The Cockwells Duchy Sport has been shortlisted in the Weekenders category of the Motor Boat Awards 2023, one of six boats in the class, with the result due in Düsseldorf on 24 January.
Cockwells has secured a nomination for the Duchy Sport in the Motor Boat Awards, the annual prizes run by Motor Boat & Yachting magazine, less than three months after the boat’s public debut at Southampton. For a model that only reached the water this year, a place on the shortlist is a strong early signal, and it is worth explaining how that shortlist is put together before looking at the boat itself.
How the Motor Boat Awards shortlist is decided
Nothing gets onto an MBY shortlist on the strength of a brochure. Each nominated boat is sea-trialled and tested by the magazine’s technical team before it is considered at all, which is why the awards are often likened to the film industry’s Oscars. After that, judging rests on three things: the quality of the design, how the boat performs, and whether it represents value against its competitors in its own corner of the market, with the buyer’s interests as the reference point throughout.
Eight awards are up for decision this year. Six boats are nominated as Weekenders, the Duchy Sport among them, and the winner of each category will be named at a ceremony at Düsseldorf’s Hotel Kö59 on Tuesday 24 January.
What the judges will have found aboard
The Duchy Sport is the first Duchy built around watersports rather than cruising. The hull was designed to throw a surfable wake, and the boat carries multiple attachment points for towing wakeboards or inflatables, so a family or a bunch of mates can work through the full menu of towed sports from the one platform. Cockwells has kept the finish to the standard of the rest of the range, and the equipment list reads as follows.
- Space and comfort for nine aboard, with a wet bar and sunbeds in the cockpit
- A cabin forward with a day heads compartment, plus a galley
- A large bimini for shade, with removable awnings for wet or windy weather
- Adjustable aft sunbeds that form seating around a dining table for eight, or face aft to watch the action behind the boat
- Aft steps leading down to the bathing platform, with a large swim ladder
- A Seakeeper gyro stabiliser that keeps the boat steady even at its 42-knot top speed
- Stowage for water toys built into the aft steps, plus several hatches in the cockpit
Following its world premiere at this year’s Southampton International Boat Show, three Duchy Sports are already in-build for discerning clients whose days of fun on the water are far from over – indeed, with a Duchy Sport, a whole new type of maritime adventure awaits.
Dave Cockwell, Founder & Managing Director, Cockwells
Three more in build
The commercial news sits inside that quote: three further Duchy Sports are under construction for clients, on the back of a single show appearance. Dave Cockwell also framed the nomination as arriving in a year of record sales and growth for the yard, and gave the credit to the design and build team.
We are delighted to have achieved this prestigious nomination as we celebrate yet another year of record sales and growth, which rewards our exceptional team of designers and craftsmen who build precisely the kind of boats that clients want.
Dave Cockwell, Founder & Managing Director, Cockwells
Where the Sport sits in the Duchy range
Duchy Motor Launches are built in semi-production form, which means a proven hull and deck paired with a long list of options that each owner works through, so no two boats leave the yard the same. The range runs from the Duchy 21 to the Duchy 60, and the boats are used on lakes, canals, fjords and open water alike. The common thread is the look: the lines of a gentleman’s launch from an earlier era, finished with contemporary styling and comfort. The Sport pushes that look in a livelier direction without abandoning it.
What the nomination means for buyers in Australia and New Zealand
Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches, Hardy Motor Yachts and Cockwells SuperYacht Tenders, and we import Duchys to Australia and handle delivery and commissioning in Sydney from Fergusons Marina at The Spit. A Motor Boat Awards nomination is useful to a buyer here for a practical reason: it confirms that MBY’s technical team has taken the boat to sea and judged it worth shortlisting against its direct competitors, which is independent evidence no dealer can supply.
If a watersports boat with a proper cabin, a Seakeeper and shade for the Australian sun is what your family needs, talk to us about specifying a Duchy Sport, and read about how Cockwells builds the range for the background. We will report the result from Düsseldorf in January. Cockwells’ own announcement is on its news pages.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Duchy Sport nominated for?
The Duchy Sport is among six boats shortlisted in the Weekenders category of the Motor Boat Awards 2023, which are run by Motor Boat & Yachting magazine. Eight awards are presented in total. The winners are announced in Düsseldorf at Hotel Kö59 on Tuesday 24 January, and we will report the outcome.
How are the Motor Boat Awards judged?
Every nominated boat is sea-trialled and tested by MBY’s technical experts before it can be considered. The judges then assess the design, the boat’s ability on the water and its value for money within its own segment of the market, with the buyer’s interests as the yardstick, which is why the awards carry weight with brokers and owners.
How many Duchy Sports have been built?
The first Duchy Sport made its world premiere at the Southampton International Boat Show this September. Cockwells says three more are already under construction for clients, so the model has moved from show debut to a small production run within its first few months on sale.
Can I order a Duchy Sport in Australia?
Yes. Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches and arranges each build with Cockwells, then manages import, delivery and commissioning in Sydney. Call Sam Davis on 0408 864 111 or use the contact page to discuss a Duchy Sport specification for Australian conditions.
Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches, Hardy Motor Yachts and Cockwells SuperYacht Tenders. To talk about a new build, a demonstration on Sydney Harbour or a pre-owned Duchy, call Sam Davis on 0408 864 111 or send an enquiry.
About the author
Sam Davis is the Director and Lead Broker at Davis Marine Brokerage, Fergusons Marina, Mosman. Brokering on Sydney Harbour for over a decade, he is a NSW State Councillor of the Boating Industry Association and the Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy, Hardy and Cockwells SuperYacht Tenders.
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