Vene 26 Båt: Boats of the Show were awarded
At the Vene 26 Båt show, the Boats of the Show were selected for the 27th time from the newly presented models. This year, the Open Boat of the Show is the Sea Ray SDX 250 Outboard, the Weekender or Commuter Boat of the Show is the MAX 68 Cabin S, and the Cabin Cruiser of the Show is the Axopar 38 Cross Cabin. The Sailboat of the Show is the Beneteau First 30. The Vene 26 Båt show takes place from February 6–15, 2026, at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.
The Boat of the Show award aims to promote the boating industry and recognize successful product development. When selecting the winners, special emphasis was placed on the novelty value of the models. Additionally, design, construction and space solutions, functionality and ergonomics, price-quality ratio, and suitability for the intended use were taken intoaccount. Each category’s winner was chosen from a shortlist of three or four finalists.
The jury that selected the Boats of the Show described the winning boats as follows:
The Open Boat of the Show: Sea Ray SDX 250 Outboard
The Sea Ray SDX 250 is designed for enjoying a beautiful summer day on the water, and it does so exceptionally well. It features a high-quality interior and an ingeniously efficient, comfortable, and functional layout that allows even a larger group to relax and enjoy day trips.
The Weekender or Commuter Boat of the Show: MAX 68 Cabin S
The Max 68 Cabin S is a commuter boat that performs beyond its size. The strengths of its catamaran hull, a comfortable and ergonomically refined cabin, and a large, easily loadable deck space serve its intended purpose exceptionally well.
The Cabin Cruiser of the Show: Axopar 38 Cross Cabin
The Axopar 38 Cross Cabin is a modern cruising boat whose modularity and customizability are in a class of their own. Its high-quality design and unique space solutions make the boat a comfortable and versatile package that offers excellent value for money.
The Sailboat of the Show: Beneteau First 30
The Beneteau First 30 uniquely combines an affordable and easy-to-handle cruising yacht with top-tier performance and an exceptional sailing experience. The First 30 serves as an excellent gateway into the world of active sailing.
At the Helsinki International Boat Show Vene 26 Båt, 400 boats are presented, and the finalists for the Boats of the Show were selected by a pre-selection jury consisting of editors from boating magazines. The winners were selected by a jury consisting of Antti Numminen from Eurofins Expert Service, Jouko Saarinen, journalist at Kippari, Jan Sjölund, editor-in-chief of Venemestari and Totalvene.fi, and Tom Wilenius from Traficom. To provide a Nordic perspective, Lars-Åke Redéen, editor-in-chief of the Swedish Båtliv also participated. In the selection of the Sailboat of the Show, in addition to Tom Wilenius, journalists Pasi Nuutinen from Totalvene.fi and Otto Aalto from Venemestari also participated and Markos Puro from Eurofins Expert Service.
The finalists for the Open Boat of the Show were Cremo 488 BR (6b30), eSuvi-sähköveneiden mallisto (6g48) and Sea Ray SDX 250 (6k50).
The finalists for the Weekender or Commuter Boat of the Show were MAX 68 Cabin S (6e2), Wellcraft 28 Explorer (7m126) and Windy SR40 (7g128).
The finalists for the Cabin Cruiser of the Show were Axopar 38 XC (6a50), Prestige F4.3 (7m128) and Yamarin Aura Cabin (6d48).
The finalists for the Sailboat of the Show were Beneteau First 30 (7k150), Hallberg-Rassy 370 (7k150), Hanse 360 (7k150) and Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 415 (7k150).
Helsinki International Boat Show Vene 26 Båt takes place from February 6–15, 2026, at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. The event is open Wednesday to Friday from 11 AM to 7 PM and Saturday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
For more information: Communications Manager Teija Armanto, Tel: +358 50 376 0804, teija.armanto@messukeskus.com
#venemessut www.venemessut.fi/en
Photos from the award ceremony are available in the media bank: http://messukeskus.mediabank.fi.
