LURSSEN

216’ ESTE

R III / TAN

KO

A 2

27’ SUERTE

/ S

UN

RIS

E 2

07’ IR

IMARI / DASSAULT

FALCO

N 9

00 L

X

INVICTVSVOLUME 3 ISSUE IVBY INVITATION ONLY

“I am the master of my fate I am the captain of my soul ”William Ernest Henley

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If asked to describe the debut launch of the Tankoa shipyard with just twowords, we would use: exceeding expectation. Entering the megayachtmarket with a 228’ unit straight out of the blocks, this Genovese yard hasexceeded not only their contractual obligations in terms of speed andrange, but also the levels of engineering one would expect. The businesswas established with the stated goal of offering a credible alternative toDutch and German builders, in Suerte one could make a strong argumentfor suggesting they are well on their way to doing so.

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139

By C

raig

Bar

nett

ItalianMaestria

TANKOA 228’: MY SUERTE

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From the concealed crow’s nestaccessed by private elevator,

through the glass bottomed pool,owner’s private terrace on

the foredeck, touch-and-gohelipad for an EC145 or

Augusta 109… MY Suerte is a gemwhose different facets sparkle

each time you look at her.

One can state without fear of contra-diction that, during the last twodecades, Dutch and German ship-yards have established themselves as

the yardstick the yachting industry uses as referencewhen discussing the build of preeminent qualityyachts. I attended a press conference recently of anItalian shipyard I highly respect however, only to hearan Italian yachting editor publicly bemoan the attitudeof ‘Anglo-Saxon’ media in what he regarded as theconstant slights against the yacht building standardsin his home country. I was shocked. Not only by hisforthright and misguided accusation, but by his appar-ent lack of comprehension and insight. I can only put itdown to a patriotic burst of cyclopia. Even he must ac-cept that as a generalization Italian shipyards pridethemselves on being more flexible and in offering bet-ter pricing than their northern European counterparts;hence, naturally–and again generally–this results in adifference in specifications and tolerances. It really isn’trocket surgery! I’ve sat with enough shipyard ownersand Presidents that openly accept this.I was always taught there are three critical sides to theproduction (of anything) triangle: Fast, Good and Inex-pensive. The immutable fact is that all three can neverbe achieved; one has to select their two priorities andaccept the absence of the third. Just as not everyDutch or German shipyard produces an exceptional

standard of yacht however, there is no doubting thatthere are shipyards in Italy that produce a top qualityproduct. The latest to add to this list is Tankoa, a rela-tively new shipyard established from a ‘clean sheet’ in2008 and another that deliberately set out to chal-lenge the status quo of the north-south divide.Suerte, their first yacht, was officially debuted at theMonaco Yacht Show in September and, fortunately,we were invited onboard when she made her maidenvoyage from the Genova-based shipyard to Cannesfor delivery to her owner. What an experience it was!During my last four or five trips to Italy, I have alwaysmanaged my schedule in order to stop at Tankoa inorder to inspect the boat during its various phases ofconstruction. On multiple occasions I had the opportu-nity to spend time with Tankoa’s CEO, Euro Contenti,and tour the boat with Albert McIlroy, Yacht-Ology’sbuild engineer. Yacht-Ology is headed by MichelKarsenti who having sold and built numerous new su-peryachts around the world, sold Project S693 and be-came Tankoa’s global marketing and sales agent.During my various visits I also had the occasion to ac-company visiting surveyors and brokers who in-spected the yacht on behalf of some of their clients. Iwould invariably find they shared my opinion of thework being carried out and were equally impressed bythe processes, quality, slavish dedication to detail andcleanliness of the shipyard. Build engineer Albert McIl-

O

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SPECIFICATIONLOA: 227’ 3” (69.30m)

Beam (molded): 37’ 1” (11.30m)Displacement (light): 1,010 ton

Displacement (half load): 1,120 tonDraft (half load): 10’ 2” (3.10m)

Displacement (full load): 1,240 tonDraft (full load): 10’ 8” (3.30m)

Fuel capacity: 162 cubic metersFresh water capacity: 37 cubic m

Grey/black water capacity: 40 cubic mEngines: 2x CAT 3516 B DITA-SCAC HD

Power: 2x 2,447hp @1.600rpm (1,825kW)Max Speed (half Load): 18.1-knots

Cruise speed at half load: 16.5-knotsLong range speed: 12.5-knots

Range: 6,500nm @ 12-knotsElectric Power: diesel gen-set:

2x 230kW + 1X 155kWEmergency generator: 1x 80kW

Exterior Design: Francesco PaszkowskiInterior Design: Francesco Paszkowski

Class: RINA C-Hull, MACH, Unrestricted Nav, YCH (MCA), Green Star

Class: Lloyds100 A1, SSC, YACHT, MONO, G6, LMC, UMS, E.P

Flag Registry: MaltaProject Management: Yacht-Ology

Builder: Tankoa Yachts

roy is certainly a character and the straight-talkingNew Zealand Maori’s ‘no BS’ attitude and enthusiasmfor his work is infectious. Having been involved in sig-nificant superyacht construction projects in both Hol-land and Italy, we asked how his experience at this newyard compared to others elsewhere? With typical can-dor he replied that this was the first time he’d workedwith a team of builders that have a true passion forwhat they do and a continuous focus on producing thebest possible yacht they could. He added that this wasthe first shipyard, in his two decades of experience asan engineer, that accepted to modify aspects of theircontractual specification on his request, improving theyacht with engineering change orders without placingthe financial burden of the cost on the owner. He listed

several examples, but suggested there were upwardsof two dozen examples, where he’d explained the ad-vantage of using an alternate solution and the yard hadaccepted and footed the bill. According to McIlroy in hisexperience this was a unique situation.Personally, I was dumbfounded that, when lengtheningthe original project, the additional 16’ (5m) section ofthe hull and deck were fabricated in stainless steel in-stead of steel. This was not a requested from McIlroy,it would be one well beyond his remit to request, butdecision made by the shipyard. When asked whyTankoa made this expensive choice, Euro Contenti, hada surprising answer for me. “It was definitely way moreexpensive to built this section in stainless steel, but thisis a long term statement. To start with, the transom of

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The glass transom opens into awelcoming beach club, complete withsauna, Turkish bath, chilled showers

and fold down terraces for waterfrontmassage treatments. In typical

Tankoa ‘belt and braces’ fashion, the yacht was classed by both

Lloyds and RINA.

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“We fabricated the hull’s last 16’ instainless steel… at no extra charge to

the owner. “It would have been a cryingshame to see rust tears weeping from

this boat in five years time.”

the boat is where the owners and his guests are goingto spend time playing with watercraft, boarding thetenders or embarking the yacht. Thus, it is where theyacht is most likely to experience slightly damage.There are also a lot of courtesy lights and deck fittingsinstalled in this section, so we’d hate in a few years timeto see unsightly rust tears weeping from this area. Thiswould not be good, neither for the client or us. So,where most of our competitors would see excessiveadditional expenditure, we see a sound investment inthe future.”This philosophy is undoubtedly expensive to apply andnot one that is likely to be appreciated by shareholdersin a larger corporation. But here it is worth mentioningthat Tankoa as a shipyard is privately owned, 100 per-cent debt free and possesses an entirely self-financedinfrastructure. Few yards I know of can boast such aclaim. The depth of investment was further illustratedduring my last visit to the yard when I was afforded atour of the second in the 70m series that is currentlyunder construction. Karsenti explained this was an-other spec build and, provided an owner was not se-cured in the meantime, work would continue up to the

the legendary shipyard Baglietto–a sleeping giant atthe time–and called on Contenti to be his partner.The story turns into a fond anecdote amongst themanagement of Tankoa, as at the time only one ex-employee remained at Baglietto: Edoardo Ratto. Thestory goes how Ratto would regularly turn up at theshipyard he held firm affection for in his heart, despitebeing unpaid, simply walking the closed premises toensure it remained secure. Together Orsi, Contenti andRatto reopened the doors of Baglietto in 1996 andfrom an empty shipyard quickly filled the order bookwith discerning clients, building yachts for illustriousowners like Roberto Cavalli. By the early 2000’s Bagli-etto had regained its reputation and the status of anItalian luxury icon. Then, in 2004, the trio received anoffer to sell Baglietto for a price they simply could notrefuse.While the transaction proved to be highly re-warding financially for the three partners, the entre-

point where it would not impact on the future ownerdeciding upon the internal division for the generalarrangement. This project has again been self-fi-nanced and, at the time of writing, the engines andgenerators had been installed and the hull was beingprepared for filling and fairing.

A SHORT HISTORYWhile a young shipyard the management team boastsconsiderable experience and an enviable track record.For decades Contenti has acted as a subcontractorspecialized in the fabrication of hull, deck and super-structures for household yachting brands, supplyingBenetti, Codecasa and Pichiotti amongst many others.It was actually during the construction of the famousCodecasa called Blue Velvet that he met with theowner, Guido Orsi Senior. The meeting proved to beserendipitous, a few years later Guido Orsi Sr. acquired

preneurs admit to being left with the feeling of not fullyachieving their potential. The unsatisfied desire to buildlarger yachts that would provide a real alternative toGerman and Dutch shipyards in the 50m+ sector. Thisled them to Genova which, though it may not beknown as an Italian epicenter for Italian yacht con-struction, is one of Europe’s largest commercial ports.The latter fact turned out to be an important consid-eration in the location of their new shipyard as theready availability of highly reliable commercial gradesubcontractors, in all disciplines, willing to work sevendays a week and deliver on tight schedules, met thecriteria they set. Thus, Tankoa Yachts was born withthe brand and shipyard’s name being taken from thelocal Genovese dialect; as depicted in their logo ittranslates to scorpion in English.

JUST MY LUCK…Penning this article on MY Suerte does not come with-out frustration; there is so much to discuss and so littlespace. One really has to visit her to appreciate all her

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Intimate partitioning rather than vast impersonal expanses characterize MY Suerte’s GA. A Japanese Garden leads into the main salon; at the touch of a button glass seals off the space and a cinema is created.

nuances and appreciate Tankoa’s achievements, butwhat follows is as condensed a form as I’m disciplinedto produce. After so many visits, attending her glam-orous launch party and witnessing her build, it was withsome excitement that we finally boarded Suerte forher maiden voyage. Docked stern-to the shipyard’s250m long dock we took a moment to admire what I’ddescribe as her ‘modern classic’ lines. In her Paskowskihas again achieved the timeless elegance that makeshis talent and time so jealously sought after. Boarding her 10’ deep bathing platform one is facedwith an expanse of tinted glass flanked by symmetricalstaircases leading up to the cockpit. We mused howthe sliding glass doors that open into an oversizedbeach must have been something of a challenge to getapproved by the class surveyors, until it was explainedthat the entire beach club had been constructed as awatertight compartment. In fact, in their typical ‘beltand braces’ approach, Tankoa worked with two clas-sification organizations in the build of Suerte: Lloydsand RINA. The beach club itself is a vast reception areafurnished with a comfortable L-shaped teak and linensofa, wet bar and TV. To the starboard side of the in-

ternal companionway leading directly into the maindeck is the sauna, complete with a chilled watershower–the temperature can be lowered to a ‘re-freshing’ 39˚ Fahrenheit (4˚ Celsius).In the event the shower proves too chilly, alongside thesauna is a drop-down terrace in the hull that allowsguests to dive directly into the ocean. On the portsideis a Turkish bath and another hull opening that acts asa massage terrace for relaxing waterside treatments.I raise my concern that, usually on yachts, the ex-hausts for the generators exit at water-level forwardof the terraces (and they are therefore downwindwhen the yacht is at anchor). McIlroy grins his ‘we’vethought of everything’ smile and explains how not onlyare the exhausts switched through the stack whenthe terraces are deployed, but the yacht is alsoequipped with soot burners; thus exhaust gasses arenot only invisible and don’t smell, but one will never seesoot floating on the surface of the water. Incidentally,on the lower deck is also access to the tender bay,where the yacht’s two 24’ (7.5m) Dariel tenders reside.Ascending the slate-lined companionway up to themain deck, first-time visitors will be surprised not to

enter a main salon; instead emerging into a stylishJapanese style winter garden, entirely enclosed inglass and featuring a bar fabricated from an aircraftwing. The intimacy of the space is deliberate, withPaszkowski fashioning the general arrangement tocreate compact and private spaces, rather than vastimpersonal expanses. The absence of an aft entry intothe main deck is also very deliberate. With the tradi-tional access guests and crew are often irritated–andAC system overworked–by the constant opening andclosing of the big glass doors whenever someonewalks by the electronic motion sensor. The lateral ac-cess also affords two small seating areas to either sideof the Japanese Garden’s staircase, creating a true re-ception area feel upon entering the main deck proper.Proceeding forward one is next enveloped by the re-laxing ambience of the main salon that also acts as alibrary or cinema for up to 20 people. At the touch of abutton the entire space can be closed off by glass pan-els and darken by curtains. The TV– an 88” curved LEDby Samsung–is recessed on the starboard side intothe slate liner. The slate blends perfectly with the richlycarved wood headliner and the silk-touch finish of teak

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panels used elsewhere in the decoration. The onboarddomotic system has been specifically designed for in-tuitive guest control of their environment via tablet:everything from the movie library to sound levels,lights, climate control, curtains and more has been in-tegrated by Faser; a company with a great deal of ex-perience in such work within the yachting industry. In an innovative touch, a saltwater aquarium (withwater stabilization system) forms part of the parti-tioning between the TV saloon and the huge diningroom. The subaquatic theme continues in the delightfulchromed bubbles above the dining table, which itself is

Margerita Casprini at Paskowski’s studio, who ex-plained to me later that the owner’s brief was veryconcise: the interior design was to be contemporary,but as warm as possible and was to maintain a subtlemarine element, thus the extensive use of teak on-board. The starboard corridor that leads to the mainlobby features a day head and cloakroom, so guestsboarding from the starboard gangway can deposittheir belongings with a stewardess. The wide elec-tronic lateral access faces an elevator dressed in neu-trally colored hard leather panels that have beenstitched ‘couture style’, while overhead the ceiling

cutom made from Jerusalem stone, light and darkpiano lacquered oak, and is served by up to 16 PoltronaFrau dining chairs. As in the Japanese Garden, the lou-vres of wonderfully oversized Venetian blinds dressthe full height windows, but the space’s piece de re-sistance is the glazed wine cellar: a sole-to-ceiling dis-play in which the owner can showcase choice bottlesfrom his onboard collection. The main cellar can ofcourse be accessed by the crew who enjoy full privacywhile circulating in a column of pantries on each deckof the port side of the yacht.The interior decoration was placed in the charge of

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Bespoke carpets by Maleki of Florence and custom furniture features throughout. The wine showcase and bubble headliner add further personality.

comprises of a 3D pattern of white lacquered woodcubes that combine for spectacular effect.The entire remaining space forward of the main deckis devoted to guest accommodation. The central cor-ridor dissecting two VIP suites with queen beds, twotwins with single beds that can slide to convert into aqueen, and leading forward to the primary VIP suitethat could happily act as a second owners in the eventof two families chartering the yacht. Here the mascu-line styled cabin with carbon fiber elements is locatedto starboard, with an onyx dressed en-suite, completewith stand-alone bathtub to port. As I discovered onceunderway, the four guests cabins, due to their locationon the main deck, are extremely quite and benefit fromoversized windows instead of the usual portholes, sospending time in one’s cabin when cruising the pas-sage is as pleasurable as arriving at the destination.The décor matches the rest of the boat and truly re-flects the rejuvenating atmosphere one experiencesthroughout Suerte. The bathrooms are dressed withplenty of white Carrara marble, black marble slates andwhite lacquered panels to compliment the teak foundelsewhere. The lower deck is entirely devoted to theten crew cabins and infirmary. Following the old adage“happy crew, happy owner” their cabins are extremelygenerous and finished to a very high standard withcommon areas also finished in teak. The crew have di-rect access from their quarters to two stairwells; oneleading up through each of the deck pantries, the otherleading to the guest accommodation corridor on themain deck and the owner’s suite corridor on the upperdeck. Rather than the crew access, we took the guestelevator up to the second lobby on the owner’s deck,where we found a panoramic saloon that can be par-titioned into three separate sections or left open planas the situation dictates.To port is a sushi bar with high top along the windows,with direct access to the pantry and a regular table.The central dry stack column–a solution incorporatedto reduce engine and generator exhaust noise–isdressed to fore in Jerusalem stone panels while thesides are covered with black leather stitched panels,The glass mirror inserts conceal Ad Notam TV dis-plays. To starboard an ingenious system of concealedsliding partitions allow a seventh cabin to be created ifso desired; the sofa coverts into a bed and the hiddenday-head/shower becomes an en-suite for singleguests or supernumerary staff. Aft of this space is asaloon with a baby grand piano and sofas facing a 90”LED TV recessed into slate covered background. Thebio-ethanol fireplace below the TV makes this a cozyspace at night, but during the day one can enjoy an-other of the yacht’s unique features: light shimmers inthrough eight transparent glass panels in the ceilingthat also form a section of the swimming pool locatedabove. The aft deck features an al fresco dining area,perfectly protected even in inclement weather by the

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Guest accommodation is located on-deck, generous twin guest cabins (bottom)convert into doubles while the spectacular forward VIP suite (top and center) actsas a perfect second master during charters.

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lateral glass in the superstructure. The two L-shapedsofas of the lounge area enjoy protected and uninter-rupted panoramas aft courtesy of the glass panelsbeneath the cap rail.The entire forward section of this deck is devoted tothe owner’s staterooms, where one finds a day head,private office, walk-in dresser and bathroom. Thecabin, occupying the very forward part, features araised platform for the bed so occupants can enjoy theviews afforded by the 180-degree windows that sur-round the area. Two Opacmare electric pantographicside doors private access to the private foredeckwhere the owner can relax in the Jacuzzi, repose on thesunpads or lounge on the accompanying 20’ (6m) longsofa with built-in fridge for self-service cold bever-ages. Proceeding to the upper deck one is surprisedonce again by stumbling into the gym, with its loftyhead room and overhead skylights it’s far from thecompact sweat boxes one can find on yachts. Butthat’s not the true surprise in this area, for there’s alsoanother curious small 2-person elevator. Intrigued weentered it and rode up to the crow’s nest, where wefound a deliciously private sunpad. In fact, it is so pri-vate and well concealed that even when you know it isthere you have to hunt for it in photographs. Forwardof the gym is the wheelhouse, while aft leads out to a16’ (5m) long heated swimming pool with swim-up bar.A waterfall blade that cascades into the pool suppliesthe soporific sound of falling water, and when this isswitched off a TV screen can be installed… I can’t thinkof a better place to be watching a game! Aft of the poolare two gigantic sun pads set out on a touch-and-gohelideck that can support aircraft up to 4.5 tons. Thislarger than usual capacity allows twin turbine helicop-

ters such as an Augusta 109 or EC 145 to drop or collectpassengers. At night, when the helideck is not in use, ittransforms into a dance floor complete with DJ booth.

CONCLUSIONHaving visited Suerte so many times during her con-struction I was delighted to see the yard’s unstintingattention to quality engineering has been maintainedright the way throughout, even to the impeccable na-ture of the paint and finish. The white hull and super-structure gleam with virgin purity, while gloss blackpainted sections of the superstructure–notoriouslychallenging to get right–are also free of defects.Karsenti made it clear to us that build engineer AlbertMcIlroy had included in the contractual specificationvery limited tolerances where the painting was con-cerned, but also confirmed the implementation ofpenalties was unnecessary. After initial painting oneinevitably discovers ‘blue tape’ flaws, but Tankoa im-mediately repainted any offending sections that didn’tmeet the stringent tolerances without further discus-sion being necessary. Thankfully for the purposes ofthis review, the maiden passage for the delivery fromGenova to Cannes was not a genteel cruise over amillpond. Swell between five and eight foot persistedfor most of the short passage, driven on by headwindsthat fluctuated between 20 and 30-knots. Despite theconditions the cruise proved to be comfortable andprovided the ideal opportunity to check noise levelsthroughout the yacht. With decibel-meter in hand Ifound to my surprise that the twin Caterpillar 16-cylin-ders 3516 DITA proved to be literally inaudible through-out the guest areas of the yacht, and her 14-knotscruising speed the only noise discernable throughout

The owner enjoys a cleverlyarranged suite of staterooms that

include this private office (left). Theraised berth takes in panoramic

views over the private terrace thatincludes a Jacuzzi and 20’ long sofa

with in-built beverage refrigerators.

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Suerte was the AC blowing. McIlroy informed me theabsence of noise and vibration is courtesy of the soundinsulation study conducted by a Dutch company onbehalf of Tankoa. To further kill noise and vibrationtransmission from the engine room, the deck directlyabove was lined with 3”x3” aluminum blocks laid in asynthetic compound highly effective at absorbingnoise and vibration. To jokingly assure me the enginesare actually running, McIlroy then suggests a quick tripdown to the split-level engine room, a shrine to preci-sion engineering where he points out how each sys-tem is easily accessible and every vital valve andswitch is clearly labeled. A little later, back up in thewheelhouse, I’m ensconced in the companion sofa andquizzically checking the speed and consumption fig-ures. At 14-knots in some well-formed swell the con-sumption figures seem to be off. Suerte’s main fueltanks hold 130 tons capacity, but according to myquick calculations I’m coming up with a range of5,500nm… the spec for the boat states 5,500nm at12-knots delivery speed. After rechecking a couple oftimes not to make a fool of myself, I call over RenzoChelazzi–Guido Orsi Sr.’s previous captain who nowfulfills the role of Sales Manager at Tankoa. Chelazzikindly explains the specifications I am comparing myreadings against are the contractual specs, publishedwhen the project was initially reported sold and priorto sea trials but the yard was determined to exceedexpectations in all aspects of the build.Myself, and no doubt the owner the following day, en-joyed the pleasant discovery that the yacht’s range at12-knots is actually 6,500nm and indeed 5,500nm at14-knots… which will no doubt be appreciated by thecaptain during transatlantic deliveries! The same ap-plied to top speed too. We asked Chelazzi to push herrpm to the max during a brief period of calmer water inthe lee of a headland, we recorded a top speed of 18.1-knots with a 68 percent load, compared to her con-tractual speed of 16.5-knots at half load. Speaking ofcaptains and ‘surprise and delight features’, Chelazzirevealed that as a qualified captain and having been in-timately involved in the build process, not only wouldhe and Albert be accompanying the yacht for severalmonths after her delivery to ensure flawless operationof all onboard systems, but should the owner’s captainrequire some time off then Tankoa would make himselfavailable to take command at no extra charge. Nowthat is what we call commitment to aftersales. Ex-ceeding expectation... two words that say it all aboutTankoa’s debut launch.

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The sundeck’s swim-up bar with glassinserts in the pool bottom createsunique skylights for the upper salon.It’s a true highlight and demonstratesTankoa’s technical prowess.

Why is Yacht-Ology so closely linked to Tankoa Yachts?I’ve been building yachts in Holland, Italy, the US andeven Turkey. I’ve had some good experiences andsome less than happy experiences. The issue whenbuilding a custom yacht is that a builder can onlyestimate the final cost of the boat, still, the contractis binding in terms of specs and price. This drivesmost shipyards to charge significant supplementsand permissible delays every time the owner or hissurveyor request changes. At Tankoa, they will dothis only if the change is unaffordable or they don’tconsider it makes the project a better boat. As thesales arm, it has always been difficult for me toexplain to a client that on a deal of this magnitude,the builder requires a supplement to modify thelocation of a built-in sofa on an outdoor deck. WithTankoa I have never had to face this situation. But Imust also admit that the financial strength, theprocesses and the organization were like findingGermany in Italy.

What makes Tankoa different as like to say from all the other shipyards?It is a wide subject and one that would take a longtime to elaborate, but let me go straight to the point.When we hold a strategic meeting at Tankoa, we allsit together; the main shareholded Guido Orsi is thesage amongst us all and then there is his son Guido

Junior, Euro Contenti, Edoardo Ratto and RenzoChelazzi. We all discuss the agenda, we mightdisagree on some points, but in general we all steer in the same direction because we share oneimportant characteristic: our passion for yachtbuilding and the will to produce the best possibleyachts. Suerte is the first Tankoa and we learned alot from building her. I think she is a true success andI can tell you that we will do even better with thecoming projects. But above all, it is like a family andclients can feel it.”

What are Tankoa and your goals for the future?We all share the same. Two years ago, we workedtogether to install a strategy that was both in linewith what we wish to do, and with the capacity ofthe shipyard. What we wish to do is create analternative for clients between typical Italianshipyards and North Europeans. This means offeringextremely high specifications, top quality, NorthEuropean precision engineering with Italian flexibilityand creativity. Getting there is not compatible withhigh production numbers, so we pride ourselves inbeing a ‘boutique shipyard’ and treat our clients aspartners. Our approach is not compatible with thehighly discounted prices some of our Italiancolleagues are known for. Quality has a price and, aswe will never compromise on quality, there is a priceto pay. We now have a 50m under construction and a

second 70m and I’m confident we will soon announcea new sale, which will be perfectly in line with ourprojection of signing two contracts a year, no more.

Northern Europe is held up as a benchmark, isn’t it presumptuous to claim you can achievethat with a new yard?Definitely not sir. I’m willing even to go further andsay we can do better! Not because we are morecapable than our other Italian competitors, butbecause being a debt free company we can spendmore money on quality. Also because we only have alimited production, we need less clients and thusbuild more expensive yachts. Let’s face it and let mecompare a yacht built in Holland to a yacht built inItaly. We use the same steel and alloy even if they dotheir metal work in Poland at very low labor costs,while we do it in Italy at highly controlled facilities. Sojust here, we have better welding. We use the samefillers, the same paint, teak comes from the samecountries, engines, generators, exhaust systems,hydraulic systems, water makers to name a few arecoming from the same suppliers. Why couldn’t we doas good as Holland if we are capable of getting theright money for the yacht?

OK, so you’ve displayed that in the engineeringyou can achieve this, but it is in the finish andattention to detail in luxury spaces that oftendifferences can be felt.Look, you are a well-known journalist and yourpublication understands very well the luxurylifestyle, so perhaps you will understand this point.Can you name a luxury brand from Holland? In Italy,we have Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Prada,Armani, Bulgari, Versace, Cavalli just to name a few.Can you name a Dutch car maker? In Italy we haveFerrari, Lamborghini, Maserati… OK, I admit, they hadVan Gogh, but we also had Michelangelo andLeonardo Da Vinci.

OK, so how does this translate into yachting though?Let’s be serious, the creativity and flexibility a clientcan find in Italy cannot be found anywhere else in theworld. So trust me, to build the world’s best yachts itonly requires us to hold the wheel strongly, not evento change our heading, and you will see that byexplaining to clients that quality has a cost, we willsucceed in building two yachts a year of extremelyhigh quality and at a price that will surely be higherthan the usual Italian prices, but still under Hollandand Germany. When you will visit the 50m at thetime it approaches completion, I will be glad tointroduce you to the owner and you will hear fromhim about his experience.

Time with…Michel Karsenti

Founder of Yacht-Ology

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