There is something unquestionably elegant to sailing craft, something that stirs your senses and turns your thoughts to the long history of maritime exploration and navigation across the seven seas.
With motors far easier to steer, sighting a vessel travelling at full sail is a wondrous spectacle. So rarely in the word of super yachts is the actual act of sailing focused on, often eclipsed by the mere presence of these immense vessels in the sun-drenched harbors they find themselves docked. Yet amid the world of super yachts exists a company that is as synonymous with technical seamanship as it is with the elegance of their vessels. That company is Perini Navi.
Founded in 1983 the company’s first foray into super yacht construction came when Fabio Perini, unable to locate a vessel that matched his own thoughts and concepts on what made for a successful yacht, decided to create his own. An entrepreneur and already established as a successful businessman, Perini’s prototype proved to be the first in what is now one of the most successful series of large sailing yachts in the world.
After the completion of their first vessel the company continued with further construction of larger yachts ranging from 43 to 58 metres in length. With the increase in size of their projects over the years the company eventually found themselves needing additional space for construction, acquiring two new shipping yards for these purposes in the late Eighties, the Yildiz shipyard in Turkey where all hull construction and metalwork is undertaken, and the Viareggio shipyard on the Tuscan Coast.
The acquisition of these two sites has been pivotal in helping Perini Navi develop and maintain their position as an industry leader in the super yacht market. It is at these locations that designs are drafted for future craft and of course the long list of commissions that the company takes on throughout each year are evolved with their clients.
With their headquarters situated in Viareggio the company has remained stringent in maintaining control over all aspects of design within each construction, from hull, to sail controls to the software used to sail the vessels themselves. One of the most remarkable systems Perini Navi have developed is a direct relay from yacht to the Viareggio offices, allowing for the design and construction teams to constantly assess the performance and efficiency of each boat launched.
Design has always been at the forefront of the company’s output, with the most recent editions to the Perini Navi fleet serving as perfect examples to their ongoing quest to innovate in all areas of yacht design without compromising their vision.
The launch of the 60 metre Seahawk marked an evolution in Perini Navi’s fleet
A larger and more powerful vessel, yet lighter in the water then earlier models. Featuring a new lifting keel shape, allowing for greater speed, the Seahawk is a formidable sight, recently seen under sail in the 2013 Perini Navi Cup. With masts constructed from aluminum and carbon fibre booms, the inclusion of advanced building materials allows for less weight without sacrificing strength or reliability. On deck, newly designed captive reel winches are able to measure the loads on them in operation and self-regulate their reeling speed via inbuilt sensors.
Well known for their ketch vessels the company will soon be reaching a new landmark with the launch of their first 60 metre single-mast yacht, the second vessel in the company’s next-generation of launches.
THE TURNING OF THE HULL
Most notable, alongside the developments in onboard technology, is the sheer size of the structures aboard this yacht. The new sloop features a mainmast tube measuring in at 72.2 metres, making it one of just a handful of yachts globally that, due to regulations, will be too tall to navigate the Panama Canal. At 22.2 metres, the boom attached to this is one of the four largest furling booms ever built. Whilst the size of these structures may be a talking point it does not detract from the quality of the equipment used on them, coming complete with custom built carbon rigging courtesy of Future Fibres, and an impressively light sail constructed by Doyle Sailmakers in America, made from newly developed reinforced polyester. Features like these have become synonymous with the yachts manufactured by Perini Navi and it won’t be too long before the company unveils further advancements in the technology used aboard.
The idea of stretching back on the deck of a yacht docked in Cannes before inviting everyone aboard to party may be the main aspiration of those looking to charter a boat, but the real pleasure should be derived from the act of sailing itself. Admiring the build quality on these recent additions to Perini Navi’s fleet, it’s easy to see why so many chose to sail with them.
Continuing to set new standards of excellence and innovation within the super yacht industry, whilst maintaining the classic designs that encapsulate the joy of sailing, Perini Navi continue their course of creating exceptional modern sailing boats with quality always at the forefront of their mind.
Pictured: The creation of Perini Navi’s New 60 metre Seahawk.
Feature published in JOSHUA’s Magazine Issue TWO
