YCS – YACHTING IN COSTA SMERALDA INTERNATIONAL

THE THREE VISIONARIES

THE RENOWNED SHIPYARD FOUNDED BY FABIO PERINI, WHOSE FORWARDLOOKING VISION COMES TRUE WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THREE-MASTED SHIP WORLDWIDE, THE MALTESE FALCON, REVIVES TODAY THANKS TO THE AHEADOF-THE-TIMES APPROACH OF GIOVANNI COSTANTINO, FOUNDER OF THE ITALIAN SEA GROUP. THE ‘NEW ERA’ OF SUPERYACHT CANNOT DO WITHOUT TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, MATERIALS’ QUALITY AND BUILDING STANDARDS.

There are two big sailing ships able to draw attention: the ship Amerigo Vespucci and the clipper The Maltese Falcon. This is an amazing sailing superyacht carrying a black falcon on her mainsail, born from the encounter of two game-changing men. CEO of Hewlett Packard Computers and tycoon of the Silicon Valley Tom Perkins wanted a 88m super technological clipper (289 feet) that he could steer by himself; this entailed having rotating masts and electronically-managed sails. Fabio Perini accepted the challenge, and won. The “mission impossibile” of the nautical industry set new cutting-edge standards. When he was delivered the Maltese Falcon in 2006, Tom Perkins rejoiced in a childlike manner, holding a joystick in his hand and a big smile on his face: for a couple of hours he sailed with a group of journalists, electronically managing the Falcon’s masts and sails. Many years later and after the shipyard’s failure, The Italian Sea Group Founder & CEO Giovanni Costantino (TISG) took over the brand late last year and he is now going to relaunch Perini Navi’s reputation. The basics integrated in the still-sailing 59 Perini ships will be kept (advanced design, sail plan automation, mobile keel, wide outer spaces, habitability and comfort, quality, safety); at the same time, technological advancements, design developments and materials’ innovations will be introduced. Just like Fabio Perini, Giovanni Costantino knows how to differently and uniquely approach the market, with no compromises in terms of construction and final product quality. The plans to Perini’s relaunch are set: firstly, the brand will exclusively be tied to “very big sailing ships which observe tradition and landmark features though welcoming design innovation, sails improve ments and advanced propulsive engine solutions. Currently, The Italian Sea Group counts five ordered ships: one 47m sloop; one 60m ketch; two 56m ketches and one 47m catamaran (“confidential”). They will integrate the comfort and the wide spaces basics of Perini Navi, using metal hulls with masts being exclusively carbon-made. The new 47m sloop for instance will boast ‘a much sharper design with cutting-edge functional and aesthetics inputs’. Carbon and its derivatives will be used not only for the impressive 62.5m mast and boom, but also for the shrouds. A carbon-kevlar mix will be used for stays. Carbon and light materials will be found also in details, covering accessorizes and finishes. We also know that the hull will be aluminum-made. ‘The new flying bridge will be even wider, while the two on-side steering and operations areas underline the more dynamic approach of Perini’s new ships’. This innovative style, concerning also the design concept and the furniture choice, signed by TISG, will be appreciated with the delivery of the ship next year. In the meantime, ten of the 56m series have been already delivered (with aluminum masts and carbon boom with electric furlers, opening transom to create a wide platform and beach); just as the 60m models (three already delivered and a fourth currently under construction). The superb ketch Badis (former Sybaris) is the flagship of the custom projects: 70m long, aluminum superstructure, carbon boom and masts (71.6m for the main one, 61m for the mizzenmast), a state-of-the art sail plan, two variable-speed generators and two polymer lithium battery pack for no-noise running.