IBI Award: Breakthrough Launch of the Year

Last night at METSTRADE in Amsterdam, something remarkable happened. Under the lights of the world’s largest marine-industry gathering, our very own Torben Kornum, Global Market Development, stepped onto the stage to accept the IBI Boat Builder Award for “Breakthrough Launch of the Year” on behalf of X-Yachts.

The award recognised a project that has already captured imaginations long before its official debut: the XR 41.

In their summary, the judges highlighted exactly what has made the XR 41 so special. Among a field of forward-thinking finalists, they noted that one boat “stood out as already making great waves.”

Despite its planned 2025 launch, the XR 41 has quickly built almost a cult following. Its innovative, switchable sport-and-racing configurations and its dynamic versatility are already reshaping expectations within its category. The judges described it as “a brilliant blend of boundary-stretching innovation with commercial success.”

For us, last night was about more than an award. It was about seeing years of vision, engineering, and passion recognised at the highest level.

Hosted jointly by METSTRADE and International Boat Industry (IBI), the Boat Builder Awards celebrate the companies and individuals shaping the future of the leisure marine world. With METSTRADE gathering thousands of yacht builders, naval architects, captains, marina operators, and equipment manufacturers from across the globe, this event represents the very heart of our industry. To receive such an honour here underscores the significance of what the XR 41 represents — not only for X-Yachts but for sailors everywhere looking for the next leap forward.

We are incredibly proud of the team behind the XR 41 and grateful to the judges, partners, and growing community of enthusiastic future owners who have already embraced this new chapter.

The XR 41 is just getting started — and so are we.