Artefact wins Motor Yacht of the Year class

Nobiskrug’s 80m superyacht Artefact has been crowned motor yacht of the year, following the announcement of this years’ winners of Boat International’s World Superyacht Awards. Artefact also won the second largest displacement hull class.

The winning vessels this year were selected for their environmentally friendly technologies and focus upon sustainable yachting, according to the organisers. Overall, around 54 vessels were presented to 22 judges with the hope of winning the Neptune trophy.

Stewart Campbell, editor-in-chief, Boat International, said: “The winners of the World Superyacht Awards this year encapsulate the best of the best with innovative design thinking and sustainable technology. Despite the pandemic, the superyacht industry has continued to produce yachts of exceptional quality, making the judges ’job this year especially difficult. From Artefact, with its ground-breaking, eco-minded propulsion, to the wooden wonder Geist, which also features innovative electric power, we are seeing more owners embrace sustainable technologies, while also demanding the very best in design and craftsmanship.”

Other winners included the 33.9m Geist which came top of the sailing yacht class and the 56m Broadwater which won the refitted yachts class.

Geist has been built from FSC-certified timber by Ipswich-based Spirit Yachts. It’s a classic-style yacht built with sustainable materials and has been designed by Lymington-based Rhodes Young Design.

Under power, Geist is propelled by a 100kW electric motor powered by four BMW lithium-ion battery banks that can propel it for 30nm at eight knots. Or it can feed the yacht’s household demand for four days. Under sail, the motors become shaft generators to recharge the batteries, which are then used to power the sailing systems.