The Beneteau Swift Trawler 35 (pictured above), the Tactical T-40 and Raymarine’s ClearCruise Augmented Reality all just won Best in Show awards at the Vancouver International Boat Show in British Columbia. The awards, now in their fifth year, were given by Pacific Yachting magazine.
Beneteau’s Swift Trawler 35 won the award for Best Powerboat 39 Feet and Under. The judges said it seemed larger than its 35 feet and liked its innovative use of space, particularly the head with enclosed shower and the walk-around forward berth. They noted that the 35 was Beneteau’s effort to improve its most popular model, the Swift Trawler 34, and represented an attractive entry to the trawler lifestyle at a reasonable price. You can see our review of the Beneteau Swift Trawler 35 here:
The Tactical T-40 won the award for Best Powerboat 40 Feet and Over. The judges were impressed by the boat’s design and unique features, and said it was meant for serious boating enthusiasts. Tough on the outside and luxurious on the inside, the Tactical T-40, built by Tactical Custom Boats, is powered by twin 627-hp Seven Marine outboards. It has four side-by-side helm seats and a Garmin MFD. The judges said that although the boat was designed for a cruising couple, it still has plenty of space for entertaining a larger group. You can see our review of the Tactical T-40 here:
Raymarine’s ClearCruise Augmented Reality (AR) won the award for Best Electronics. It combines a forward-facing camera with a stabilizing unit to create a heads-up display that matches what the captain sees ahead in real time. It overlays AIS, chart features and waypoints onto a live video image displayed on any Raymarine Axiom MFD. The judges said that ClearCruise made it easy to interpret the chart and that it is intuitive to use. Future software updates will add the AR features to FLIR night-vision imaging.
