PROJECTS & STORIES | Giants of the sea

by Francesca Molteni


There’s a vital spirit even in the most sophisticated, high performance, technological giants that cross the seas, expertly cutting through the waves, drawing the routes of the future. Forward momentum, for the leaders of Italian manufacturing, where the skills of the shipyard meet the desires of ship owners for tailor-made construction, where contact with the sea weds comfort, where sustainability objectives are connected to speed, performance to style. Experimentation, production and service. Beautiful and well-made, reliable, and always one step ahead. We’re talking about mega yachts—and their number one builder globally, the largest private Group in the boating industry, with six shipyards and over 40 models in production. An Italian leader, Azimut | Benetti, a colossus that feels more like a colossal family, which arose from the vision of founder Paolo Vitelli, who has been company Chairman for 40 years. Now his daughter Giovanna, Vice President of the Group, is taking the helm, a lawyer who, in the early 2000s, tore up her airplane ticket for a job at a legal studio in the United States and joined the family business.

     The sea seems obvious for those who live and work in boating, but what is it to you? A passion and an obsession that has influenced your personal and professional choices?
_   I was born at sea, my personal story is intrinsically linked to that of the company, which my father founded in 1969, the years of my childhood and incredible growth for him. I spent entire weekends on the docks to see him, we’d go out to test things at sea, holidays were a chance to try out the prototypes. There was a white piece of paper near the entrance to the ship, where everyone in the family could jot down suggestions for improvements.
It was all a big game, which has proven to be useful in my professional life, the idea of looking at something and asking yourself: ‘How could this be better? What’s truly special about this boat and what can be improved?’ We were always really proud when our suggestions were taken into consideration. They’re sensations that stay with you, get under your skin. And then, it’s such a fascinating world that it was easy to become passionate about it.

     And how did you come into contact with the world of design and, as a creative Made in Italy business, how important is it for your projects?
_   I learned about design early on. Boats are, fundamentally, design objects and containers, they have both those meanings. My father was a great visionary. In my opinion, one of the greatest revolutions in nautical design was one of his intuitions, the substitution of the porthole. In the 1990s, Azimut was the first to revolutionise life on board by introducing hull windows. Since then, the only way to bring light into the cabins was through the iconic six large square openings, which then evolved into full windows. It’s the idea of design understood as form and function. That which I helped bring about was an important reflection on the interiors. For many years, the style seen within yachts was very repetitive, very few designers and an old-school interpretation of luxury, meaning opulence, back-lit materials, shiny briar wood. This awareness led us to new experiments, to search for new collaborations in other industries, such as hotels and industrial design. Our revolution refreshed boating and brought in new stylistic codes, an evolution in the concept of luxury for interiors, from showy opulence to understated elegance.

     In July 2022, Benetti launched B.Yond 37m, the first of a new series of Voyagers, which integrates four decks in 37 meters. Privacy, functionality and comfort for the world’s greenest yacht in its category. The furnishings are by Giorgetti. What are the distinguishing features of the architectural project, the interiors and green technology?
_  We’ve created a new line, whose progenitor was the Benetti B.Yond 37m, a revolutionary concept in the sailing industry, that of a Voyager, which is halfway between a mega yacht and an explorer, long-distance boats, for modern journeys around the world in 80 days, for those who can explore. Thus, it needed to be comfortable and well appointed, but a bit more essential compared to the classic luxury mega yacht. It’s a less-is-more aesthetic that leads to elegance rather than redundancy. We also imagined a clean, pure architectural box for the interiors, which could welcome statement furniture and decorative elements. Among the brands that operate under this aesthetic, Giorgetti was unanimously chosen because it best embodies this perfect combination. It’s the quintessence of product quality without unnecessary flair.

     What are the similarities and differences between the two brands?
_   We’ve found we share the same values, stylistic similarities and a keen attention to quality. A promise kept. As for the differences, we’re used to a high level of customisation, we’re made-to-measure tailors. We propose a concept, and we try to guide our clients, because that object bears our brand, while listening to their needs.
Giorgetti is a brand accustomed to interpreting this choice at its origin. We found a lot of comprehension for the organisational and logistical needs, and for the changes requested by our clients, and a lot of support when managing complexity. Extreme flexibility.

     To then arrive at the furniture, especially outdoors, which in your case is subjected to extreme conditions. What can the design world learn from the sailing industry?
_   The challenge in boat making goes beyond that of simple outdoors, it is a battle with salt, wind and sun. Here, the quality of the materials is fundamental, as is their ability to last over time, and here’s the real difference between one company and the next. Such high-level quality is often in conflict with aesthetics.

     The other major challenge of today is sustainability, for a truly excellent product. How are you approaching it?
_   That’s the true challenge, not only of the present but also of the past. Producing a hybrid today means having designed and developed it many years ago. The real challenge in our industry, as in many others, is creating reliable solutions that are state-of-the-art in terms of available technology, while still keeping track of longer-term goals. Our company has two important solutions depending on the size. For yachts up to 24 meters, we’re the Group that promises and delivers the lowest energy use possible, and thus the lowest emissions.
They’re important achievements, numbers that go from 20% to 30% less compared to the average, the result of a decade of research, mistakes, rehashing, investments and know-how. For mega yachts, the B.Yond 37m is a true milestone, because hybrids in sailing are more difficult to create. Unlike an automobile, we have neither brakes nor downhill, those moments in which energy is generated. We thus have to create energy and be very efficient in its use. With this boat, we’ve gotten very significant results. We’re talking about up to a 70% reduction of NOx and a 24-25% reduction of CO2 in the most efficient modes of use. And in fact, it’s considered the best hybrid in the world.

     Now that you’ve achieved those goals, is there an objective that you’ve set your sights on for the near future?
_   In 2024, we’ll launch a line, this time under the Azimut brand, which will be the quintessence of these goals, making the most of investments not in a product, but in a range of products. It’s a bold approach because it will be positioned as more accessible. The challenge is, in some way, to educate our consumers; a challenge that’s philosophical, not just commercial. And of course, to uphold the spirit of a family company with vision, carrying forth its DNA and values with the challenges of size, in a logic of reinforcement and continuity.


it was all a big game, which has proven to be useful in my professional life, the idea of looking at something and asking yourself: ‘How could this be better? What’s truly special about this boat and what can be improved?'
—Giovanna Vitelli