Bassani (Wally founder): "The next revolution? In the wings, in the air, or in the water" (VIDEO)

This service was Published as a preview in issue 1-2026 of the Yacht Upstream supplement available at this link

Milan – Visionary, pioneering, and often radical in his design choices, Luca Bassani continues to be one of the most authoritative voices when it comes to the evolution of large sailing yachts. With Wally, he set new standards in sail plans, deck ergonomics, and technological integration, paving the way for a different way of experiencing a boat. SUPER YACHT 24 interviewed him to understand the evolutions that will shape sailing superyachts in the coming years.

Luca Bassani, looking ahead to the next ten years, what technological trends will define sailing superyachts?

"CI believe there will be significant developments in the future. Over the past thirty years, since Wally was created, great strides have already been made, and when intelligent innovations are introduced to the market that make the product more usable, perhaps costing less—not in terms of investment but in terms of maintenance—this ultimately generates more demand. In my opinion, the areas of greatest evolution will be in the sail plan, understood as rigging—that is, mast, sails, and rigging. Since the America's Cup, we've seen that wings are now being used, and today's technologies also allow for retractable wings, essential for a cruising boat that can't keep a rigid sail up at night, at anchor, or in port. There will also be further developments in the fin plans and in general in everything considered a wing, whether in the air or in the water. In the last twenty years, we first saw canting keels, then various bow rudders, stern rudders, and foils, which are much talked about.

Will we see foils on cruising sailboats?

"For now, I don't think they have a future in this field, both because of the high weight of the boats compared to the lift the foils can provide, and for safety reasons: to function properly, foils must be controlled down to the 1/100th of a second by a computer. All it takes is a small power outage or a problem, and you find yourself with a boat that suddenly goes from 20 or 30 knots to zero, a very dangerous situation if you're inside and don't know what's happening outside." 

And what about the internal volumes?

“The boats will remain more or less similar, the volumes are the same and the proportions will not change much.”

Are interior spaces changing to accommodate new needs?

"They're evolving to offer ever greater comfort and greater functionality, even for those who spend a lot of time on board working. Inside the hull, however, there are few degrees of freedom: the width and volume are the same and can't be doubled. On the deck, however, you can make changes, and Wally has presented a 110-footer that changes this approach. So, a lot of work will be done on the deck and deckhouses to create beautiful boats with greater functionality."

You mentioned reducing maintenance costs. How is this achieved?

"The idea of ​​reducing maintenance has been with me since the beginning of Wally: simplified rigging, fewer sails, fewer winches—anything that reduces complexity also reduces maintenance. It's true that today we have hydraulic and electronic systems that weren't there before, but we're also talking about much larger boats. Thirty years ago, a 24-meter sailboat needed at least 10 crew members just to hoist the sails and leave the harbor; today, a 40- to 50-meter boat can be hoisted with three people. And just like with planes, trains, and cars, electronics is the right way to reduce maintenance costs."

What will be the next technological revolution that the industry hasn't yet seen coming?

The next technological revolution will be in the sailing world: mast, rig, shrouds, and then on to daggerboards, rudders, and foils. I wouldn't mention engines, because a sailboat is the only vessel that can go with the wind and with which you can sail around the world sustainably. Already today, you can turn the propeller, lose a little speed, and recharge the batteries. These aspects will continue to improve, as always, linked to the power-to-weight ratio, which reduces fuel consumption and environmental impact.

Is there a dream you still want to realize?

My big dream is for the market to go from the current 90% motorboats and 10% sailboats to a 50-50 split. I'd like everyone to understand that it's better to have a sailboat: the important thing isn't just getting there, it's also sailing, and there's no comparison in terms of sustainability and pollution. My dream is for the market to be half sailboat and half motorboat.

Are Italian marinas ready to welcome ever larger sailing superyachts?

I believe marinas around the world aren't ready: they've outgrown the modern proportions of boats, which are longer and wider today, and the berths built 30, 40, or 50 years ago are too small. Furthermore, we've realized that the marina concept isn't that appealing: the old ports were inside the village, where you lived. Modern marinas, on the other hand, are just parking lots, incredibly boring. We'll have to think of new types of marinas.

If you could design your new boat from scratch today, what would it look like?

My new boat wouldn't be a single boat, but a small fleet. This is something I learned from Agnelli. I find it pointless to have one large boat: a fleet of smaller boats is better. A motorboat where you can sleep comfortably, a sailboat that's more fun and safe even in bad weather, and perhaps a smaller, faster boat for quick movements. A fleet suited to whatever you want to do when you have the time and the means.

What concepts and ideas are you focusing on at this stage?

"I've never talked about the new things I'm thinking about because they copy me as soon as I present them, let alone before. And besides, I'm currently on sabbatical, so my answer—I'm sorry—isn't satisfactory."

Photos and videos @ Giuseppe Orrù

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