Feadship's Breakthrough was named Motor Yacht of the Year at the 2026 World Superyacht Awards in Venice, the 21st edition of the prize, held May 1 and 2. The 118.8-meter hydrogen fuel-cell yacht had skipped the 2025 Monaco Yacht Show because it had already been sold. Royal Huisman's 65-meter Aquarius won Sailing Yacht of the Year.
Contents
- The winners in Venice
- Breakthrough: from liquid hydrogen to the top prize
- Feadship's night, three times over
- From Kismet to Breakthrough: what changed between editions
- Venice hands off to Rome for 2027
- FAQ
The Winners in Venice
The 2026 World Superyacht Awards were presented May 1–2 in Venice, the 21st edition of the ceremony organized by Boat International in association with shipyard The Italian Sea Group (Admiral) and the Acquera Club — the third consecutive year the awards have been held in the Italian city. Breakthrough, Feadship's 118.8-meter hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht, won the headline category, Motor Yacht of the Year. Royal Huisman's 65-meter Aquarius took Sailing Yacht of the Year.
Other winners on the night included Feadship's Valor (79.5m) and Pi (100m); Benetti's Lady Estey (67m); Heesen Yachts' Orion (49.8m); Baglietto's Andala and Awandra; Nautor Swan's BeCool (38.98m); and Bloemsma Van Breemen's Dolce (43.9m), winner of the Voyager's Award. The full list is on Boat International's official winners page.
Breakthrough: From Liquid Hydrogen to the Top Prize
Breakthrough's road to Motor Yacht of the Year runs through a technical milestone: in June 2025, the yacht became the first superyacht in the world to take on liquid hydrogen fuel, in the Netherlands, as reported by Boat International that July. By then, the yacht had already been sold, which kept it off the list of vessels attending the Monaco Yacht Show that September, despite having been widely anticipated as one of that edition's headline attractions.
Eight months after missing its expected Monaco stage, Breakthrough won the most contested category of the night in Venice, cementing hydrogen propulsion as a central theme of the industry's 2026 awards season.
Feadship's Night, Three Times Over
With Breakthrough, Valor and Pi all among the winners, Feadship placed three yachts on the World Superyacht Awards 2026 honor roll — a dominance that had already shown up at the Design & Innovation Awards 2026, held February 1 in Kitzbühel, Austria: there, Breakthrough won Best Naval Architecture and the Eco and Innovation Award, while Pi won Outstanding Exterior Design for motor yachts above 70 meters.
The overlap between the two ceremonies, held less than three months apart, cements Breakthrough and Pi as the most talked-about projects on the yacht industry's 2026 awards calendar.
From Kismet to Breakthrough: What Changed Between Editions
The prior edition, the 2025 World Superyacht Awards — also in Venice, on May 3, 2025, the 20th edition — named Kismet, a 122-meter Lürssen, as Motor Yacht of the Year, and Kiboko 4, a 35.5-meter Southern Wind, as Sailing Yacht of the Year. The handover from a German yard (Lürssen) to a Dutch one (Feadship) atop the headline category in a single edition illustrates the competition among Europe's largest builders for the industry's most established prize, without implying a settled trend from a single year of data.
The sailing category, meanwhile, moved from a 35.5-meter yacht (Kiboko 4) to a 65-meter one (Aquarius) — nearly double the length — a shift that tracks the broader growth in average size among large sailing projects.
Venice Hands Off to Rome for 2027
At the May 2 ceremony itself, organizers opened nominations for the 2027 World Superyacht Awards, which will be held in Rome, closing out three consecutive editions in Venice.
| Category | Winner | Builder | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Yacht of the Year | Breakthrough | Feadship | 118.8 m |
| Sailing Yacht of the Year | Aquarius | Royal Huisman | 65 m |
| Category winner | Valor | Feadship | 79.5 m |
| Category winner | Pi | Feadship | 100 m |
| Category winner | Lady Estey | Benetti | 67 m |
| Category winner | Orion | Heesen Yachts | 49.8 m |
| Category winner | Andala and Awandra | Baglietto | — |
| Category winner | BeCool | Nautor Swan | 38.98 m |
| Voyager's Award | Dolce | Bloemsma Van Breemen | 43.9 m |
FAQ
When and where were the 2026 World Superyacht Awards held? The ceremony took place May 1–2, 2026, in Venice, Italy, the city's third consecutive year as host. It was the 21st edition of the award, organized by Boat International with shipyard The Italian Sea Group (Admiral) and the Acquera Club.
What won Motor Yacht of the Year in 2026? The prize went to Breakthrough, Feadship's 118.8-meter hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht. The yacht had become, in June 2025, the first superyacht in the world to take on liquid hydrogen fuel, in the Netherlands.
What won Sailing Yacht of the Year in 2026? The title went to Aquarius, a 65-meter yacht built by Dutch yard Royal Huisman. Nautor Swan's 38.98-meter BeCool was also among the night's winners.
Why did Breakthrough skip the 2025 Monaco Yacht Show? Because the yacht had already been sold before the show opened in September 2025, which kept it off the list of attending vessels, despite having been widely anticipated as one of that edition's headline attractions.
What other yachts won at the 2026 World Superyacht Awards? Also honored were Feadship's Valor (79.5m) and Pi (100m); Benetti's Lady Estey (67m); Heesen Yachts' Orion (49.8m); Baglietto's Andala and Awandra; and Bloemsma Van Breemen's Dolce (43.9m), which won the Voyager's Award.
Who won Motor Yacht of the Year in the prior, 2025 edition? In 2025, the 20th edition, also in Venice, the title went to Kismet, a 122-meter Lürssen. Southern Wind's 35.5-meter Kiboko 4 won Sailing Yacht of the Year that year.
Had Breakthrough already won awards before the 2026 World Superyacht Awards? Yes. On February 1, 2026, Breakthrough won Best Naval Architecture and the Eco and Innovation Award at the Design & Innovation Awards 2026 in Kitzbühel, Austria. At the same ceremony, Feadship's Pi won the Exterior Design category.
Where will the 2027 World Superyacht Awards be held? Organizers confirmed at the May 2, 2026 ceremony itself that the 2027 edition will be held in Rome, closing out three consecutive years of the awards in Venice. Nominations for the new edition are already open.
Following the Industry's Awards Season
Voguer keeps tracking the yacht industry's 2026 awards and boat show season, from Europe to Brazil, with an eye on the builders and projects that keep reappearing across ceremonies.
Related coverage: Kismet and Kiboko 4 Win the 2025 World Superyacht Awards in Venice · Design & Innovation Awards 2026: Breakthrough and Pi Dominate in Kitzbühel · Rio Boat Show 2026: The Marina da Gloria Verdict · Rio Boat Show 2026 Opens at Marina da Gloria · Rio Boat Show 2026: What to Expect From Latin America's Largest Outdoor Boat Show
Marketplace: Voguer · Voguer Yachts
