Hodgdon tender wins Showboats design honors

Hodgdon Custom Tenders, a high-end builder of tenders crafted to complement sophisticated Superyachts and division of Hodgdon, announced Feb. 24, 2016, that their 11.4 meter aft helm tender has won the 2016 ShowBoats Design Award in the tender design category.

There were a total of 12 tenders nominated for the award. The first step in determining the winner was for a subcommittee to compare elements such as horsepower-to-weight ratio, launch and retrieval methods, carrying capacity, speed, range, and mission features of each boat. According to Boat International, those deemed the "smartest" were then presented to the full panel.

The 11.4 meter tender - which now serves on one of the world's finest Superyachts - is part of Hodgdon's Venetian Series and was designed by Michael Peters Yacht Design. The aft helm design is an evolution of Hodgdon's 10.5 meter limousine tender, which was inspired by the grace and beauty of traditional Venetian water taxis. The tender offers ample outside seating forward and a climate-controlled cabin for 10 with standing headroom. The boat has a rigid bimini that powers down for convenient stowage in the mothership's tender bay.