The past year has been chock-a-block with new yachts, technology, gear and services across the yachting universe. The Yachting staff has traveled far and wide around this big blue marble to see it all and bring it to you across an astonishing 787.5 pages of editorial coverage over 12 issues. And yes, we totally used that 0.5 pages too.

From Cannes, France, to Seattle and all points in between, we go where all the new stuff is so we can see it, feel it, touch it, use it and drive it.

And now, it's time to look back across those pages and call out the products that caught our eye. Time to recognize those who leveled up. From the practical and cool to the wow and the whizbang, we engaged with it all to find the best of the best.

What follows is our list of the past year's favorites. It's completely subjective, and maybe your favorite new thing isn't here. That's cool. If you think we missed something, drop us an email. We would absolutely enjoy putting together a Yachting Readers' Choice List and sharing it with the world.

It was no easy task to whittle down our nearly 800 pages into 14 boatbuilders and boats, and 14 other companies and products. Some could've gone either way. Some just missed the cutoff deadline, but they will be considered next year.

The harder part is choosing just one of these deserving 28 winners as the overall Yachting Innovation Award Winner for 2025. This is an annual award that our team gives out at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Our winner will be featured in the January issue.

Do you recall last year's winner? It was the Ferretti Infynito 90, which is a yacht that reinvented what a motoryacht foredeck could be. That evolution in thinking, in addition to open, ultra-luxe interiors, pushed the design envelope.

There's a line in a 1980s movie where the lead character says, "There can be only one." Which of these winners will be the one? We'll see soon, and be sure to let us know your favorite.

Absolute 53 Navetta

What We Said: "The Navetta 53 takes design cues from Absolute's newer Navettas: vertical bridge windows, sculpted topsides with fretted bulwarks on the quarters, near plumb bows, and a chopped transom. Outdoor space is enhanced, with three distinct chill zones on deck."

Design DNA: The Absolute Navetta 53 builds on the legacy of the Navetta 52 with updated exterior styling. Outdoor areas are segmented into three functional spaces: a cockpit aft for freestanding furniture, a flybridge with built-in seating and a wet bar beneath a hardtop, and a foredeck with a dinette and sun pad. Inside, the salon's all-around glazing and drop-down windows maximize light and ventilation, allowing natural airflow in place of air conditioning. Solar panels on the hardtop deliver 1.35 kilowatts of peak power for hotel loads. Belowdecks are three staterooms and two heads, including a full-beam owner's stateroom and a VIP with a diagonal berth, walk-in closet and window. Powered by twin 480 hp Volvo Penta IPS650 diesels, the Navetta 53 has a reported top speed of just over 24 knots and a cruising range of up to 475 nautical miles at 9 knots.

Final Thoughts: Whether you choose to jog the Absolute Navetta 53 or gently stroll down the coast, this is a yacht that offers flexibility for cruising itineraries.

Aquila 50 Yacht Power Catamaran

What We Said: "The Aquila 50 Yacht Power Catamaran is aimed at the owner-operator and charter markets, and is equally adept on a mooring at sunset in the British Virgin Islands as it is cruising the Great Loop."

Essential Elements: The Aquila 50 PC comes in a three- or four-stateroom layout. The star of the show is the master stateroom. It's a single-level, full-beam affair forward with an island king berth. On the main deck aft, a notable feature is the tender davit. It's hidden within the hardtop, and it deploys horizontally to winch up the tender from its perch on the stern before extending aft over the water. Singlehanded operation is no problem. The foam-cored bulbous bows forward on each hull sponson create lift and help ease the boat's ride in rough seas. Options include 480 hp Volvo Pentas or 550 hp Yanmars for even more underway oomph. Hull No. 1 has the 480 hp D6s, which gave us an easy cruising speed of 18 knots. Top hop is 21 knots.

Final Thoughts: For all the benefits of the power-cat design, one knock is usually in the looks department. To overcome that typically blocky side profile, Aquila raised the freeboard on the 50 and restyled the lines to match the angles of the hull and window lines, resulting in a sleeker and more attractive look.

Benetti B.Now 50M

What We Said: "With its positively raked bow, vertical bridge windows, sweeping buttresses and striking fashion plates, the steel-and-aluminum Benetti B.Now 50M cuts a contemporary dash."

It's A Lifestyle: The design of the 163-foot-9-inch trideck marries Plana naval architecture with an overall concept by UK-based studio RWD. The Oasis Deck has 1,250 square feet of beach club with a 270-degree panorama. There are multilevel terraces, fold-down wing decks and a wide swim platform with a plunge-pool focus. The sizable pool measures nearly 12 by 9 feet. Joinery is mostly oak, either light or stained dark. Calacatta marble and various leathers provide contrast. The main-deck, full-beam owners' stateroom has a king berth, dressing room, corner sofas, a desk and a marble bathroom with a freestanding oval tub, in addition to a shower stall. There are four guest staterooms belowdecks. Power is twin 1,400 hp V-12 MAN diesels, which reportedly provide a top speed of 15 knots. Cruise speed is 12.5 knots, and at 10 knots range is 4,500 nautical miles.

Final Thoughts: Oftentimes, the difference between a very good yacht and a great yacht is seen in the details. The Benetti B.Now 50M is a yacht with more than a few details to spare.

Bluegame BGM75

What We Said: "This is a beautifully proportioned design in a genre that has thus far been dominated by boxy shapes. Few other, if any, power cats work quite so well."

Room To Roam: The Bluegame BM75's exterior spaces include a swim platform that extends across its 26-foot-9-inch beam. Fold-down bulwarks on each side create an incredibly wide beach club for the power cat's 74-foot-8-inch length overall. The cockpit on the deck above is probably twice the real-estate footprint of the swim platform. The yacht's high foredeck is also sizable with a dominating sun pad and a deep well around the ground tackle. The amount of upper-deck space is also surprising. For accommodations, owners can choose three or four staterooms and a galley-up or galley-down arrangement. The BGM75 is also notable for the way it uses stabilization technology. Two Smartgryo SG80 units are programmed to communicate, and to combat pitch and roll. These gyros don't move in unison; the pattern of braking between the two units quells most issues that power cats have at slow speeds and at anchor.

Final Thoughts: Based on everything we've seen, the BGM75 is not just another power catamaran, but a true Bluegame build. And those are special, indeed.

Maritimo M600

What We Said: "Australian boatbuilder Maritimo is known for crafting rugged, long-range vessels. Its boats are built to tackle the demanding waters of the land Down Under, where sheltered harbors are few and the seas can be unforgiving."

Ready For Anything: The M600 is engineered for adventure, emphasizing a robust design and extended cruising capabilities. Standard power is a pair of 800 hp Volvo Penta D13 diesels, and 1,000 hp D13s are available. The straight-shaft setup keeps the shaft angle at an efficient 8 degrees, helping to reduce draft. For extended cruising, the M600 has a 1,200-gallon fuel capacity, including a 607-gallon tank on centerline as well as two wing tanks.  The tanks are placed deep in the yacht to help lower the center of gravity and enhance the ride. Three staterooms provide accommodations for the whole family, plus friends. A climate-controlled, enclosed flybridge should keep the skipper comfortable in any weather. A defining feature of the M600 is its aft deck. Open to interpretation, it can be set up for fishing, diving, entertaining or water sports. This spot epitomizes the builder's ethos of fun on the water.

Final Thoughts: For those who are drawn to adventures that lay far beyond the conventional cruising grounds, the Maritimo M600 is worth a closer look.

Pardo GT75

What We Said: "Cantieri del Pardo wanted a yacht that would appeal to clients worldwide, which is why the design has so much flexibility."

A True Original: In a sea of sameness, the Pardo GT75's profile is instantly recognizable. Naval architecture is by Zuccheri Yacht Design, with Nauta Design handling the exterior and interior design. In the first GT75, the open salon has a wet bar and refrigeration just abaft the helm. Abaft that is plenty of seating. The galley is belowdecks. In this setup, there are two staterooms, and the GT75 feels more like a supersize dayboat, ready for weekend excursions. Optional layouts move the galley up and add one or two additional staterooms. There is also space to spare, with about 6 feet, 8 inches average headroom on the main deck. The GT75 is an entertainer and a performer. Triple Volvo Penta IPS1350 diesels give this yacht a 37-knot top hop. There is virtually zero bowrise when getting up to speed too. Cruising along at 27 knots yields a range of about 322 nautical miles. The Pardo GT75 is simply a blast to run.

Final Thoughts: Is the GT75 a fast mega-dayboat or a luxurious long-range family cruiser? In fact, it's both. And it comes with top-notch performance, rugged construction and head-turning good looks.

Pearl Yachts 82

What We Said: "I sat back for a moment as we cruised along and observed others on board as they soaked up the yacht's features and layout. I noted lots of ‘wows' and pointing at details large and small, with wide grins being common."

Style For Miles: The on-deck owner's stateroom-uncommon in an 82-foot-long vessel-is part of a five-stateroom layout. The four additional guest staterooms include two mirrored double-berth VIPs amidships and twin-berth staterooms forward. The salon has sole-to-ceiling glass that surrounds the main deck, and furniture placement defines the social spaces in the open layout. Pearl is a boutique yachtbuilder that refers to this concept as a glass-house design. Longtime Pearl collaborator and designer Kelly Hoppen created four luxe interior schemes for the Pearl 82. In addition to multiple decor choices, there are three MAN powerplant options, ranging from 1,650 hp to 2,000 hp. The biggest engines produced a notable top-end speed of 32 knots during our time on board.

Final Thoughts: With the Pearl Yachts 82, form meets function at every turn. The boatbuilder also offers enough customization to let owners put their stamp on each hull and make it feel like home-or, like an ultimate home away from home.

Pershing GTX80

What We Said: "The GTX80's profile is cleaner than Pershing's X-line models and has more volume forward, with about a third more space in the cockpit thanks to fold-down quarter platforms-a first for the builder."

Inside and Outside: The salon has a galley aft and a bar with stools in the after port corner. A dining area is to starboard, although owners can opt for a sofa instead. From the outside, the superstructure glass around the salon does not look vast, but lower panes on each side, plus fretting in the bulwarks amidships, allow more light in and create broad sea views from the low-slung salon sofas. The galley bar is a sculptural element. A drop-down window and fully opening aft-deck doors blur the lines between inside and outside. Accommodations belowdecks include four en suite staterooms. The owner's stateroom is amidships, with a dogleg entrance from a central hall and an aft-facing berth offset to starboard. All of this adds privacy. Decor has a masculine edge. Hull No. 1 had a smoky-blue hull and onboard textures that include dark grays, distressed steel lacquer work, cream leathers and light-oak soles.

Final Thoughts: The Pershing GTX80 can run fast, slow or somewhere in between, but at any speed it's a yacht filled with style and comfort.

Princess Yachts S80

What We Said: "I stepped from the dock onto the swim platform and then bounded up the steps into the cockpit, where I felt instantly at home. This model is conceived for outdoor living. The cockpit has aft-deck doors set farther forward than on the X80 and Y80-and it has bulwarks and deep, glazed buttresses off the after edge of the superstructure, as well as a substantial top-deck overhang. All of it makes this area on the S80 feel like a much more intimate space, in a good way."

Simply Sleek: Looking at the S80 in profile, most people would hardly notice an upper deck at all. The only clues are the low windscreen forward of the helm and the swept-back arch mast. Sleekness isn't limited to this four-stateroom yacht's looks, either. It also shows up in performance. Powered with twin 2,000 hp MAN v-12 diesels, the Princess S80 tops out 33 knots. (We saw 35). Need more speed? Twin 2,200 hp MANs should produce 37 knots. Interior and exterior woodwork is first-rate, not just veneers. Fabrics ooze next-level luxury, and the builder works with owners to customize the S80's interior look and feel.

Final Thoughts: With the S80, Princess Yachts created a model for owners who appreciate the look of an express cruiser, with all of the entertaining space of a flybridge yacht. It's truly the best of many worlds.

Riviera 6800 SY Platinum Edition

What We Said: "Luxury is not just about posh seating; it's also about subtle touches of class. All the high-gloss walnut woodwork is book-matched, so the grain flows seamlessly across locker doors and drawers. All the towel racks are heated, like in five-star hotels. The bolstered helm seats are from Italy, clearly nicked from a Lamborghini."

Everything Plus: The Riviera 6800 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition is a long-range luxury cruiser with entertaining and extended trips in mind. Available in three- or four-stateroom layouts, the yacht's open-plan cockpit includes a bench seat aft, an L-shape settee with a dining table, and an outdoor grill, dual refrigerators and an ice maker. Inside, there is a U-shape galley to port. The salon has a wraparound settee with a teak dining table for meals indoors, as well as a couch and a 65-inch pop-up TV. The helm is finished in black carbon fiber. A side-deck pantograph door and an electric moonroof enhance functionality. Power is twin 1,000 hp Volvo Penta IPS1350s. Top-end speed is 33 knots.

Final Thoughts: Whether an owner wants that rugged thunder from Down Under or a leveled-up luxuriously appointed Sheila (that's Aussie for a beautiful woman), the Riviera 6800 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition is both and a bit more.

Sanlorenzo 50Steel

What We Said: "This fuel-cell installation allows Almax to be at anchor or in a marina and operate hotel loads without any combustion engines or shore power. The fuel cells alone generate up to 100 kilowatts; typically, Almax requires no more than 100 kilowatt-hours during hot days. Standard use is 45 kWh on hot nights."

Going Greener: This 164-foot steel-and-aluminum trideck motoryacht integrates advanced clean-energy technology with luxury cruising. Developed with Siemens Energy, Almax has a reformer-based fuel-cell system that converts green methanol into hydrogen gas to power hotel loads when at rest. The system occupies 350 cubic feet and includes a 2,100-gallon methanol tank. For outdoor relaxation, there's a lower-deck beach club, an upper-deck aft space, a full-length split-level sun deck and a foredeck lounge. The main deck has aft seating, amidships dining, a central staircase, a portside pantry and a starboard lobby with a day head. The full-beam owner's stateroom is forward, with four en suite guest staterooms belowdecks.

Final Thoughts: Sanlorenzo is already working on its next green-methanol project, a 50X-Space scheduled to launch in 2027. For this forward-thinking builder, the future of blue exploration is coming up green.

Tiara Yachts 56 LS

What We Said: "The 56 LS sets a striking profile, with sleek lines and black hardtop supports that create the illusion of a free-floating top. This boat is still a center-console at heart too-just open the sunroof and doors, and let the wind flow."

Multitalented: The Tiara Yachts 56 LS is the flagship of the five-boat Luxury Sport series and the first model designed specifically for outboard propulsion. At the transom, owners can choose the Adventure or Buffet Lounge cockpit module. The Adventure option is fishing-focused with a 59-gallon livewell, 12 rod holders, a freezer, a grill, optional 22-foot outriggers and more. The Buffet Lounge adds a fixed bench, electric grill and griddle, and optional teak table. The cockpit has foldout bulwarks with boarding doors and an aft mezzanine seat that moves electrically. The salon has L-shape seating, a drop-down TV and low furniture. Belowdecks are a forward en suite owners' stateroom with a queen berth, and an amidships stateroom with sliding twin berths. Quad 600 hp Mercury Verado V-12s deliver a top speed of 47.2 knots and a 29-knot cruise for a 283-NM range.

Final Thoughts: With sporty lines, agile performance and the best of open-boat and yacht-level living, the Tiara Yachts 56 LS is a solid option for fishing, cruising and entertaining.

wallywhy 100

What We Said: "This yacht's raison d'etre is to be open. When it is, it makes for a simply fantastic entertainment space. The spot where the outside-inside zones merge is blurred by optional frameless-glass screens that slide on tracks to the sides and abaft the wet bar."

The Cruiser's Yacht: The wallywhy100 is part of the semidisplacement Wally Hybrid Yachts series, designed for cruising comfort over high speed. The yacht has a sharp reverse bow, a futuristic dark-glass superstructure and a forward enclosed bridge and lounge. The coachroof extends aft with white acrylic skylights. A circular dining table for six and a wet bar anchor the entertainment space. Aft, the cockpit has facing sofas, loungers and a hydraulic swim platform with fold-down quarter sections. Belowdecks, the owner's stateroom spans the beam abaft amidships, with a sofa and a forward-facing double berth. Two en suite guest staterooms are amidships. Twin 900 hp or 1,000 hp Volvo Penta IPS engines offer top speeds of 25 or 27 knots.

Final Thoughts: The wallywhy100 blends forward-thinking design with semidisplacement performance for owners who prioritize the journey over speed. With versatile outdoor spaces, innovative interiors and admirable cruising range, this yacht illustrates relaxed luxury at sea.

Wheeler 55

What We Said: "Today's yachts continue to evolve in what's become an arms race to create the fastest, the sleekest, the most spacious-insert your superlative of the day here. But then a design comes along that strikes a chord within the soul of a true boating enthusiast. That note chimed clearly when the Wheeler Yacht Company unveiled the Wheeler 55."

How It's Made: The Wheeler 55 is a handcrafted, cold-molded wooden vessel built at the Brooklin Boat Yard and inspired by the 1930s designs of the original Wheeler Shipyard Corporation, which produced the 38-foot Pilar for Ernest Hemingway. Led by Wes Wheeler, the brand marries retro styling with modern performance, including twin 1,000 hp MAN diesels delivering a wide-open-throttle speed of 30 knots, dynamic trim control and gyrostabilization. The hull is made from sapele plywood over Douglas fir ribbands, with an African sipo wood superstructure and Canadian Douglas fir structural elements. Stainless-steel galley surfaces and period-style fixtures reflect the era.

Final Thoughts: The Wheeler 55 embodies the spirit of classic yachts while delivering on thoroughly modern performance and craftsmanship. With its handcrafted woodwork, period-inspired design and twin MAN diesels, it's a nod to history and a capable cruiser.

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