The new issue of Yacht Upstream by SUPER YACHT 24 is online

The second issue of Yacht Upstream for 2026 is now available online. This B2B magazine from SUPER YACHT 24 focuses on the key players and trends in the Italian yachting industry. This editorial project was created to offer an upstream perspective on the market, where the strategic, industrial, and cultural decisions that drive the sector's evolution take shape.

The new issue opens with a technical analysis of the 67-meter Amor à Vida, the first CRN to feature hybrid propulsion—developed in conjunction with Siemens—to increase fuel efficiency for both the main engines and generators. The yacht is also equipped with a heat recovery system that reduces energy consumption and operating costs, especially at anchor. Boat captain and project manager Mattia Belleri shares the technical secrets of the Baltic 142 Canova, a 43-meter vessel for world sailing, where every technical choice responds to a precise logic of management, control, and reliability.

The People section opens with an interview with entrepreneur and shipowner Andrea Agostinone. With experience on various types of yachts, he traces his journey from his first boats to managing a top-of-the-line vessel, a Baglietto Fast 120, combining private and charter use. Gianluca Mazza of Marina di Loano explains his strategy, new services, and investments to strengthen competitiveness, including the Marine Suites, a new on-water hospitality option included in the Ligurian marina's development plan. Matteo Magherini of Rina discusses his research into the potential of nuclear power in the maritime sector, focusing on next-generation reactors and their potential applications in yachting.

The first focus of the issue is on the world of refits, a growing trend in which Italy is a major global player. Susanna Corsagni reveals the technical details of the 48-meter Belle Brise (formerly Corelia), a two-and-a-half-year construction project at Lusben. This operation returned not just a boat to the sea, but a piece of sailing history, now safer and more efficient than ever, without betraying its original spirit. Interviews follow with Walter Di Palo (Piloda Yachting), Emiliano Martino (Portosole Shipyard), Nicolò De Angelis (Genoa Sea Service), Renato Marconi (Marinedi), and Ferdinando Pilli (Lusben).

The second focus is on the finest Italian glassworks and the evolution of glass, which now allows for processes unthinkable just a few years ago. Marco Mazzarolo (Viraver), Massimo Zampieri (Maritan Glass), Graziana Abbruzzese (Inglas Vetri), Teresa Furlan with Michela Borile (Hard Glass), and Giancarlo Perlini (Isoclima) discuss how this material is changing.

In the Test section you will find the sea trials of the Sirena 60 and Stem 50, one of the two Italian yachts that participated in the 2026 edition of the European Yacht of the Year.

Publishing

Italy is a leader, but its competitive advantage must be defended

As yachting approaches the peak of its season, figures for the Italian nautical industry confirm that in 2024, the sector generated over €13 billion in added value and employed nearly 168 people, with employment growth of 5,6%. Reports by the Confindustria Nautica Research Office and the Edison Foundation indicate a structural consolidation of the Italian shipbuilding industry and a strengthening of the entire supply chain's competitiveness. The trend revealed by Boat International's Global Order Book 2026 shows Italy's share of the superyacht industry growing by 2 percentage points, reaching 52%, with 568 units ordered out of a total of 1.093 (a 4% decrease from last year's total of 1.138). In the sector up to 24 meters, the share of respondents predicting negative forecasts has dropped to 37%, while the share predicting stability has risen to 50%, and 13% of companies anticipate growth. At the same time, during the 8th Forum organized by SUPER YACHT 24 in Portosole, Sanremo—attended by approximately 200 professionals from the yachting and nautical industry, representing approximately 90 companies in the sector—clear needs emerged: the sector demands more streamlined regulations and trained technicians. Paolo Della Pietra of Confindustria Imperia put it well: "The greatest difficulty is finding truly trained resources. We need to bring the business world closer to that of education." And this applies throughout the country, not just Liguria. Regarding the regulatory issue, it emerged that complexities are pushing some shipowners toward more competitive foreign registers. Italy's competitive advantage is strong and recognized, but requires interventions in training, infrastructure, and simplification to be maintained in the medium term. The same requests emerge from the in-depth analysis dedicated to refits, a constantly growing sector (in 2024, turnover exceeded €505 million, up approximately 2% from the previous year) that also requires greater simplification to maintain the competitive advantage derived from its geographic location and artisanal excellence. Emiliano Martino, director of Portosole Shipyard in Sanremo, was clear in his interview within the focus: "Bureaucracy doesn't help. In neighboring countries, a series of paperwork and procedures that don't generate added value aren't required; they're complications that could be simplified and that clients struggle to understand, especially for us, being close to the border. The sheer volume of paperwork wastes time and drains financial resources that could be allocated to the work." And he's not the only one to raise food for thought on the topic.

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