Lalla (Samos): "The real progress is performance: same shot, less energy."

With a consolidated presence in the superyacht segment over 35 meters, the Genoa-based company Samos operates through its Opem Sistemi brand in the development of systems dedicated to maneuverability and anchoring systems. The products include winches, capstans, steering systems, and a series of integrated components designed to meet high standards of operational reliability. As Tomaso Lalla of Samos explains: "Our range is designed to offer a complete package that the shipyard purchases as a single unit to meet all its needs for these essential devices for safety and comfort during navigation, with a single supplier of proven experience and reliability. We are constantly seeking solutions and innovations to improve the performance, integration, and, above all, safety of anchoring systems."

What are the main critical issues of such systems?

Safety is a specific critical issue in the field of mooring machinery, particularly anchor winches. The forces at play are significant, and the presence of personnel on maneuvering islands poses a high risk. Despite stringent regulations, weather conditions, unexpected events, or the need to maneuver in the dark or very quickly can force operators to rush procedures or push them to the limits of their technical capabilities, with components stressed to their maximum capacity.

How can these problems be prevented at the design level?

It's crucial that, right from the design stage, the shipyard and supplier agree on the positioning of the winch, arrestor, brake handwheel, and all the other components of the maneuvering island. This avoids breakages and ensures that personnel always operate in safe, defined areas, which are then shown in the drawings included in the operator's manual. During sea trials, we train crews in the safe use of the machinery and create products that far exceed the tests required by regulations, rigorously applying safety coefficients. This allows for higher-than-nominal performance and the ability to withstand unforeseen stresses, such as the passive pull of the mooring line on the winch drum, which can exceed the active pull of the electric motor when, in temporary mooring, the line is twisted around the drum, generating jerks that are even much greater than the nominal values.

Where can real progress be made in terms of efficiency and sustainability?

The winch may seem like an immutable element with limited room for evolution, but the key is 'performance.' The efficiency of electric motors is growing, as is that of the inverters dedicated to managing the pull; consequently, our contribution must focus on the mechanical part to further increase the overall efficiency of the system. A significant aspect already emerges in the technical specifications that clients provide for new constructions: weight and diameter of the chain, required pull, and power of the electric motors. These parameters often derive from similar yachts already built, sometimes equipped with our machines. During the offer phase, the technical offices note that, despite guaranteeing the same nominal pull, the power of the electric motor we specify is lower than both that of competitors and that expected for equivalent models supplied years earlier. The reduction is not due to a performance compromise, but to a mechanical optimization process that allows us to achieve the same result with lower energy consumption: the system guarantees the required performance, and the unused power becomes a direct benefit in terms of energy efficiency. At the same time, we develop more compact products to optimize technical space. The acquisition of Energy – our long-standing supplier of electrical control and automation components – also allows us to better integrate with on-board systems and facilitate energy management. And we never use worm gears, due to their poor efficiency.”

How do regulations and classifications affect products?

"The regulations and classification bodies, which are mostly subject to change, represent a guideline and an essential benchmark for us to continually improve. In some cases, we have even co-operated with them in developing regulations, for example for electric steering systems, where the regulations in force for hydraulic steering systems were not all directly transferable, such as the emergency hand pump. Thanks to consolidated relationships spanning many years, Opem Sistemi is a privileged partner of the authorities with whom it maintains constant contact."

How do you address the ever-increasing size and displacement?

"Opem Sistemi has grown alongside its customers, gradually developing winches for lifting up to models using 46 mm chains. At the same time, our steering systems have also evolved to accommodate the growing size of megayachts built. It can be said that this challenge of growing the size of super/giga yachts has seen us work closely with shipyards that have always considered Samos' technology and construction approach consistent with their dimensional evolution. In fact, we have participated in this growth because the original concept of our products has always been open and designed to accommodate much larger displacements."

How are you strengthening your after-sales service and global support network?

We have developed a support network that, through partners in Europe, the United States, and Southeast Asia, allows us to meet the needs of customers worldwide. We have significantly boosted our after-sales service to ensure spare parts and documentation are available to support regular maintenance. 

Which yachts best represent Opem Sistemi's capabilities?

The reference list consists of several hundred projects/yachts and it's difficult to single out a specific one because all our creations have involved challenges and successful solutions. I like to mention Luminosity for its size, Dragon, where – due to a particularly high anchor pocket – we had to design a chain path that, to reach the winch, crossed the ceiling of the maneuvering island, above which the helideck is located, a complex solution that later became a standard applied on other superyachts; or Okto, where we had to place two of the four capstans on the stern platform in a position where they live immersed almost always during navigation. And also Masquenada, which has been sailing around the world for several years with our Syes® electric steering system, or Amor A Vida which, despite having hidden winches, is shown off to guests for the quality of the stainless steel and polishing. I could continue with Regina d'Italia or Over the Rainbow, a wooden boat where everything had to be functional and aesthetically pleasing; and without forgetting Attila, whose capstans are proudly displayed at the stern of the main deck.

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