Poole Quay and Cowes take the coastal categories
Poole Quay Boat Haven won Coastal Marina of the Year for facilities with fewer than 250 berths, ahead of Emsworth Yacht Harbour and IGY St Kats. Cowes Yacht Haven took the larger coastal-marina category, with Mayflower Marina second and Jersey Marina third.
Those results are particularly relevant to cruising owners because the coastal categories reflect marinas used as practical bases rather than simply destination resorts. Service, accessibility, berth management and the day-to-day experience of visiting crews all influence whether a marina works well during a season.
Ayla Marina leads the international category
Ayla Marina was named International Marina of the Year, followed by Marina de Vilamoura - Nova Marina and Setur Antalya. The international category highlights the growing importance of marina quality in established and emerging cruising regions, where berth facilities often form a central part of the ownership experience.
Marina de Vilamoura also received the Superyacht Marina of the Year award, ahead of Yalikavak Marina and Yas Marina. Although that category focuses on larger yachts, the wider marina infrastructure at these destinations can also matter to owners of smaller luxury yachts seeking high-quality services and cruising support.
Sustainability and marina teams receive separate recognition
Parkstone Bay Marina won Sustainable Marina of the Year, with Emsworth Yacht Harbour highly commended. Shepperton Marina received Marina Team of the Year, while Dubai Harbour Marina earned special recognition and Harry Durrah of Emsworth Yacht Harbour was named Marina Employee of the Year.
The separate awards show that marina quality is being judged on more than berth hardware and location. Environmental practice, staff service and operational consistency increasingly influence how owners and visiting crews assess a marina, particularly when comparing longer-term berthing options.
Boater experience remains central to the awards
TYHA says the awards begin with the experiences and votes of boaters, with judging also used for categories such as employee, team and sustainability recognition. That makes the results different from a purely technical marina rating because they incorporate the way facilities are experienced by the people actually using them.
For luxury-yacht owners planning future cruising or looking for a home berth, awards are best treated as one information source alongside location, draft, berth dimensions, security and service access. Even so, the 2026 results provide a useful shortlist of marinas whose teams and facilities have attracted strong recognition from the boating community.
Official sources: www.britishmarine.co.uk.
