Amadio (Sacomar): "Elba is ready for the giants of the sea, but bureaucracy is holding it back."

Naval gigantism is no longer a future trend, but an operational reality that the Tuscan Archipelago must already contend with. While Elba's infrastructure is proving capable of withstanding the impact of new megayachts, it's on the management front that the system risks struggling.

In this interview with SUPER YACHT 24, Massimo Amadio, managing director of Sacomar—a historic Elban agency boasting a deep institutional culture, thanks in part to partner Giovanni Gasparini, president of the Yacht section of Federagenti for eight years—charts the course of a watershed period, marked by the changing of the guard between Russian and American clientele and new management needs. This analysis touches on the industry's raw nerves, indicating the path forward to avoid losing ground to Mediterranean competitors.

Mr. Amadio, we're seeing a steady increase in the average size of vessels. From a purely technical standpoint, can Elba's port infrastructure and harbors easily accommodate these giants over 60-80 meters in length, or are you faced with physical limitations that make hosting them a logistical challenge?

Growth in size is a fact, clearly confirmed by the calls recorded in the Tuscan Archipelago in recent seasons, including 2025. But I'll tell you: for Elba, this evolution is more of an opportunity than a challenge. Fortunately, we already have infrastructure ready for this qualitative leap. Take Portoferraio: it allows mooring for yachts up to 100 meters, with a unique feature in the Mediterranean: guests can disembark directly in front of the Porta a Mare, in the heart of the Darsena Medicea promenade. Very few Italian marinas can boast similar logistics for this size. The rest of the island is also moving forward: Porto Azzurro is upgrading its infrastructure to accommodate vessels up to 60 meters, while Marciana Marina covers the segment up to 40 meters. This allows us to "work as a system," diversifying the offering and offering captains a varied stay. I don't see any problems with the anchorages either: Elba is a well-established stop on the north-south axis of the Tyrrhenian Sea and offers safe anchorages in all weathers. The risk of guests losing a day at sea is minimized."

Moving on to the human side, how have the habits of those living on board changed? Have you noticed any operational differences between the "traditional" shipowner and the frenzy of modern charters?

Everything has changed as a result of two major events: Covid and the war in Ukraine. The first has given a paradoxical but powerful boost to luxury charters; the second has reshaped the client landscape. We've seen a sharp decline in Russians and a massive return of Americans. And this has changed the demands. Elba remains the favorite destination for traditional boat owners seeking natural beauty and privacy, away from the press. But with the return of American clients, especially on charters, a certain frenzy has set in. It's a different, faster management style, influenced by the media: guests arrive already informed, they know what they want, and they want it immediately. Our role has evolved into true "lifestyle management": we have to profile guests in advance, matching their age, language, and desires to build tailor-made experiences that we guarantee. However, there's one constant that everyone agrees on: Napoleon. Local marketing tied to the Emperor has always held great appeal. Around 70% of superyacht clients ask to visit the Napoleonic Museums: they are our “ace up our sleeve” to take them to discover the rest of the island as well."

In a Mediterranean where the Costa Smeralda and Liguria are often crowded, how does Elba position itself? Does the land-based offerings keep pace with the luxury these guests demand?

Here we need to dispel a myth. It's often thought that guests on a 100-meter yacht seek the same unbridled luxury ashore as they do on board. That's not the case. They already have Michelin-starred chefs and unrivaled service on board; replicating them ashore is nearly impossible and often futile. What they seek ashore is authenticity, something money can't buy in a cabin. They seek the story of the area. On Elba, alongside the high-end resorts, small, family-based establishments are winning: high-quality, private places, immersed in evocative natural settings, offering customer service perhaps superior to that of a formal Michelin-starred restaurant. Today, true luxury is the ability to surprise with a genuine experience, especially outdoors, where Elba is second to none.

Sacomar has a privileged vantage point on regulatory dynamics, thanks in part to its partner Giovanni Gasparini's long-standing leadership of Federagenti Yacht. I'd like to ask you to reflect on the "Italian System": what is the main obstacle currently holding back the competitiveness of our ports?

The Maritime Administration has always shown willingness, it must be acknowledged. And the 2017 Ministerial Decree greatly helped simplify matters. But the real obstacle today is the inconsistent application of regulations across the country. Despite the same law, operational practices and interpretations vary significantly from port to port. This creates uncertainty and delays that foreign operators struggle to understand. To compete abroad, we don't need new laws, but rather uniform application: we need clear, predictable, and identical criteria throughout Italy. Only then will we be truly attractive. Then there remains the issue of planning and services: with increasingly larger and more complex ships, we must ensure timely responses. Simplification must continue, but without lowering the bar on safety and regulations.

Let's close with the environment. Elba is a natural jewel. Do you think the current regulatory framework is able to balance seabed protection with the operational needs of megayachts?

I'm touching on a sensitive issue. My point starts with the "Elba system": we are Italy's third-largest island, with endless bays and traffic that doesn't just consist of superyachts, but of thousands of vessels arriving daily from the Tuscan coast. The real impact on the seabed comes from the large numbers of small-to-medium-sized pleasure boats, not from a few giant vessels. To truly protect the seabed, a huge number of buoy fields and an extensive marine protected area would be needed. But be careful: establishing a marine protected area only makes sense if, at the same time, real marinas are built that can accommodate the boats you remove from the roadsteads. And on Elba, historically, we have adapted ports of refuge, not built new marinas. Furthermore, it must be clearly stated: luxury superyachts have a marginal environmental impact. Almost all of them are Marpol compliant to the highest standards, and many use dynamic positioning systems that avoid dropping anchor on the seabed altogether. If we think we can protect the environment by importing the 'punitive' French model, consisting only of anchoring bans for large yachts without offering alternative infrastructure, we will only achieve one result: undermining the economic benefits, as has already happened in Corsica."

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Here are the two panels and the first speakers confirmed for the 8th SUPER YACHT 24 Forum