Florence, May 19th. The annual Neptune trophies for superyachts were again awarded. It turned out to be a nice party for the Dutch Superyacht industry. Six prices were awarded to Feadship, Vitters, Mulder Shipyard and Amels/Damen. Other superyachts from Heesen, Oceanco and Royal Huisman were among the finalists. The Feadship Faith also took home the iconic Motor Yacht of the Year award.
In the category sailing yachts, Vitters Shipyard’s 33m sailing yacht Ribelle stood out for its well-planned GA and futuristic glass-topped saloon. 44m J-class yacht Svea from the same yard and 58-metre Ngoni from Royal Huisman topped the lists as well.
Feadship starred again with 30+ m Letani, 37m CID, 74m Hasna, 97m Motoryacht of the Year Faith. Oceanco came up with the 89m Barbara and 110m Jubilee. Jubilee is the largest superyacht for the yard sofar, with yet larger ones to come. Amels with the 83m Here Comes the Sun, and Mulder with 36m Delta One plus several outstanding yachts in the range up to 50m.
Probably one of the more spectacular vessels were found in the category yacht support vessels. Specialist Damen Amels had two yachts among the three finalists for a new category of Support Vessels, namely the 56m New Frontiers and the eventual winner, the 69m Game Changer. The helicopter landing and storage capability, hospital facility and ability to carry or launch four specialist tenders as well as a submarine were lauded by the jury.
The success of the Dutch superyachts industry is probably caused by a superb co-operation between owner, yard, design partners, co-makers and suppliers. Local craftmanship is combined with international design and innovations.
From my daily practice I can witness that more and more yards and suppliers are interested in coming to The Netherlands. Why? Because quality pays, and increasingly the brand name of the country plays a role in the commercial arena. But the success can only be achieved when using international sourcing. Holland welcomes Turkish suppliers in order to be competitive. So, when can we expect the first Turkish trade delegation in our small yachting paradise?
