Two major multihull awards have now published their 2026 results, and with the season still in full swing, some striking patterns are already emerging. Across both the Multihull of the Year and the Yacht Style Awards, judged by entirely separate panels and assessed against different criteria, certain boats and brands claimed top honours more than once. That kind of cross-event consistency deserves a closer look.
Here is what the early results reveal about the brands shaping the 2026 season.
Beneteau Group: depth across every segment
No manufacturer group cast a wider net across both events than the Beneteau Group. Through brands including Lagoon, Jeanneau, Prestige, Excess, and Beneteau itself, the group accumulated eight wins from seven models. That tally reflects not just organisational scale, but genuine engineering and design strength spread across every corner of the market.
The standout result within the group came from the Prestige M7. It won the Power 45-60' category at the Multihull of the Year, then returned to claim the Power Catamaran 16-20m category at the Yacht Style Awards, making it the only boat across both events to take top honours at each. For a brand that has been methodically building its position in the power catamaran segment, that kind of cross-event recognition represents a meaningful milestone.
Lagoon contributed two wins of its own. The Lagoon 38 took the Sail under 45' category at the Multihull of the Year, while the Lagoon Eighty 2 claimed the Sailing Catamaran above 18m title at the Yacht Style Awards. Those two results, sitting at opposite ends of the size range, point to a brand equally at home in entry-level and flagship territory. Jeanneau added two further wins through the TH38 and the Sun Odyssey 455, while Excess and Beneteau each contributed a category victory of their own. Consistency of this quality, sustained across this many brands and boat types, is genuinely difficult to achieve.
Azimut|Benetti Group: commanding the upper end
The Azimut|Benetti Group produced a strong showing at the Yacht Style Awards, collecting three wins that spanned two of its flagship brands and included an industry-wide recognition award. The Azimut Grande 30M took the Motoryacht 27-30m category, and the Benetti B.Now 67M claimed the Superyacht 60-80m title. The group was also named Most Active Global Yacht Group, an acknowledgement of its international reach and sustained market presence. For an organisation that has long occupied the upper tier of production yachting, these results confirm a position that shows no sign of weakening.
Leopard Catamarans: one boat, two trophies
Among the most telling individual results across both events was the performance of the Leopard 52. It won the Sail 45-55' category at the Multihull of the Year and then claimed the Sailing Catamaran 14-18m category at the Yacht Style Awards. Two separate competitions, two separate judging panels, and the same outcome at each. For a boat to perform at that level under differing criteria and in front of different audiences is a strong endorsement of what Robertson & Caine have built. The Leopard 52 looks increasingly like one of the defining sailing catamarans of its generation.
Aquila: a newcomer making its presence felt
The most compelling single story to emerge from both events may belong to Aquila. As a brand still growing its global profile, what it achieved within a single week was striking. The Aquila 46 Yacht won the Power Catamaran 12-16m category at the Yacht Style Awards, while the Aquila 50 Sail, the brand's first-ever sailing model, claimed the International Multihull Show Premiere award at the Multihull of the Year and also reached the podium in the Sail 45-55' category. Two models, two events, multiple podiums. For a brand entering the sailing market for the first time while simultaneously defending its power catamaran credentials, that is a result that demands attention.
Sanlorenzo Group: a distinctive point of view
The Sanlorenzo Group rounded out the major multi-win performers with two category victories across its brands. The Bluegame BGX83 won the Motoryacht 24-27m category at the Yacht Style Awards, and the Sanlorenzo SX120 claimed the Superyacht 30-40m title. Both results sit comfortably within a brand philosophy that has consistently placed considered design and a refined ownership experience above production volume. Two wins, two very different vessels, and one clearly articulated approach to building boats.
What the early 2026 season suggests
The brands performing most consistently so far are those investing across multiple product lines rather than staking everything on a single flagship. Breadth of range, depth of design thinking, and the ability to deliver across categories and price points are the qualities judges have rewarded. The Prestige M7 and the Leopard 52 each won at both major events, and that double recognition points to something straightforward: boats that genuinely earn their reputations tend to do so more than once.
The awards season has a long way to run. Whether these early frontrunners maintain their advantage or the field tightens as further results come in remains to be seen.
