Falaschi presents the two superyachts under construction at the Ocean King shipyard.

In Chioggia, SUPER YACHT 24 met Stefano Falaschi, general manager of Ocean King, the shipyard that has been building superyachts with unique characteristics since 2012 within Adriatic Shipyard, a shipyard specializing in new builds, refits, and conversions of commercial vessels with thirty-five years of activity behind it, founded and managed by brothers Alberto and Davide Ballarin.

Falaschi, how did your work with Ocean King begin?

I've always worked in the maritime world as a shipbroker and consultant for major pleasure boatyards. I was already working with the Ballarin brothers' Adriatic Shipyard when, at the 2018 Monaco Yacht Show, I saw the results of their conversion of a commercial vessel into a superyacht. I was very impressed, and that's how my working relationship with Ocean King began, with full management of the shipyard.

What struck you in particular?

“The yacht was the 130 'Genesia', a larger version of an 88' metal Ocean King I'd seen in 2012 and which had particularly interested me. The Genesia 130 had been created for its owner, a very prominent Italian publisher who had requested a low-profile exterior but a very rich and refined interior. It was awarded the 2018 World Superyachts Award as the winner of the 'Rebuilt' category.

I was struck, as was Genesia's owner at the time and all our clients today, by the strong impression that Ocean King constructions had a yacht structure at their core, but with the DNA of an extremely solid and strong ship, both in the hull, the engine room, and the system components. A yacht through and through, but at a decidedly superior level. A DNA that comes from Adriatic Shipyard's culture and experience in the commercial shipping sector and that becomes the distinctive and fundamental trait of its yachts as well.”

What's under construction at the Ocean King shipyard?

We're about to present two fully-fledged megayachts: the 120 Ducale series, a 36.28-meter vessel, which we'll launch in early August and then deliver to the owner for his first vacation. We're working hard to bring her to Cannes; work has been ongoing to meet the owner's request for a second structural pool on the main deck. If we can't get it done in time, we'll still present her with a series of events where everyone can admire the truly excellent and unrivaled craftsmanship of this hull, as well as her interiors. The boat is truly fascinating, not only in terms of current market demand, such as aft pools, but also for its exterior and interior design, curated by Paolo Dose's Trieste-based studio VYD. The naval engineering for our yachts is by the Venetian studio inNave.

The other yacht under construction belongs to the Doge series; what features does it have and when will it be ready for launch?

"It's a Doge 400 GT, measuring 41.80 meters, so slightly larger than its predecessor. A distinctive feature of the Doge series is the icebreaker-style bow that tapers slightly towards the bottom. The entire series bears the signature of A-Lot Design for the exteriors and architect Matteo Gottardo for the interiors. We will deliver the boat to its owner by the end of the year, after less than 24 months of work, despite its complex construction, especially from an engineering perspective; this vessel has three movements: in the bow area, there is a vertical hydraulic opening for the crew's tender, a second crane that disappears into the main deck bulwark and lifts two tons to eight meters, and finally, the overhead crane in the garage beach area.

For the GT 400 model, we also raised the main deck by three steps, creating a significantly larger beach area underneath thanks to the additional 70-80 cm; this idea was very well received and we are proud of it.”

What are the strengths of Ocean King yachts?

The dashboard features a glass panel that 'brings forward' to prevent glare and protect against potential rain and humidity, typical of all commercial vessels. The engine room is designed for maximum ease of movement and with all systems exposed. There are only two openings on the ship for two very large seacocks, connected by a large structural steel beam into which all the cooling systems flow and branch out (unlike many yachts, which typically have all sorts of openings). And then there's the oversized mud tanks: just one of them would be sufficient given their capacity. We can close a gate valve on one seacock and all the services continue to draw from the beam thanks to the opening of the other filter, which is more than capable of satisfying every need on its own. They are single bodies welded to the hull and there are no other possible water inlets.

These are undoubtedly strong points for a yacht of this class, fortunately built by a shipyard with extensive experience in commercial and work vessels, and this certainly makes it a valued feature. Finally, we build everything in metal, in various solutions: all steel, steel, and aluminum. There are tons of metal on a yacht, and this is where our extensive steel processing expertise comes into play.”

Is there anything you can tell us about Ocean King's upcoming initiatives?

“Yes. We have a new Explorer series in the pipeline. But we'll talk about it at the appropriate time.”

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