Boating’s Boat of the Year is the most prestigious award in recreational boat building.

We award Boat of the Year to the boat that best helps advance the state of boatbuilding art and delivers a new and better experience to boaters. The selection process starts with testing more than 100 boats per year, from PWC to cruisers and wakeboats to offshore fishing craft. We run a wide swath of boat types and numerous boats in each category. That’s important. A tow boat cannot be compared to a fishing boat, nor a pontoon to an ocean racer. We judge boats by others with the same mission. The Boat of the Year not only stands out on its own, but also stands out more than any other boat stands out in any other category.