The “magnificent seven” boats of 2025 according to Americans

The Boat of the Year award organized by the American magazine Cruising World has delivered its verdicts, crowning the boats most liked in the overseas market. For the first time since this award has existed, the 16 nominees were equally divided between monohulls and multihulls, with an overall winner among the various categories in the running.

J/40 – The overall winner of Boat of the Year.

J/Boats’ new 12-footer, the J/40, wins the “Best 40-45 foot cruiser” category and the overall competition award. An award that goes not only to the boat but also to the company’s nearly 50 years. An award also given to the American shipyard’s ability to innovate in recent years, with this new model that, respecting J/Boats’ sporting history, also looks to the cruiser market. LEARN MORE ABOUT J/40

CATEGORY WINNERS – BEST MID SIZE CRUISER

The award went to the new Sun Odyssey 350, a “family” boat that is easy to operate and has extremely generous volumes for a length of only 11 meters. DISCOVER MORE.

Best Full-Size Cruiser Over 45

Instead, the award here goes to a boat that winks at long sailing, built of aluminum, potentially a vehicle with which to be able to travel the world or to live aboard for long periods: the Allures 51.9. DISCOVER MORE.

Best Midsize Multihull

Arriving from Australia is the Seawind 1370, best mid-size multihull according to Cruising World. A cat with sporty performance and long sailing interiors. The decisive motivation for awarding the prize was also the volume of sales: 90 hulls were booked even before the first one was launched.

Best Full-Size Multihull 45 to 50

The Leopard 46 is yet another in a long line of versatile catamarans designed by Alex Simonis and built by Robertson and Caine in South Africa. On the one hand, the boat was built at a price that will allow her to be a hit in the charter market. On the other, it is a cat aimed at cruising sailors, with an optional hybrid propulsion system that is a real game changer. DISCOVER MORE.

Best Full-Size Multihull Over 50

If we talk about space, volume and performance, three hulls are better than two. Going up in size, the Neil 52 deservedly wins recognition in this category, which inevitably goes to identify a boat that by characteristics can be that of “life,” from even oceanic sailings. DISCOVER MORE.

SPECIAL AWARD

Each year the editorial staff of Cruising World presents a special award to a model that has distinguished itself for particular innovations. This year the award went to the Windelo 54. Decisive in the Jury’s choice were the diesel-electric hybrid engines and the on-board power system. In addition to solar power, the large lithium-ion battery pack can be recharged with hydrogen generation, which greatly extends the cruising range. The decision to build the boat using basalt fibers instead of fiberglass was definitely an out-of-the-box idea. DISCOVER MORE.