Italian Yacht-Maker Benetti Celebrates 150 Years Of Excellence

One hundred and fifty years of values, handed down from father to son – and now, daughter – with a passion for excellence, design and technological innovation has seen Benetti become the first and foremost house of yachting.

In true Italian fashion – a family affair – Benetti hosted three days of celebration at the Viareggio and Livorno shipyards with owners, employees and officials. A shipyard that over the years has been able to create real works of art, and the only one that can boast an example kept at the same home with Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, the Brigantino San Giorgio, launched in 1921, now resides at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan.

A brief history of Benetti is necessary for understanding its true significance in the world of yachts. In the 1960’s, under the helm of Lorenzo Benetti, the shipyard revolutionised the yachting world by switching construction from wood to steel, birthing the concept of the mega yacht with the Delfino, Gabbiano and Mediterraneo series, which became iconic boats. They symbolised legendary tales of the aristocracy, celebrity and international jet set in the years of ‘la dolce vita’ – from Rainier III, Prince of Monaco to David Bowie, who used to spend his holidays on his El Caran with Mick Jagger, Robin Williams, and Michael Caine, to The Beatles, who were often guests of their manager, the owner of a Delfino Benetti. As Benetti’s reputation kept growing, Adnan Kashoggi commissioned the most famous yacht of all time: the Nabila later renamed the Trump Princess by Donald Trump. Its extraordinary lines and luxurious fittings on board caused curiosity and a stir. The Nabila became such an icon that it was immortalised in James Bond’s film ‘Never Say Never’. The band Queen also immortalised the Nabila with the song “Kashoggi’s Boat”.

In 1985, Benetti was acquired by Paolo Vitelli, the young owner of the Azimut yard. A true pioneer who anticipated what would later became a component of conscious industrial development, Paolo Vitelli built the world’s first diesel-electric yacht the Ambrosia in 2006. He also established an in-house R&D centre, focusing on reducing consumption and increasing the use of sustainable materials. One of the company’s latest creations embodies Benetti’s technology and know-how: Luminosity launched in 2020, with its 107 meters, is the largest Giga yacht with a hybrid propulsion engine. In 2022, the B.Yond 37-meter was awarded the greenest yacht in its class, for its innovative hybrid propulsion system. In the same year, the yard revolutionised the concept of on-board lifestyle with the Oasis Deck™ series – its side-wing sterns that open flush to the water created a new trend in the industry.

To celebrate this extraordinary milestone, Benetti invited its ship-owners to attend a spectacular evening at the Livorno Shipyard, which, thanks to its majestic 250,000 square meters area, is the largest shipyard in the Mediterranean. Inside one of the warehouses, next to a yacht under construction, Belgian architect and set designer Charles Kaisin recalled the history of Benetti in an extraordinarily creative way and, with more than 50 waiters cum actors, entertained the guests with touches of brilliance: dishes served under cloches in the shape of ancient vessels, ‘sound’ shells from which to hear sounds and voices of a yacht under construction, a ‘flying’ pianist and soprano suspended in mid-air, and hundreds of swaying lights to the pulsing rhythm of music. Outside, the marina proudly displayed some of Benetti’s most iconic yachts, including the El Caran that once belonged to David Bowie, and the very latest of the B.Now and Oasis Deck™ series, creating a luminous landscape setting.

Truly a night to remember and a milestone for both Benetti and ship-owners alike.