AMIF Boat of the Year

"You're going to Sydney and Surfers?"

"True."

"To ride in award-seeking boats?"

"Well, yes..."

"And dine at another's expense?"

"That's part of-"

"With characters who wouldn't employ moderation unless it came with two motors and a rodholder?"

Damn, she's good. But it's not quite that simple. Not the daytime bits, anyway. Every moment on every boat is spent exploring its capabilities, deficiencies and distinctions; getting, in a limited time, to know it well enough to predict, with confidence, how well it will serve its purpose; to declare, with conscience, it superior or inferior to the competition in each category and to anoint, among them all, one Boat of the Year.

Making it easier, of course, is having a good team with individual areas of expertise. Admittedly, quite a lot of them seem to hold doctorates in going-like-buggery but there's a lot of specialised knowledge too. Which means that we all assess each boat from differing parameters and mark them accordingly. Until judgment is reached.

And then we take a look at the wine list.

DAY ONE
The Sydney-based contenders are assembled in Middle Harbour under the scrute of past Trade-A-Boat commanders Mike Sinclair and Vanessa Dudley, and current one Geoff Middleton, who have gathered, along with usual suspects Lockwood, Wolfe, Ross et al to hammer the hulls around while the Designated Nerds, Mori Flapan and I, assess such trifles as safety and ergonomics.

On our only day in Sydney, the latter ranges from the Genesis 360's poor stowage, few grabs (handholds), wasted space and evil foredeck access, to the Sea Ray 455's genuine refinement that shows what happens when the builder has a Big Think first.

But all interest is ultimately drawn, like a cat to nip, to the ETAP 37m sailboat for which the uncommon claim of unsinkability is trumpeted. Among les pilotes, David Lockwood's eyes immediately light up, Kevan Wolfe sends his car keys ashore and Vanessa Dudley leaps straight into the attack. But, despite everyone's best efforts, the boat is finally returned, still defiantly afloat, to its keeper. Who promptly demonstrates the alternative to running it aground.

DAY TWO
Operations move to the Gold Coast where we are joined by our wee and fearless photographer Ellen Dewar, and Trailer Boat editor young Phil Kaberry, who first surprises me by quoting James Mason movies and, thereafter, every time he gets near a throttle.

No less quirky are some of today's contenders, among them the Nobel 6.2 boasting 'monocock' construction, the Whittley 550's initial entry as a fishing boat and the very loopy PartyCat 7.6 which inspires, says Lockwood, a strong sense of duja ve because he's never seen anything like it before.

Less amusing, however, is that many of the boats feature the same ergonomic failings that perennially dog boat design (see breakout) and a disturbing number of the smaller craft come with swivel and/or collapsible seating that, if grabbed for support, can put a passenger face-first into the dash. There oughtta be a law, Jim...

DAY THREE
First off the peg today is the Haines Hunter 625 Horizon, which breeches most of the laws of Human Factors with a dubious control layout, cramped, low seating, inadequate grabs and poor stowage before claiming the regatta's low-point in human dignity with a pull-out potty that places its user in the companionway with neither privacy or comfort.

But even much cleverer entries miss the mark - the otherwise impressive Mustang 2000, for instance, losing points for excessive glare.

So, frustrated by such folly and well battered by Lockwood's endless provision of spectacle for Ms Dewar, I'm well ready to harpoon the PartyCat's sister, the Powercat 2600 Sports Cabriolet, for its many anticipated failings. But I can't. It turns out to be a bottler of a boat. And if it's about as big as you'd put on a trailer and the most costly in class, it's also the most versatile and by far the best suited to liveaboard holidaying.

Bugger.

So all the bile is taken aboard the Riviera 51, which is a sitting duck, surely, for defaming. And made even more so by the stagy props of champagne and canapés, only the latter of which are we allowed to savour chiz chiz. So I am forced to report, with judgment cruelly unimpeded, that the Big Riv is, point by point, station by station and in overall execution, a very good boat indeed. Surprised me, too.

Damn the rich. 

DAY FOUR
Last day and the surprises keep coming, not least with the American-built Four Winns boats that clearly favour entertaining above wave-bashing. And I can live with that.

What stops me dead, however, is its mini-throne WC, favoured by Americans, apparently, on craft as compact as 24ft. Essentially, this is an under-dash cabinet, as cramped as it sounds and unrelieved by either daylight or fan extraction. The only thing more distressing than opening the door to face your fellows would be, I imagine, remaining in there a second longer than necessary.

Unbelievably, the Cobalt 240 offers an even more horrifying variant by having so little headroom that you're clamped down on the seat and, for $100,000+, carries no freshwater aboard for washing.

I emerge from the experience anxious for the space that comes aplenty in the Sunseeker Sportfish 37. Certainly it has no shortage of rush, either, apparent even at idle as the thing sits with its monstrous triple outboards jostling like pigs at the trough. But it's a bit hardcore so we depart unenchanted and finish proceedings indulging ourselves in the leather-'n'-lumber sleekness of the 455 Sundancer. Which is as good a way to wind down as any...

And, let's face it, if you're not going to get any sympathy, there's no point at all in earning it.

The year that was...

This year, 29 boats - 14 local and 15 imported - from 4.75m to more than 15m in length, with pricetags from $25,000 to more than $1.3 million, were in the running.

Fortunately, we had tested a good many of those boats prior to them fronting for the awards. So, for me at least, the judging process was largely a refresher. Having said that, some of my preconceived ideas were put to rest in some cases. Such is the benefit of a "second look". There's something in that for would-be buyers, too.

Predictably, there was the good, the bad and the ugly. The good, the winners, were announced at the opening night of the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show on May 20. As with any awards, not everyone can be winners and there were some long faces as well as beaming ones among the boatbuilders.

The boats were judged in a number of categories: Fishing Trailerable, Fishing Non-Trailerable, Dayboat, Performance, Sailing Trailerable, Sailing Non-Trailerable, Cruiser Trailerable, Cruiser Non-Trailerable and Imported Trailerable, Imported Non-Trailerable and Imported Sail.

The overall BOTY is a winner of one or more of these categories should the manufacturer choose to enter their boat in a number of categories. However, the overall BOTY must be Australian-built.

Roll out the panel
This year, for the first time, the parent body of the award, the Australian Marine Industry Federation, threw open the doors to journalists and expert judges from several boating publications and fields of expertise.

The judging team for the yachting side included two journalists from the Yaffa publishing house, namely industry stalwart Bob Ross and expert hand Vanessa Dudley, and writer and enthusiast Barry Tranter, who is a contributor to Federal Publishing's boating titles.

This scribe also sailed upon the lone entrant in the Yacht of the Year awards. That imported yacht, the ETAP 37 - about $300,000 from Belgium, foam filled and unsinkable, according to ETAP. As far as cruising yachts are concerned the ETAP 37 had some unique features aside from its supposed unsinkability. The traveller, for example, could be removed from the cockpit in a matter of minutes to make an open entertaining area. And, internally, the boat had a clever island galley.

For its safety and innovation, the yacht, in my opinion, deserves some recognition. I found it hard to judge its sailing ability in such a short time. Really, it needed to be taken to sea. Still, the Belgium yacht received a commendation.

There were no local entrants in the categories of Fishing Non-Trailerable, Sailing Non-Trailerable, Sailing Trailable and Ski/Performance, which includes all those ski and wakeboarding boats. Hellohhhh, calling ski and wakeboard boatbuilders! Aluminium boats, namely a Stessel 4.75 Edge Tracker, a Quintrex 650 Offshore Centre Cabin, and a Noble 6.2m Supervee, which received a commendation, unsurprisingly, dominated the Fishing Trailable category.

High in fibreglass
In the realms of fibreglass fishing boats, Whittley had its new 550, which is a cruiser and not a fishing boat; Haines Hunter had the V17 Legend - a good performer for $30,000 drive-away - and a SA yard entered the honest Sahara 5.3 cuddy cabin.

There was nothing particularly innovative about any of the trailerable fishing boats and, as such, the award was held over. The best was the cheapest, the Stessel 4.75 Pro Tournament, which was packaged for about $25,000. It was let down only by its tacky seating and distortion in its polycarbonate windscreen. The ride was excellent.

In my opinion, the boats that held the most promise on paper were in the Dayboat Category. The Powercat PartyCat 7.6 was designed to cater for a crowd. Its amenities included a hot shower thanks to a heat-exchanger operating off the four-stroke outboard motors, a separate WC, lots of seating, a swim ladder on the bow, and fridge and three-burner stove.

The otherwise excellent PartyCat, valued at about $100,000, was let down by poor ergonomics. Access to the seating, and the design of that seating, was its shortcoming. The fact that the boat didn't have an aft swimming arrangement was disappointing. Who wants to swim with the anchor rope?

Still, it was the best of the bunch and it received a commendation at the awards along with the honest Haines Hunter V17 Legend. Other entrants included the Coxcraft Bayrunner, which was overpowered, and the plain-Jane Stacer 605 EasyRider.

Happy trailerables
The Trailerable Cruiser category is where one often finds some real innovation. Excellence existed within the troika headed by the Powercat 2600 Sports Cabriolet, which cost about $139,000 and could be towed by maxi 4WDs only, the well-made Mustang 2000 Bluewater and the nifty new Whittley 550 - a boat that somehow managed to pack a pint into a pot glass.

Whichever way we took it, the Powercat 2600 Sports Cabriolet was smooth and viceless. From a safety perspective it had more in common with commercial craft than pleasureboats. Accommodation included a queen-sized bed. And there was an electric loo, hot-water deck shower and amenities centre in the cockpit. A great boat for island hopping, it was a deserving winner of the Cruiser Trailerable Category.

The Non-Trailerable Cruiser category had some excellence in the form of the Riviera 51 - a $1.3-million-plus boat from Australia's biggest builder. But not even it was immune to some shortcomings. The saloon door needed adjustment and the helm-seat friction catch didn't stop it from slipping. That said, it easily got the Cruiser Non-Trailerable gong from the Sunrunner 4800.

Overseas please
The Imported categories were the most impressive. The Imported Trailerable Powerboats featured some terrific entries, with innovation, comfort, clever design and hot performance. The Bayliners, Cobalts and Sea Ray shone. The Cobalt 220 Bowrider was a darling to drive. Although priced at a premium, it delivers on expectations.

Imported Non-Trailerable glamours hailed from Four Winns, Sea Ray and English Sunseeker. I admired the Sea Ray 455 Sedan Bridge, whose sister ship as a Sundancer sportscruiser won commendation. The Sedan Bridge was wonderfully open-plan, roomy, built to a standard and smooth at sea. There were silly catches to hold the shower doors closed, but a few bucks would fix that.

That Sunseeker, the 37 Sportfish ($700,000) with triple 250hp Yamaha outboards, offered a 40kt ride at sea, plus a stately interior for placating your partner. I don't think too many others could appreciate the boat for what it was designed for.

The Four Winns 250 Horizon won the Imported Non-Trailerable Powerboat Award. It was just a good rendition of the US bowrider, with a finish that was a cut above your average mass-produced American boat. And the ride got the thumbs up.

The Boat of the Year winner was the most viceless. Despite its price, the Powercat 2600 Sports Cabriolet was just wonderful on water. A lot of us aren't cat people, but this boat has the goods to change your perception. David Lockwood 

The Human Factor
While the Winchwizards and Throttlemeisters explore the outer limits, my task on the judging panel is to assess the Human Factors - ergonomics, design and function - of each boat. And although the field runs from tiny bass-botherers to Laj Mahals, it's fairly easy to compare them if you view the boat as, essentially, a series of stations - positions where body and boat meet to achieve a specific result.

This may range from control to cooking to slipping into coma, but if the boat has a station for any purpose, it's judged. Add up the marks, divide by stations and bingo.

The helm is the most common and most critical station, but is rarely executed - on even the most expensive boats - as well as it is in the cheapest car. Glare and reflection from great areas of gloss white are common, as is the lack of handy stowage of the driver's predictable needs such as glasses, phone, charts or refreshment. Wheels are frequently placed too low, reducing back support; seats don't always allow sufficient adjustment, and screen edging often cuts across vision.

The adjoining passenger suffers similarly, and, without a wheel for support, is completely dependant on good grabs. As are all onboard. Any and every station - and the transit ways between them, internal and external - should incorporate secure and immediately obvious handholds.

Galleys and WCs, polar though they are in the food chain, share many requirements on a boat, particularly when guests share the limited space. Cross-ventilation is critical to both and forced extraction even better. Raised edging on potentially wet surfaces reduces spillage onto floors, and secure location of bottles and fragiles, during use, is essential. And lose the granite lids. Please.

The cockpit area, particularly in small to medium boats, is critical to group enjoyment. Seating versatility is well marked here, as are back support and security during transit.

In-fill tables that require shuffling to access or leave are a nuisance, as is the absence of anywhere to rest a drink securely while seated. Speaking of which, it is entirely likely that each guest will bring hand luggage aboard and there should be immediate and secure stowage for these items.

Under-seat storage, often involving 'scuse me and awkward access, does not suffice. Similarly, if the boat has a swim station, it should allow secure and dry stowage of towels and lotions right there.

Bedrooms are another station that few get right, requiring tolerance on water of that which would be unacceptable on land. Cross-ventilation, in all weather, is desirable, as are secure bedside stowage, adequate headroom and hanging space. Beds that require custom-shaped manchester and can only be made by contortionists are not best practice, and neither are ones designed for dwarves.

And so the judging goes: it's not about style and it doesn't matter whether they're painted or pearl-encrusted. It's about how well each station simply works. Which, while often eclipsed by initial glamour, is what will probably determine, more than anything else, your long-term enjoyment of the purchase. 

AMIF BOAT OF THE YEAR AWARDS

2004 Boat of the Year: Category Award winner - Powercat Marine: Powercat 2600 Sports Cabriolet

Cruiser Non-Trailerable: Category Award winner - The Riviera Group: Riviera 51 Flybridge Convertible

Cruiser Trailerable: Category Award winner - Powercat Marine: Powercat 2600 Sports Cabriolet

Dayboat: Commendation Awards - Powercat Marine: Powercat PartyCat 7.6; Haines Hunter: V17 Legend

Fishing Trailerable: Commendation Award - Noble Engineering: Noble 6.2 Super Vee

Imported Non-Trailerable Powerboat: Category Award winner - Boatarama Cruiser Sales: Four Winns 250 Horizon; Commendation Award - Sea Ray Boats: Sea Ray 455 Sundancer

Imported Sail Boat: Commendation Award - Catalina Australia: ETAP 37

Imported Trailerable Powerboat: Category Award winner - Cobalt Boats Australia: Cobalt 220 Bowrider

Exporter of the Year: Category Award winner - The Riviera Group; Commendation Award for Emerging Exporter - Mercury Marine Boat Group