Italy

Yachts Italia

While Italy is widely recognised as a powerhouse in the yachting industry, the Marche region in particular is home to more than 200 companies, with over 3,000 direct employees, and an estimated 10,000 indirect employees within the ship building sector. Located in the east of the country between the Apennine mountains and the Adriatic sea, this district flanked by beaches, mountains, and greenery offers unique frontiers and entrepreneurial opportunities for yachting.&nbsp;Between 24 and 26 July, journalists both national and international congregated in the Italian Marche Region for EYES, “Envisioning Yachting Excellence Summit. “ It aimed to showcase both the accomplishments and potential of the locality’s maritime industry. This two-day press tour included a visit to seven local shipyards including <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cantiere delle Marche (CdM) (Company)">Cantiere delle Marche (CdM)</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4876" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ferretti Group (Company)">Ferretti Group</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1757" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Palumbo Superyachts (Company)">Palumbo Superyachts</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1199" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yachts Italia (Company)">Italia Yachts</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2504" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Wider s.r.l. (Company)">Wider</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5188" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Silent Yachts (Company)">Silent Yachts</a>, and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5172" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cantiere Rossini (Company)">Cantiere Rossini</a>), and was hosted by the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6856" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Marche Yachting & Cruising Association (Company)">Marche Yachting and Cruising Association (AMYC)</a>. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/345520/image/large-7d784ded1331bb0ffbcec625eca81be5.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/345520">The opening night of the event took place in Portonovo, and featured speeches from Municipal Councillor for Budget and Deputy Mayor Gianfranco Zinni, who emphasised the significance of luxury shipbuilding for the region's economy. ATIM President Marco Bruschini then went on to reaffirm the importance of tourism to the Marche region, which could be further improved with a stronger infrastructure and mobility.In addition, Councillor for Economic Development Andrea Maria Antonini chimed in about how innovation and development is required for economic growth of the Enterprises, which benefit greatly from the region, considering the nautical sector alone brings in a turnover of €1 billion euros.&nbsp;While Admiral Maritime Director and Commander of the Port Authority Vincenzo Vitale spoke of the advantages of strong inter-institutional cooperation, Vincenzo Garofalo, President of the Central Adriatic Sea Port System Authority, revealed the port's new strategic plan, which aims to homogenise areas available to strengthen businesses, allowing them to expand while also remaining in the region in order to produce hospitality for guests, crew, and vessels.&nbsp;Director of the Regional School Office Donatella D'Amico outlined the vital role schools play in the sector. In his view, optimised schooling allows trained, highly-skilled professionals to start work immediately, which Professor Donato Iacobucci of UnivPM and Massimo Rocchi Director of the Marche Region for Vocational Training also reiterated.&nbsp;On the morning of 25 July, the second day of the EYES event, a forum centred around fashion and design within yachting took place at Ancona's Teatro Ridotto delle Muse. Throughout the discussion, a recurring theme “beauty associated with the concept of made in Italy”, driving home the renowned craftsmanship that is found within the Marche region specifically. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/345522/image/large-a7835265c2317108ceb7a4628e3937aa.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/345522"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2090" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Luxury Projects (Company)">Luxury Projects</a> Founder Laura Pomponi, who is native to Ancona, shared her personal definition of beauty within yacht design: “It means harmony, something comfortable that marries the functional with the aesthetic. The trend today is to build comfortable yachts with attention to technical aspects, where nothing can be visible and yet everything has to work.”For the studio <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1156" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Massari Design S.r.l. (Company)">Massari Design</a>, which are responsible for penning the interiors of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4152" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="I Dynasty100.8m (330'9&quot;)Peters Werft GmbH2015">I Dynasty</a>&nbsp;and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Project X87.6m (287'5&quot;)Golden Yachts Ltd.2022">Project X</a>, and more, beauty is something abstract that transforms depending on the view of the customer, and is as varied as different cultures. “We let ourselves be submerged in other peoples’ visions, and try to move away from opulence in favour of getting down to the essentials, in order to expose the soul of the design,” Senior Interior Designer Francesco Beccacece stated.&nbsp;On the subject of sustainability, all panellists seemed to reach a consensus about the distinction between “greenwashing”, which they defined as idealised or theoretical sustainability, versus what they deemed concrete and therefore authentic sustainability efforts.&nbsp;For <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2090" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Luxury Projects (Company)">Luxury Projects</a>, practising authentic sustainability means consistently employing a protocol that analyses various aspects of a yacht’s design, ranging from hull paint to the use of technology onboard. As for the interior materials, Pomponi explained that they make a point of avoiding marbles, and take the life cycle of the textiles into account.&nbsp;“Post-COVID we have proven that everything needed to complete projects has been produced in the Marche region, meaning there is no transport from one area to the other, so that we have a reduced ecological impact,” Pomponi added. “There are also plenty of emerging technologies in yachting for engines rather than diesel.” &nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1156" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Massari Design S.r.l. (Company)">Massari Design</a>’s Beccacece stated that, “architects and designers are responsible for sustainability”, and provided a specific example of the studio’s sustainable decision-making for a recently launched 98-metre yacht. Seeking out eco-friendly materials to cover the walls of the vessel’s stair area, the team opted to use an alternative to leather made from the skin of a freshwater fish in the Amazon River.&nbsp;“The fish is caught by Brazilian tribes from a remote location that is difficult to reach, and serves as the main source of protein for these tribes,” Beccacece clarifies. This is an instance of full sustainability, or “360-sustainability”, as Beccacece puts it, as the fish feeds tribes, has all of its skin used for the leather material, and revenue is then retained in the local area.&nbsp;Toward the end of the forum, speakers and audience members alike contributed to a lively discussion about shortcomings of the local yachting industry with regards to sustainability., The general consensus was that not enough geographic areas contain marines and that few startups are able to drive recycling for yachting materials. Additionally, logistic chains to support a transition towards alternative fuels are apparently either scarce or non-existent. Lastly, the fact that over 90% of boats are motor boats as opposed to sailboats can also be regarded as a weakness.&nbsp;The topic of sustainability continued to surface throughout the rest of the day, when we paid a visit to the following seven shipyards: <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cantiere delle Marche (CdM) (Company)">Cantiere delle Marche (CdM)</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4876" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ferretti Group (Company)">Ferretti Group</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1757" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Palumbo Superyachts (Company)">Palumbo Superyachts</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1199" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yachts Italia (Company)">Italia Yachts</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2504" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Wider s.r.l. (Company)">Wider</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5188" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Silent Yachts (Company)">Silent Yachts</a>, and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5172" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cantiere Rossini (Company)">Cantiere Rossini</a>.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/345521/image/large-c503c4b1b56b0be396deea8d6d5952b8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/345521">Ancona-based shipyard <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cantiere delle Marche (CdM) (Company)">CdM</a> first arrived onto the scene in 2010, at a time when it was considered irresponsible to burn a lot of fuel and “show off” in certain places, according to Founder and CEO Vasco Buonpensiere.“Our location is an inherent part of our reputation. We started here because we wanted to stay as Italian as possible in terms of our workforce, attitude, and approach to the industry,” Buonpensiere said of the shipyard’s origin. Recognised for their explorer yachts, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cantiere delle Marche (CdM) (Company)">CdM</a> sold 12 units in the span of six months, but chose not to increase the delivery rates as they refused to “compromise on quality”.&nbsp;“The reason our business remains resilient even when the yachting market goes down”, Buonpensiere explained, “is because we’ve remained loyal to our mission and our DNA by building proper quality boats and staying humble. This is reassuring to our clients, who need to know if the quality is good, whether the vessel is long-lasting, and whether they could sell it anytime they want.”&nbsp;Another stop along the way for the shipyards tour was the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4876" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ferretti Group (Company)">Ferretti Group</a> shipyard in Ancona, which is where <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/12" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="CRN (Company)">CRN</a> superyachts ranging from 60 to 90-metres are constructed, along with the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/112" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Custom Line (Company)">Custom Line</a> made-to-measure composite range between 30 to 43-metres. The <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4876" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ferretti Group (Company)">Ferretti Group</a> now has a standout portfolio of different brands contributing the construction and sale of luxury vessels, including <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4876" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ferretti Group (Company)">Ferretti Yachts</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/363" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Riva S.p.A. (Company)">Riva</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/584" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Pershing S.p.a. (Company)">Pershing</a>, Itama, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2515" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mochi Craft (Company)">Mochi Craft</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/12" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="CRN (Company)">CRN</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/112" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Custom Line (Company)">Custom Line</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/166" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Wally (Company)">Wally</a>.

Envisioning Yachting Excellence Summit in Marche Region 

The Marche Yachting and Cruising Association (AMYC) hosted a two-day Envisioning Yachting Excellence Summit, which shed light on the Marche Region.