ theme of the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival, the ‘Best Electric’ category features three very different concepts for electric boating. A new addition is the important Best RIBs category: this recognises rigid-hulled inflatable boats, which are increasingly serving as fully-fledged family boats. At the top end, the BOB Award features the Best Big Boats category, dedicated to luxury motor yachts 50 feet in length and over. As with all other categories, it applies too to the large boats: every model eligible for the Best of Boats Award can be navigated single-handed without an external crew.
The finalists for the Best of Boats Award 2026
BEST FOR BEGINNERS
AMT 150 R (Finland)
Bayliner V22 (USA)
Terhi 450 TC (Finland)
Yamarin Cross 55 BR (Finland)
BEST FOR FAMILY
Grandezza 34 Outboard (Finland)
Greenline 42 (Slovenia)
Jeanneau Merry Fisher 1095 Fly Série 2 (France)
Marex 390 (Norway)
Viknes S40 Panorama (Norway)
BEST FOR FUN
Jeanneau TH33 (France)
Saxdor 400 GTS (Finland)
SAY Carbon 32 (Germany)
Wellcraft 28 T-Top (France)
BEST FOR ADVENTURE
Axopar 38 XC Cross Cabin (Finland)
De Antonio D36 Cabin (Spain)
Saxdor 460 GTC (Finland)
Yamarin Aura Cabin (Finland)
BEST RIBS
Highfield ADV9 (China)
Nordkapp Airborne 5.4 (Norway)
Ranieri Cayman 37.0 Hard Top (Italy)
ZAR Imagine 115 (Italy)
Zodiac X9CC (France)
BEST ELECTRIC
Frauscher x Porsche 790 Spectre (Austria)
Jeanneau Sea Loft 480 (France)
Samar 50 (Spain)
BEST BIG BOATS
Astondoa 577 Coupe (Spain)
Beneteau GT 50 (France)
De Antonio D60 (Spain)
Leopard 53 PC (South Africa)
Sirena 60 (Turkey)
Model diversity and a wide range
The selection for the Best of Boats Award 2026 – fully seen on bestofboats.com – reflects the full spectrum of the current model year. The trend continues whereby well-known boat-building nations remain very strongly represented. Alongside Finland and France, Spain and Norway have caught up this year as ‘flag states’ – even though many boats are manufactured, at least in part, in Poland. From entry-level recreational craft and family cruisers to luxurious big boats and innovative electric concepts, all common boat types are represented at the Best of Boats Award 2026.
OutVenture Berlin: Premium partner and host of the awards ceremony
The Best of Boats Award will be presented as part of OutVenture Berlin, which takes place from 26 to 29 November 2026 at the Berlin Exhibition Centre. The awards ceremony, attended by the judges, representatives of international shipyards, shipyard managers and international representatives of the boating industry, will take place on the evening of Thursday 26 November 2026 in the exclusive setting of the historic Marshall-Haus. OutVenture Berlin, a premium partner of the Best of Boats Award since 2014, will once again be hosting this year’s celebratory winners’ party for the best motorboats of the year.
