Shipbuilding and design, Italy leads the way twice

Genoa - The final evening of the Propeller Club Port of Genoa's annual series of meetings was dedicated to the theme of large yachts.

Hosted at the prestigious Yacht Club Italiano, the event brought together three prominent speakers: Lorenzo Pollicardo, Technical and Environmental Director of SYBass, Vincenzo Poerio, in his dual role as CEO of Tankoa Yachts and President of the ISYL Foundation, and Giorgio Maria Cassetta, designer and owner of the eponymous Roman studio specializing in the design of super and megayachts.

At the opening of the evening, Pollicardo reported the latest figures on the global market for boats over 30 meters: of the more than 668 yachts currently under construction globally in this range, 342 are Italian, for a percentage of 51%, with an average length of 48,7 m.

Of the twenty-five remaining SYBass members, six are Italian: Baglietto, Benetti, Cantiere delle Marche, CRN, Sanlorenzo, Tankoa, and Fincantieri. To join the association, which brings together the world's leading shipbuilding companies, you must have been in business for over ten years and have built at least three boats over 40 meters.

Overall, the global fleet of yachts over 30 meters currently numbers nearly 6 units, a milestone expected to be surpassed by the end of the year. Of these, 85% are motor yachts, with an average age of 23 years and an average length of 41,4 meters.

Pollicardo emphasized that, in addition to the boom in orders for new yachts, the major players in the sector are also organizing to expand their business activities dedicated to refits, which the growth of the global fleet expected in the coming years will inevitably lead to.

There are an increasing number of Italian and international groups that are investing heavily in refits (for example, Benetti with the strengthening of Lusben), internalizing the activity as much as possible, while shipyards specialized "only" in refits are also preparing to experience a period of growing orders.

Pollicardo also reported that 1.450 boats over 30 meters undergo refits every year. But retrofitting, the complex process of adapting boats to new "green" engines, will also become increasingly important, he concluded.

In justifying the Italian leadership in the large yacht sector, Vincenzo Poerio recalled the foresight of entrepreneurs such as Paolo Vitelli, who invested in the relaunch of Benetti, a shipyard that the same manager directed for over twenty-five years until he brought it to world-class status, culminating in the recent celebrations for its 150th anniversary.

Poerio then reiterated the importance of training, and in particular of ITS (technical training institutes), emphasizing the need for the shipbuilding industry to attract foreign workers to Italy and keep them connected to our country.

Giorgio Maria Cassetta, a successful yacht designer who started at a young age and now runs a studio in Rome with nearly twenty staff, brilliantly explained the delicate relationship between owner, shipyard, and designer, which often requires the ability to mediate between requests that are pushed to the limit, safety requirements, and production capacity.

Italian designers, he concluded, are increasingly appreciated internationally, and the bond between designers and construction sites is increasingly strong: the possibility of cross-fertilization between different sectors enriches a designer's professional background, he commented.

Cassetta also drew attention to the issue of training, particularly high-quality training, which is unfortunately virtually absent in the yacht design sector, with the exception of the university course currently available in La Spezia.

During the evening, the Genoese shipping community welcomed the new Ligurian maritime director for the Port Authority – Coast Guard, Admiral Piero Pellizzari, who replaced Admiral Sergio Liardo, who was transferred to Rome as Deputy General Commander, alongside Admiral Nicola Carlone.

Pellizzari reiterated the urgent need for the force to strengthen its ranks, given the increased scope of the Coast Guard's duties and the complexity of its responsibilities, particularly regarding safety and environmental protection. The upcoming addition of 390 new personnel nationwide should be an encouraging first step in this direction.

RM

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