BENETEAU

HISWA BoY: Fjord 40 Open & Sunbeam 34

Netherlands.

Fjord 40 Open (=HanseYachts, DE)

and Sunbeam 34 (=Schöchl Yachtbau, AT)

win HISWA Boat of the Year title

Wednesday, 05 March 2008





The Fjord 40 Open motor cruiser and the Sunbeam 34 sailing yacht have won the title of HISWA Boat of

the Year 2008 in their respective categories. This was announced by Hugo van Wieringen, jury

chairman and director of Azure Naval Architects, yesterday evening during the informal reception for

boat show exhibitors. The shortlisted and winning boats will be on display at the HISWA Amsterdam

Boat Show 2008 in the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition Centre up to and including Sunday 9 March.



Fjord 40 Open: striking design



The Fjord 40 Open of Fjord Boats in Loosdrecht competed with the Intercruiser 27 Cabin of Interboat

Sloepen & Cruisers and the Linssen 33.9 of Linssen Yachts for the honorary title in the motorboat

category. ‘It was a difficult choice this time, because the other shortlisted boats also performed

very well in relation to all the assessment criteria,’ said jury chairman Hugo van Wieringen.

‘So the jury’s choice was not unanimous, but the Fjord 40 Open did emerge as the clear winner.

The boat scored particularly well in terms of design and sailing qualities. Although the Fjord 40

Open may perhaps resemble the Wally yachts in some ways, the design is in fact radically different

from anything the rest of the market has to offer. For example, the Fjord 40 Open is designed purely

to serve as an open boat, as the name suggests. The contemporary design, without many frills but

with plenty of sex appeal, is highly distinctive. It is truly a unique boat for the Dutch market,

although we expect it will sell particularly well in the Mediterranean. In terms of sailing

qualities the boat easily exceeded its promise during the trials when sailing both slowly and at

speed.'



‘We felt we had a good chance of winning because of all the praise we had received in the press,

but it remained a nailbiting contest,’ commented Arjen Hoeksma of Fjord Boats. ‘Winning this

prize will undoubtedly generate much extra interest during and after the HISWA show. This is

something we’re naturally very pleased about.’



Sunbeam 34: ready for departure



In the sailing category the Sunbeam 34 was pitted against the Dehler 34 and the Ranger 9.9. Although

the Sunbeam 34 is not all that striking in appearance, it scored consistently well on all aspects.

‘Surprisingly well designed, both on deck and inside, and very soundly built,’ was the jury’s

verdict. ‘After the first day of trials, the jury members commented, ‘The all-inclusive

equipment means that you're ready to depart on a round-the-world trip the moment you step

aboard!’ What sets it apart in the touring yacht category is the design of the cockpit. The

functional shower stall on this 34-foot boat also merits a separate mention. This really well

finished boat, whose sailing qualities also impressed the jury, managed to win the title of HISWA

Boat of the Year 2008 thanks to high scores on all assessment criteria.



‘The Sunbeam 34 was already chosen as the European Yacht of the Year at Boot Düsseldorf, and the

fact that we’ve now won the title of HISWA Boat of the Year is naturally tremendous,’ said Dirk

Jan Agter of Sunbeam Yachts Benelux in Almere. ‘Being shortlisted for this title has already been

a great help in putting Sunbeam on the map in the Netherlands. And now we’ve emerged as winner

things will undoubtedly gain even more momentum. It’s a tremendous boost for our reputation and

confidence in our brand.'



Other shortlisted entries in the sailing boat category



The other two shortlisted sailing boats also turned in a good performance, but ultimately scored

fewer points than the winning Sunbeam 34.



The Dehler 34 of Dehler Benelux is a logical continuation of the successful line of modern boats

introduced by Dehler.



The yacht has contemporary styling and state-of-the-art equipment, including flush hatches, folding

bollards and lopo lights. The jury considered that the sporting aspirations of this most recent

addition to the Dehler range had been achieved.



‘Bood Yachting's Ranger 9.9 caters well to the trend for day and weekend sails,’ was the

jury’s view of the Ranger 9.9. ‘A lot of thought has gone into the combination of classic

above-water with modern below-water design. It is a boat which scores highly in terms of sailing

pleasure and comfort and has the major added advantages of limited draught, trailability and

lowerable mast.’



Other shortlisted entries in the motorboat category



The shortlist was the result of a selection made during the trial days in October on Lake IJssel, to

which a total of six motorboats were invited.



With its Intercruiser 27 Cabin, Interboat Sloepen & Cruisers has successfully capitalised on the

crossover concept of launches and weekend cruisers. ‘The boatbuilder has been very successful in

combining the overall launch design (and sufficient seats) with two fully-fledged berths and an

on-board toilet,’ said the jury. ‘The boat also has good sailing qualities. Although competition

is fierce for boats of this kind, the Intercruiser 27 Cabin is a successful and distinctive

design.’



The Linssen 33.9 is a perfect extension of previous designs of Linssen Yachts of Maasbrecht and was

praised for its well thought-out design. ‘A boat on which everything is right,’ was how the jury

summed it up. ‘Full of handy little gadgets, separate shower and toilet and plenty of stowage

space. It sets itself apart in the 10-metre category. You can go on board and sail away immediately.

In short, a comfortable and user-friendly boat.’



All jury members agreed that the three shortlisted motorboats were very successful in meeting the

objectives set by their builders.



Selection procedure



The 10-person jury is composed of representatives of ten sailing magazines in the Netherlands and

Belgium. In the run-up to the first jury meeting all jury members could make known their favourite

boats. The resulting list was discussed during the first meeting of the jury at the 2007 HISWA

in-water boat show. This produced a shortlist of boats invited to take part in the trials in

October. Ultimately it resulted in six shortlistings (three sailing yachts and three motorboats).

The jury judged the boats in terms of their design, construction, sailing qualities and innovative

character. Points could be given for all these aspects, which resulted in a total score that

determined the ultimate winners.



Conditions of participation



The conditions for participation in the competition were that the boat should have a minimum length

of seven metres and should also have been built and become actually available in 2006 or 2007. In

addition, the boats had to be available for presentation at the HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show 2008 and

for the trial days in October.



The HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show 2008 is being held in Amsterdam RAI until Sunday 9 March.



Last Updated ( Wednesday, 05 March 2008 )



Source:

http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=23451

Et voici le Fjord 40 Open de HanseYachts, DE