The Italian Art of Shipbuilding

The Denison sales team tours 15 shipyards in Italy.

This article was written by Sarah Nadler.

The birthplace of all things beautiful, Italy has long been known worldwide as one of the superpowers of building boats. With a long history in shipbuilding dating back hundreds of years, it comes as no surprise that Italy is responsible for a large number of the boats produced around the world. In particular, almost half of the superyachts currently in production globally (ranging from on order to under construction) are produced in Italy, according to BOAT International.

Denison prides itself as a leader in the yachting industry, staying up to date on industry standards, deepening relationships, and maintaining presence worldwide. A large part of these efforts are the annual shipyard tours that the Denison team embarks upon. This year, Denison visited Italy for the third time to tour some of the biggest superyacht shipbuilders.

Riccardo Solci, Denison yacht broker and native Italian, joined the team on this year’s trip to his motherland. A lover of all things Italian-made (and not just because he was born in Milan), Riccardo recounted his experience touring some of the most beautiful boats in the business: “Growing up in Italy, the concept of design, fashion, and aesthetics mix with the sense of national pride for the famous car brands, the beauty of our cities and history. And as typical Italians, we have an inner belief that all of this makes us special and that it why the whole world wants to visit Italy sooner or later.”

“There is also an industrial reality of Italy that few have the opportunity to admire from within, and even fewer to sit at the conference tables with the management leading its course: the yachting industry. It was a sincere life honor to be able to enter the shipyards that made the history of Italian shipbuilding; a dream come true to see welders and carpenters working in orchestra with designers and engineers.”

It’s not surprising that even a once-local departed the likes of Ferretti and Sanlorenzo shipyards with such feelings of awe and wonder. Known for their sleek design, high performance, and notable quality, Italian yachts can wow even the most avid yachtsmen. Some of the most radical changes in the industry and biggest yachting innovations came from the land of pasta and wine (and so much more).

With some of the most impressive (and oldest) shipyards in Italy dating back to the 19th century, there’s something to be said for experience. Years and years of boat building has led the way, literally and figuratively, to first-class craftsmanship and expertise. Geography comes into play as well in a country whose majority of its borders are surrounded by the sea. From then to now, boat building has had an enormous presence in Italy, for a multitude of purposes.

On the five-day shipyard tour, the Denison team visited some of the most impressive superyacht builders in the industry fifteen to be exact. “Within the walls of Codecasa or Rossinavi,” Riccardo shared, “I could feel the heritage of Italian entrepreneurship with its quality and pride. At Benetti, the weight of a yacht and superyacht powerhouse ahead of everyone else in the world in terms of numbers of units produced per year and name recognition: an achievement that is possible through a long history and not recent fashion trends. And at Baglietto, the awareness of being welcomed in the oldest shipyard in the world.”

Other shipyards visited on the trip included CdM, Columbus, ISA, Extra, CRN, Wider, Italian Sea Group, Logica, and Overmarine each with notable builds that the team could not stop beaming over (no pun intended). One by one, every shipyard had something new to offer Denison brokers and management.

“It did not matter how tough the challenges of shipbuilding can be,” Riccardo continued, “from design to construction, to finance to worldwide distribution and post-sale customer care (probably the most difficult challenge of all). These jewels of the Italian economy have been navigating full steam forward through calm and rough waters for centuries.”

“I believe more than ever in the beauty and quality of Italian yachting, and I am forever grateful to Denison Yachting for having opened to me the doors of a part of my country that I would have not visited otherwise.”

Very passionate about these shipyard tours, Denison Chief Operating Officer Ben Farnborough cites multiple benefits to the yearly visits. For one, they are educational, enabling the team, and particularly brokers, “to learn specifically about the yards and their capabilities,” as well as new projects. The learning doesn’t stop there, though. Visiting shipyards, brokers can discover the client experience while building a new yacht, and therefore serve clients better. Beyond that, these trips build bonds, both internally within the Denison team and with the builders and other industry leaders. The building never stops.

Visiting the shipyards in Italy showcased the best the country has to offer–quality, design, and beauty. Arrivederci!

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