This has been a year of slow recovery in the global economy which was reflected in the shipping industry with very few newbuilding orders being placed in the first six months although the pace did pick up in the second half. With regard to deliveries of newbuildings, the sheer size of the orderbook meant that there were plenty of interesting vessels delivered despite the sizeable number of cancellations and deferred deliveries.
As is customary, the list that follows attempts to cover as many ship types as possible and each is selected on the basis of one or more market leading characteristics. Readers will note that the list contains a preponderance of offshore service vessels which reflects the great diversity of ship types and revolutionary designs emanating from this market sector.
