Motorboat of the Year Innovation Award 2023 for SLX54

Friday 1 September 2023

The Super Lauwersmeer SLX54 was named "Motorboat of the Year 2023" with a unanimous vote by the jury. On the eve of the HISWA te Water, this "Innovation Award" was presented to boatyard owners Bastiaan, Louis Jousma, and yacht architect Arnold de Ruyter. The trio took to the stage in Lelystad to loud applause.

The "Motorboat of the Year Innovation Award" is an award for a motor yacht newly launched on the (Dutch) market where innovation is an essential part of the concept.

To win this award, the HISWA put together an expert jury consisting of their chairman, Arjen Rahusen and secretary, Alex Hoeve, as well as four jury members: Yvonne Zwaan of Motorboot, electrical specialist André Kuyt, Epco Ongering of boottesten.nl and Bert Bosman of IVA Business School.

Pearl of Dutch yacht craftsmanship

The judges were delighted with the boats submitted. 'All are of very high quality,' said the jury. According to them, the three nominated boats can hardly be compared to each other, and all three are standouts in their segment. The jury was unanimous in its opinion that it would be a close call between the Flynt 756 and the SLX54, both pearls of Dutch yacht craftsmanship. In the end, the criteria of innovation in these different yachts was the deciding factor. Therefore, the jury unanimously selected the SLX54 as the Motorboat of the Year Innovation Award 2023 winner.

From all the details, you can tell that this boat was built with heart and soul.

Pocketsize superyacht

Speaking on behalf of the judges, Yvonne Zwaan says: 'You could describe this yacht as a pocket-sized superyacht in both technology and design. From all the details, you can tell that this boat was built with heart and soul. The detailing is fantastic, and you can see that every detail has been thought through. The SLX54 is a chain of right decisions. Everything is made and executed in-house. The SLX54 sails quietly, fast and powerful. It is downright innovative to design a large beach club on a 54-footer without the boat becoming pompous.'

Reward for innovation

After winning the "European Powerboat of the Year 2023'" award at Boot Düsseldorf, this second award is another testament to Super Lauwersmeer's continuous drive for renewal and innovation. And it has been rewarded. Yard owners Bastiaan and Louis Jousma are, of course, incredibly proud.