BOAT OF THE YEAR 2024: AURA 51!
AND THE WINNER IS…
The teams at leading cruising catamaran builder Fountaine Pajot are proud to announce another success for one of their sailing yachts! The 51-foot catamaran, the Aura 51, has just been awarded the BOATY 2024 (Boat of the Year 2024) in the over 50-foot catamaran category by the prestigious American magazine Cruising World. This recognition testifies to the quality and exceptional sailing experience that this cruising multihull offers to all owners, and to the excellence and savoir-faire of Fountaine Pajot.
With her exceptional features, design excellence and her DNA, the iconic Aura 51 catamaran has distinguished herself:
“The flybridge is a wonderful place entertain guests. There’s no better place to relax, enjoy a cocktail or two and admire the scenery,” says judge Mark Pillsbury. “The layout in direct relation to the comfortable Fountaine Pajot helm station is perfect: you can always communicate with everyone else on the flybridge and you can always chat to someone who is down below, and I think for a cruising couple, it’s a very practical layout, and for a charter program you’ll always enjoy yourself aboard this vessel.”
Judge Tim Murphy also expressed his admiration for the catamaran: “There’s also something very nice about the helm station, which is that it orders the actual controls perfectly. So you can have two people at the helm, one monitoring the autopilot for example, and another, positioned half way who can keep an eye on the rig and the sails. I find that the helm station has been very well designed.”
Judge Herb McCormick reveals what made the difference in electing the Aura 51 over her rivals: “It was really a competition between two iconic French catamaran builders, both of whom have a long history, and I think the consensus at the end of the day was that we saw the winning boat more from a cruising point of view than from the point of view of its operation in charter. The layout of the helm station is very nice and practical for a cruising couple and I think that’s what swayed us towards the Fountaine Pajot design.”
We’re delighted to share this remarkable award with our entire community. This recognition is both a source of pride and a real honor for Fountaine Pajot and everyone on the team. There’s no doubt that this cruising catamaran already marks a new step in the world of boating, setting new standards in terms of elegance, comfort and the sailing lifestyle…
ABOUT THE AWARD:
The annual Boat of the Year award is organized by Cruising World to recognize the best yachts launched onto the US market by builders around the world. The jury organizes the tests immediately following the Annapolis Boat Show in Maryland in October. For almost two weeks around the boat show, the nominated yachts are judged by an independent panel of marine experts and renowned sailors who, as a team, evaluate each boat in two stages: alongside during the show, and then in the course of dedicated sea trials. The judges awarded prizes in seven categories for this year’s competition. Cruising World’s teams of journalists and judges are made up of experienced sailors and enthusiastic boat owners. Cruising World’s fundamental mission is to awaken dreams by providing practical information and authentic accounts of boating experience.
