At Båter i Sjøen, Scandinavia's largest on-water boat show, the Viknes 10 has claimed the inaugural Boat of the Year 2025 title. The award is a new annual initiative from the Norwegian Boat Association and Båtmagasinet, established to highlight the finest leisure craft available in the Norwegian market.
The judging panel brought together some well-regarded names from the boating world: offshore racer Marit Strømøy, alongside journalists Stig Hvide Smith and Ole Henrik Nissen-Lie. The jury set out to find boats that genuinely reflect what Norwegian boating culture stands for, vessels that are tough, practical, and dependable, while still pushing forward in terms of design. The Viknes 10 impressed on all counts, with the panel singling out its quality of construction, seaworthiness, design, and market success.
“This award celebrates the boats that resonate most strongly with Norwegian owners, who are some of the most discerning boat buyers in the world,” explained Hvide Smith.
The Viknes 10 represents the opening chapter in a new generation of boats from the Viknes yard. Rather than simply refining what came before, the designers have taken a fresh look at how a 10-metre cruiser should work in practice. The result carries the yard's unmistakable character while introducing a range of new features that clearly set it apart from its predecessors.
The foredeck has been made considerably more functional, with an integrated bow thruster and practical storage built in from the outset. Sliding canopy walls and a lift-and-lower aft window allow the boundary between indoor and outdoor spaces to dissolve almost entirely. The galley has been upgraded with a double sink, expanded fridge capacity, and room for a 32-inch television. Storage throughout has been rethought, with deep pantry compartments and dedicated fender lockers built into the bathing platform. Weather-protected hatches and ropeways mean the boat can be handled comfortably in wet or icy conditions year-round. Taken together, these details make the Viknes 10 a genuine all-season cruiser, as much at home on a Nordic winter crossing as on a Mediterranean summer passage.
Below decks, the Viknes 10 offers a three-cabin layout that feels surprisingly generous for a boat of this length. The aft cabin provides a single berth, while a starboard midship double cabin benefits from improved headroom. The forward cabin gains larger windows and a sliding door, and a separate toilet and shower compartment has increased ceiling height. The saloon flows naturally out to the aft deck, making movement between the two feel effortless, and an electric full-width sunroof overhead adds to the sense of openness.
Power comes from a single Yanmar 6LY440 producing 440hp, driving through a straight shaft arrangement and drawing from twin 350-litre fuel tanks. At just over 10.6 metres in length with a beam of 3.52 metres, the Viknes 10 holds CE certification for both Category B offshore and Category C coastal cruising.
Although this award was decided in Norway, the recognition carries meaning beyond Scandinavia. Kiwi boaters have long held Scandinavian builders in high regard, drawn to the same qualities that define Norwegian boating culture: rugged seaworthiness, practical layout thinking, and construction that holds up in demanding conditions. The Viknes 10 is available in New Zealand, and its combination of all-weather capability, thoughtful design, and genuine comfort makes it well suited to local waters. Whether that means summer days in the Hauraki Gulf, a Cook Strait crossing, or extended offshore passages, the Viknes 10 is built to handle the range. As Norway's Boat of the Year, it reflects a broader shift in the motor yacht market toward practical, all-condition cruisers that do not ask their owners to trade comfort for capability, an outlook that will feel familiar to plenty of Kiwi boaties.
