Classic Boat Awards 2024 - The Chelsea ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Company

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Classic Boat Awards 2024

By Annabelle Lee | 5 Apr 2024


The winners of the Classic Boat Awards 2024 were revealed this week during a champagne reception and ceremony at The Royal Thames Yacht Club, London.

The annual awards, in association with , were held on Wednesday, 3rd April. Around 130 classic boat owners, designers, builders and other central figures in the classic sailing community from the British Isles, to the shores of Europe and North America were in attendance.

The Classic Boat Awards celebrate what is at the core of Classic Boat magazine, the best vessels in the sometimes unsung world of classic andÌýÌýandÌý. Additionally, in its 18th year of running, these awards are recognition of the wide-reaching classic boat community, their commitment to tradition, and bringing beautiful boats back to life.

Guest Speaker

Introduced by Classic Boat Awards presenter Paul Heiney, this year, our Classic Boat Awards winners, nominees, and awards attendees, were treated to the wonderful guest speaker DrÌýÌýin Glasgow.

Paul said: ‘The work done by William and partner Antony Harrison over the past two decades and more, to preserve the history and future of some of the world’s greatest yachts, is one of the central stories of the classic yacht movement as we know it.’

The Lifetime Achievement Award

Presented by Daniel Heine,ÌýÌýSailing Officer, theÌýClassic Boat Lifetime Achievement AwardÌýwent toÌýSean McMillan. Founding Spirit Yachts in 1993, Sean is a master of his craft in design and building, as well as a legend on the classic racing circuit, and continues to remind the world that Britain was once, and still is, a great boatbuilding nation.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Sean McMillan, founder of Spirit Yachts, pictured here with his wife Jenny. Photo: Marcus Holdsworth/ Classic Boat.

The Gstaad Yacht Club Centenarian of the Year Award

The Gstaad Yacht Club Centenarian of the Year went toÌýBarbara (1923). Owned by Roberto Olivieri, the 49ft 6in (15.1m) Camper & Nicholsons yawl Barbara has become a well-known sight on the classic Mediterranean yacht-racing circuit. Roberto took ownership of her nine years ago, after 20 years mothballed, had her beautifully restored, and was there to receive the award.

Daniel Heine, Gstaad Yacht Club sailing officer, presents the Gstaad Yacht Club Centenarian of the Year trophy to Roberto Olivieri, owner of Barbara, the winning vessel. Photo: Marcus Holdsworth/ Classic Boat.

Paul Heiney who presented the ceremony said:

‘The awards have, in the past, brought together dinghy builders, superyacht owners, racing yachtsmen, and cruising sailors as young as 14 and as old as 90. It goes without saying they all love meeting each other, as the sea is, literally and figuratively, the great leveller. And boats, as Joseph Conrad once wrote, belong to no one. We’ve had household names like Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Griff Rhys-Jones, but for the most part, the brilliance of what the global classic sailing fraternity achieves every year goes largely unnoticed. To give them the recognition they deserve is the true purpose of these awards.’

Winners went home with a trophy made for the event by Classic Marine in conjunction with Suffolk Yacht Harbour. Photo: Marcus Holdsworth/ Classic Boat.

Awards Sponsors

The evening does not happen without sponsors!

Long-standing headline sponsorÌý, the chandlery for classic yachts,
based at Suffolk Yacht Harbour, who made the wonderful trophies that each winner
received on the night.

, who have long supported the Centenarian of the Year award, not
least with a stunning perpetual trophy and a silver Robbe and Berking goblet for the
winning yacht.

, Britain’s biggest and best festival of boating.

, the specialist marine hull and liability insurance broker.

 

The Classic Boat Awards winners 2024:

 

Restored Sailing Vessel of the Year (under 40ft) – Winner

Dorothy

Highly Commended

Peter Duck

 

Restored Sailing Vessel of the Year (over 40ft) – Winner

Princess Svanevit

Highly Commended

Zemphira

 

Spirit of Tradition – Winner

Spirit C72

Highly Commended

Eggemoggin 47

 

Powered Vessel Under 100ft – Winner

Breda

ÌýHighly Commended

Come From Away

 

Powered Vessel Over 100ft – Winner

Gonca

Highly Commended

Marala

 

Classic Boater of the Year – Winner

William Collier

 

This is a discretionary award, not given every year, but this year the decision was clear. The award was given toÌýÌýfor ‘initiating the 2023Ìý, which saw the cream of the Mediterranean classic yacht-racing fleet come to British and French waters to race under CIM’.

And that’s it! The Classic Boat Awards 2024 have drawn to a close and we have some remarkable 2024 winners. A round of applause goes to all nominees and runners-up, the competition this year was tighter than ever.

For more information on the Awards or Classic Boat magazine please contact Annabelle Lee at Chelsea ²ÝÁñÉçÇøs on +44 20 7349 3700 or email annabelle.lee@chelseamagazines.com.