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Fountaine Pajot MY 44 Named Best Passagemaker in London Awards Ceremony

By Peter A. Janssen

When he took us (George Day, our publisher, and me) through the new Fountaine Pajot MY 44 at the Fort Lauderdale boat show two months ago, Laurent Fabre, the U.S. head of the French company, talked about the “wow factor,” particularly the owner’s stateroom in the cat’s port hull. He was right; you could hold a party down there. But we thought then that the “wow factor” applied to the whole boat – and now a lot of other people agree with us. In fact, the Fountaine Pajot MY 44 just won the prestigious 2018 Motor Boat Award as the best passagemaker in a London ceremony.

The annual awards are given by the British magazine Motor Boat & Yachting in nine categories. American boats won in two of them. The judges sea-trailed all the boats considered for the awards.

In the Passagemakers category, the judges said the Fountaine Pajot MY 44 “claims the prize for teaming long-distance capability with a useful turn of speed and tremendous living spaces. In a booming sector, this powercat is one of the best on the market.” Other finalists in the Passagemakers category were the Fleming 78, Sirena Yachts 64, Storm X-65, and Trader 42 Signature.

In the Wheelhouse and Cockpit Cruisers category, the Cockwells Duchy 35 won, with the judges saying it is “a boat we’d all love to own; elegant styling married to a sturdy semi-displacement hull and a beautifully hand-crafted interior ensures this is a boat that will stand the test of time.” They gave a Highly Commended award to the Greenline 39. Other finalists were the Chris-Craft Commander 42, DaVinci 30, Jetten Beach 45, Linssen Grand Sturdy 35.0 Sedan, MB Yachts Rene 36, and Rhea 730 Timonier.

The American winners were the Chris-Craft Calypso 30 in the Sportsboats and RIBs category, and the Boston Whaler 420 Outrage in the Superboats category. The judges said the Chris-Craft is “a boat that combines effortless performance and world-class build quality in a surprisingly practical but impeccably stylish package.” And they raved about the Boston Whaler: “This might just be the most capable boat in this year’s awards. Built to the highest of standards and blessed with phenomenal performance, handling and practical detailing, it is the ultimate version of the ‘unsinkable legend.”

Read more about the awards and see videos of some of the boats here:

http://www.mby.com/news/2018-motor-boat-awards-winners-revealed-2-89207

 

 

 

 

 

 

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