The motor yacht VvS1, named after a specific group of diamonds, was the smallest in its category at 34m but beat four other finalists to claim the prize in Venice last week.
Mr and Mrs Hill were at the awards and informed The Hills chief executive Doug Jacques of the news in a text message received on Saturday night.
Mr Jacques said the couple were ‘‘very, very excited'' to have been recognised in the third annual awards, with the judges commenting on the ‘‘out of the box thinking and design''
Two of the standout elements were the kitchen area and the interior design.
Mr Jacques said unlike on other super yachts, the kitchen area was a feature of the boat.
One level higher than on most boats, it gives guests the opportunity to watch the chef in action and means the kitchen is a gathering place, as it is in many homes.
‘‘We have a world-class chef on our boat and it's a real feature to watch the chef in action. The way they've integrated [the kitchen area] is a real feature.''
Another standout feature of VvS1 was the interior design, he said.
‘‘It was the only boat shortlisted that had a lot of design . . . influenced by the owners. Most are designed by interior designers or boat designers.''
The couple had been so influential in the design of the boat they were given a credit on the official website for the awards, recognising them as designers.
The couple had many meetings in Auckland regarding the interior design, discussing every detail.
‘‘Christine . . . selected all of the art work that's on the boat personally.''
Mr Jacques said the boat's contemporary design, which was a departure from ‘‘traditional'' super yachts, had caught the attention of judges.
The yacht, launched last May comprises a master cabin, complete with king-size bed and en suite, a second king-size cabin with en suite, and two twin-size cabins both with en suites.
Crew quarters comprise a main cabin for the chef and captain, who are married, and four other cabins each with en suites, for the crew.
Built in Auckland by Alloy Yachts International, VvS1 has a displacement of 238 tonnes, is powered by two 354kW Caterpillar diesel engines, and has a cruising speed of 11.7 knots, a top speed of 13 knots and a range of 8000km.
