Pier Luigi Loro Piana talks about the refit of his Masquenada

Superyacht Times has published an interesting exclusive interview with Italian shipowner Pier Luigi Loro Piana, in which the renowned Italian textile entrepreneur explained why he chose to refit the vessel as a new motor superyacht after the unfortunate sinking of his previous sailing yacht, My Song, while being transported on deck aboard a merchant ship from Central America to the port of Genoa. Following that incident, Loro Piana reconsidered its priorities, preferring to invest in the recovery of a 51-meter motor vessel, pairing it with another sailing yacht.

“After the loss of My Song, I decided to separate the racing and cruising functions. At the time of her launch, I don't think there was another sailing yacht with the same level of speed and comfort, but at the same time, My Song was at the limit, both for racing and cruising, due to her size. Racing with a high level of safety required having around 30 crew members: basically the same commitment as running a small business. So I decided to have a dedicated racing yacht and a motor yacht for more comfortable cruising with friends and family. Together with Mario Pedol, we developed a concept for a new 58-meter motor yacht designed for long-range cruising and a round-the-world voyage. But any new build, whether sailing or motor, takes around three years to complete, and when the Covid pandemic hit, I started to think I didn't want to wait that long,” explained Loro Piana. "It was then that we thought about renovating an existing yacht, and with Mario, who took over as broker, we came across the explorer Aspire. I liked her powerful lines and solid construction, and she was in good condition. We realized that with a few adjustments, we could bring her even more in line with my original concept without losing a Mediterranean cruising season, and that was the spark that ignited the entire project. The boat entered the Lusben shipyard in Livorno in October 2020 and was delivered in time to enjoy the 2021 summer season."

Also interesting is the part of the interview where Loro Piana is asked why it decided to entrust the refit to the Lusben shipyard: "There were three or four shipyards on our shortlist, but Lusben had the infrastructure, professionalism, and technical know-how to ensure a job well done. Naturally, Lusben also has a connection with the Azimut Benetti Group, which allows it to draw on an entire network of suppliers and subcontractors between Genoa and Livorno. Since I'm based in Milan, I found it helpful to be able to visit the shipyard in Livorno, and I had a good relationship with the group's president, Paolo Vitelli. I put pressure on Lusben because I wanted the boat finished quickly and wasn't willing to accept much in the way of compromise, but they rose to the challenge and did an excellent job in record time."

After his positive experience, Loro Piana would recommend refitting a relatively young yacht (his own was launched in 2007): “With this choice, we have given new life to an existing vessel and avoided the 'consumption' of building a new one. In a certain sense, refitting is a bit like recycling. If a yacht is designed, built, and maintained properly, it can last for decades, and it's no coincidence that some of the most beautiful boats afloat today are among the oldest. So, whichever way you look at it, refitting is a smart choice. Of course, every owner has different desires and requirements, and if they can't find a suitable used yacht for refitting, they should build a new one with the latest technology and efficient propulsion systems.”

The experienced textile entrepreneur also demonstrates his clear ideas about the maximum (reasonable) length of a superyacht: "On Masquenada, I have all the space I need to live comfortably at sea for weeks. There's always a valid argument for adding a meter or two to the length, but I don't understand the point of huge yachts 100 meters or more. For the type of cruising I intend to do, a yacht between 50 and 60 meters is ideal: it has enough space to comfortably accommodate a dozen guests, and if it were any larger, I wouldn't be able to reach some of the less accessible places I want to visit."

In Masquenada's near future, a long round-the-world cruise is planned that will last "about the time it would take to build a new yacht from scratch!" concludes Loro Piana.

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