Sanlorenzo’s 60th anniversary has impressive premieres to showcase at Cannes Yachting Festival and Monaco Yacht Show. In addition, more Sanlorenzo sales to Singapore and Hong Kong owners, will mark a star-studded 60th anniversary year for this leading Italian yard. An SL78 and SD92 are bound for Hong Kong, sold by Simpson Marine, while the first Sanlorenzo 500EXP Ocean Dreamwalker 111 will also voyage to the China Coast after making her debut in Monaco in September. Another SX88 was sold here in July. New models include the Sanlorenzo Asymmetric SL102, already ordered by an Asian owner for delivery in 2019, and the SX76, second model of the SX crossover line that began with the SX88 last year, which will be officially presented at Cannes Yachting Festival. Sanlorenzo’s Chairman and CEO Massimo Perotti told 60th anniversary guests at Elite Days in La Spezia that the yard was experiencing “extraordinary growth”, raising its turnover from €40 million in 2005 to €300 million last year.

Sanlorenzo 500 EXP

In 60 years, Sanlorenzo has in fact built over 750 yachts, each one different because it is adapted to the specific requests of clients. The yard currently ranks third in BI’s Global Order Book of the top twenty world builders of yachts over 24m. Another €24 million would be spent on improvements at La Spezia, Perotti said, €20 million at Amelgia’s fibreglass facility, and €16
million on the acquisition of FIPA yards at Massa and Viareggio. R&D would account for a further €30 million.

Sanlorenzo was founded in 1958 by Gianfranco Cecchi and Giuliano Pecchia, whose initial yard was near Florence. Giovanni Jannetti took over the company called Sanlorenzo Shipyards in 1972, and its first fibreglass hull boat was launched in 1985. Strong growth in the 80s and 90s led to a move to Ameglia in 1999, where the HQ is still located. In 2005 Perotti, first CFO of Azimut-Benetti with Chairman Paoli Vitelli and now CEO of Azimut, took the baton from Giovanni Jannetti and added a new production site in Viareggio. Displaying an early interest in the potential of the Asia-Pacific region, Vitelli and Perotti used to visit Hong Kong and Japan in the mid 80s, where they formed first liaisons with Mike Simpson of Simpson Marine. In 2016 the decision was made to acquire a formidable production site at La Spezia, now home of Sanlorenzo Superyachts. Sanlorenzo today specialises in production of planing Composite motor yachts from 76 to 118 feet, which is the SL line, semidisplacement motor yachts from 92 to 126 feet, the SD line, and crossover yachts such as the newly introduced fast displacement SX line, with its SX88 and now SX76.

In addition, the yard has also begun designing and building superyachts in metal from 40 to 80 meters. Of the 21 superyachts ordered to date, 15 are still under construction. The 500EXP, for example, is a customer-driven expansion of the 460EXP, which is the Sanlorenzo explorer yacht. Ocean Dreamwalker 111, launched with a Buddhist ceremony in respect for the traditions of the Chinese owner, was developed in close consultation with the owner, and makes possible a longer stern, making a helicopter landing area possible without losing the configuration of a superyacht explorer.

Sanlorenzo SX76

Measuring 47m and 500 gross tonnes, the 500EXP revolutionises the concept of the expedition yacht. This one, ready for world-girding adventures on the open sea, is packed with “toys” and other gadgets. The new crossover SX76 yacht, meanwhile, follows the great success of the SX88 at last year’s editions of the Cannes, Genoa, Dusseldorf and Miami Boat Shows, as evidenced by 13 sales to date. The SX project is described as “a happy and intelligent synthesis between the classic motor yacht with flybridge, of which Sanlorenzo has been, and continues to be, one of the first protagonists in the world, and the recent and growing explorer model”.

Space precludes a lengthy rendition of the many features, but sea trials are available in Cannes, and this would be an excellent setting for what the maker says is “the total family feeling of the SX line”. Another new model, already raising much interest in Asia, is the Sanlorenzo Asymmetric SL 102, “a motor yacht that goes a step further than others”.

“Look at the port side, the starboard side and the bow”, says a spokesman. “The SL102 is not the same from one side to the other. Sanlorenzo once again dares to offer something never seen before, never thought of, never created in yachting. A boat with different sides”.

“The starboard side has a deck that leads seamlessly from the aft cockpit to the bow living area, along with the bulwark at living room level opens to form a terrace. The port side, on the other hand, looks like a wide body hull, thus a yacht much larger than the 31m of the SL102”. The original idea is from Chris Bangle, the brilliant car designer who has recently collaborated with the shipyard, its technicians and interior designers. There are also asymmetric layouts, such as a European one and an American version. Finally, and while on car connections, Sanlorenzo recently partnered with Rolls Royce for the regional Asia-Pacific launch of their new Cullinan, described as the maker’s “effortless, everywhere” all-terrain car.

sanlorenzo@simpsonmarine.com