Yacht Refit Excellence Awards Announced in Fort Lauderdale

This week yacht refit professionals received recognition for their accomplishments at the second annual Refit Excellence Awards during the 2017 Refit International Exhibition & Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The awards went to the refit teams behind the 66-foot sportfish REEL STEEL, the 148 foot motoryacht SCOUT, the 80 foot sailing yacht SWAN 80-002 and the 52 foot powerboat CUTTIN' UP.

Winning yacht refits were selected from online submissions and nominations A panel of independent judges chose the winners on the basis of the finished yacht as well as teamwork, problem-solving and efficiency of the whole refit team, including the boatyard, designer, surveyor, management company, captain and owner. The ceremony tself was held at the Broward County Convention Center and was MC'd by Kitty McGowan of the US Superyacht Association (USSA).

Best Poweryacht Refit 50 -100 Feet

This award went to REEL STEEL submitted by Jarrett Bay Boatworks. The world-class 66-foot custom sportfishing boat was given a new lease of life including a reconfigured cockpit to improve functionality, and the addition of two Seakeeper units. Jarrett Bay created interior spaces and exotic wood veneers throughout, reconfigured to accommodate updates to the salon, galley and three staterooms. The experts at Crystal Coast Interiors and Triton Marine consulted and provided product installations for fixtures, lighting and A/V equipment. 

Best Poweryacht Refit Over 100 Feet

This award went to SCOUT submitted by Bacchus Yacht Consultancy, for the 147-foot motoryacht designed by Ron Holland, built in 2012 by RMK Marine in Turkey. She underwent significant upgrades and improvements during yard periods from 2014 - 2016, most recently for engineering, deck and cosmetic work at Rybovich in West Palm Beach. Work included HVAC upgrades, electrical improvements and modifications to cosmetic rope lighting, deck lights, underwater lighting and paint work. The entire refit totalled 4,600 man-hours over a twelve-week period.

Best Sailing Yacht Refit

This award went to SWAN 80-002, an 80 foot Swan built in 2000 and submitted by New England Boatworks (NEB). NEB teamed with Marine Hydraulic Consultancy (MHC), Van Gorkom Yacht Design and Harken to replace the existing hydraulic system and hardware with a faster, more efficient system with higher capacity. NEB provided structural solutions, rewired the entire yacht and upgraded all mechanical systems. NEB also refinished the entire yacht from masthead to the bottom of the keel.

Best Accomplishment for a Yacht Refit

This award was presented to CUTTIN' UP, a Viking Yachts 52 foot Convertible built in 2005, submitted by Stealth Marketing, for a standout project where the entire refit team excelled. Over the past few years she has been refitted by Bluewater Yacht Yard in Hampton, Virginia, but what makes this refit so special is the vision and teamwork required to make the boat accessible to a keen angler with a progressive form of muscular dystrophy. The disease severely limits his mobility, especially in his legs, so the owner has had to continually refit the boat as his condition advances allowing him to manage the vessel and fish offshore without assistance.

The latest refit involved a makeover of the master stateroom to improve motorized chair movement and access to the bed from a seated position. The owner appreciated the ingenuity and quality of work so much that he also asked Bluewater Yacht Yard to customize his Cadillac Escalade by turning a passenger door into a latching gullwing configuration and installing an articulating chair lift.

The professional crews behind each of the winning refits share in the honor of the Refit Excellence Awards. "Yacht refits are often more complicated than new constructions. The Refit Excellence Awards give the industry the opportunity to honor the people who take on these complex projects and deliver like-new vessels to happy owners." said Jim Miller, show manager and publisher of Professional BoatBuilder magazine. 

You can submit your nominations for the 2018 Refit Excellence Awards in the summer by visiting our website. Any yacht refit professional may nominate a yacht and there is no entry fee or limit to the number of entries. Next year's winners will be honored at the Refit International Exhibition & Conference, January 10-11, 2018.

About Refit International Exhibition & Conference
Owned and managed by Professional BoatBuilder magazine, Refit International Exhibition & Conference is an annual trade show and series of technical and business seminars. where refit professionals can share their perspectives, discuss challenges and cooperate to find solutions for the refit process. Held at the Broward County Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, next year's edition runs from 10-11 January 2018.