Outstanding Yachts of 2025: Noteworthy Daysailers and Sportsboats that Impress
Specialist Yachts Take Centre Stage in the European Yacht of the Year Awards
The European Yacht of the Year Awards has always been a prestigious event, recognising the best in yacht design and innovation. In recent years, a category for specialist yachts has been introduced, showcasing unique and niche vessels that cater to specific sailing needs.
Bay Cruiser 21 Wins Top Honours
In 2025, the Best Specialist Yacht award went to the Bay Cruiser 21 from Swallow Yachts. This compact yet versatile vessel, known for its design and niche appeal, stood out among the competition. The Bay Cruiser 21 offers a comfortable seated area, enough room to sleep two, and a dedicated space for a chemical head, making it an ideal choice for short sailing trips. Its lightweight carbon mast and boom, coupled with Dyneema standing rigging and halyards, ensure quick rigging and a focus on balance and stability.
Innovative Specialist Yachts
Other innovative yachts have also received acclaim for their design and engineering. The Seawolf X, launched in 2024, is a prime example. With its sporty lines and innovative battery-dominant hybrid system managed by AI, the Seawolf X is widely recognised for its comfort and sustainability features. However, its specific award status as a specialist yacht is not confirmed.
The Hanse 360 and Hanse 460 models have also been crowned European Yacht of the Year, but their categories are not explicitly specified as specialist yachts.
A Variety of Specialist Yachts
The specialist yacht category encompasses a wide array of vessels, from the modern and electrically-driven Saffier SE 24 Lite, nominated for best specialist yacht in 2024, to the reusable and recyclable Ecoracer 25. The latter, at just 1.1 tonnes and 2.7m beam, can be towed when tilted and takes only one hour from crane to sailing.
Other notable mentions include the Flaar 24, a lightweight carbon composite one-design sportsboat for lake sailing and racing, weighing 750kg. It is easy to launch and trailable, with an electric actuator to raise the keel and transom-hung rudders that can be raised and locked at the height of the lifted keel. The interior includes four berths, seated headroom, and a chemical toilet.
The Tofinou 7.9, a daysailer from Tofinou, is a pure design with modern lines, designed for the pleasure of a few hours warm weather sailing. The standard boat comes engineless.
The Pointer 30, a daysailer from a specialist Dutch yard, offers a large cockpit, good sailing capabilities, and space below decks for a proper toilet, V-berth, and quarter berths for overnighting. The interior, with its wonderful revolving chairs, fridge, and chart table, helps give it a small yacht feel.
The Sun Fast 30 is a production yacht built from recyclable composite materials, with a monolithic hull and infused sandwich deck using PET foam.
Lastly, the Ace 30, a scow for IRC racing and short-handed events, is a 2.7 tonne lightweight flyer with rapid acceleration. It has a very stable hull shape powered by a raked carbon rig.
The Cape Cod 767, a modern trailable dayboat from a traditional Bordeaux yard, and the Shogun 43, a fast cruiser created for short-handed sailing but can race fully crewed, built by Linjett, complete this diverse list of specialist yachts.
Each of these vessels represents a unique approach to sailing, catering to a wide range of preferences and needs. Whether you're looking for a lightweight racer, a comfortable cruiser, or an eco-friendly daysailer, the European Yacht of the Year Awards' specialist yacht category has something for everyone.
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- The Bay Cruiser 21, winner of the Best Specialist Yacht award in 2025, offers a blend of sportiness and practicality, making it a suitable choice for those interested in short sailing trips.
- The ingenious design and hybrid system of the Seawolf X, despite not officially being classified as a specialist yacht, showcases the innovative Spirit present in the realm of niche yachting.
