It is one of the most remarkable success stories in the yacht building industry in recent times. You could almost call it a meteoric rise. The Italia Yachts shipyard in Venice was founded just over ten years ago and the first model was launched under the name 10.98. As the driving force behind the highly committed market offensive, industry heavyweight Franco Corazza shaped the face of the young brand with a very special brand identity. People still remember the polarising look of the first performance cruisers from Italia Yachts with the strikingly positive yacht stern and the conspicuously slanted windows in the hull and superstructure.
A lot has happened for the brand in the meantime. To date, Italia Yachts has developed a total of eight completely new models with hull lengths of between ten and 20 metres. In addition, the Italia 9.98 and 11.98 models have won no less than three ORC world championship titles and many other international regatta successes in the last four years. An Italia Yachts boat has been nominated for the European Yacht of the Year award four times, with the Italia Yacht 13.98 winning the title in 2013.
The lines of the Italia Yacht 12.98 are unusually slender
In addition, the company has been completely reorganised in recent years with different investors. Founder Franco Corazza has left the company and handed over the reins to a young management team headed by Daniele de Tullio and former Dufour man Sebastien Nolasco. And the shipyard has now set up a new production facility in Fano on the Italian Adriatic coast with a total capacity of 40 newbuilds per year. So there is a lot going on at Italia Yachts. The new change of design partner for the latest addition to the shipyard's programme fits in with this. The construction plans for the new Italia Yacht (IY for short) 12.98 have once again been drawn up by Maurizio Cossutti, who worked for the brand from the very beginning.
Cossutti's latest design for Italia Yachts now stands out above all for its unusually slender lines. With a hull length of over 13 metres, the new IY 12.98 is only 3.96 metres wide. The aspect ratio (ratio of length to width) is an atypically high 3.33. The current benchmark for yachts of this size and orientation is an aspect ratio of 3.0. The potential competitors to the IY 12.98 and older models of the brand from designer Matteo Polli are proportionally wider than the latest vessel.
Two different versions
Apart from the two largest yachts in the shipyard programme (IY 16.98 and 20.98), Italia Yachts offers all models in two different versions as completely independent types, including the new IY 12.98. The IY 12.98 Fuoriserie version is intended for sailors who want to compete in ambitious regattas with a crew. This version focusses on high performance potential. The boat has a T-shaped keel with a slightly greater draught, more and better trim options on deck, a longer bowsprit and a regatta-orientated cockpit layout with primary and secondary sheet winches on the coaming and roof winches on the cabin superstructure. And there are no windows in the hull.
However, the Bellissima version was available to us for the YACHT test. In this version, the boat is a performance cruiser with a relatively strong focus on the needs of cruising sailors. In addition to a significant increase in living comfort and interior equipment standards, this also includes more touring-orientated equipment on deck, for example with a solid table in the cockpit or a folding bathing platform.
Bellissima means beautiful. In this case, the name says it all, especially for the interior fittings
The layout in the cockpit is also different. On the Bellissima boat, all sheets, halyards and trim lines are led back inside the cabin superstructure and coaming to the helm stations. Instead, the cockpit and the cabin superstructure at the companionway remain free of sheet guides. The concept of two completely different layouts for sport and touring is currently being implemented by many manufacturers in a very similar form.
With the boats from Italia Yachts, the arrangement is also designed in such a way that it is possible to convert or retrofit between the variants at a later date without any problems and with relatively little effort, for example in the event of a change of owner.
On the Bellissima, two very large sheet winches are available aft on both sides to handle the no fewer than eleven lines that arrive aft. The winches can also be easily reached by the helmsman behind the wheel, which is an advantage for sailors who like travelling with a small crew or alone. However, the powerful tight-hauled winches are extremely close together and also very close to the stopper batteries. The distances are short and the pulling angles from the clamps to the winches are therefore sometimes unfavourable. And you have to try to keep an overview and be patient if you need to manoeuvre quickly and actually have to work on both winches. What's more, the many sheets in the rear cockpit can quickly become tangled up because there are no proper halyard swivels in the working area.
The Italia Yacht 12.98 impresses in the test with its handling and surprisingly good performance data
Steering the IY 12.98, on the other hand, is simply a dream. The boat sits beautifully on the rudder, especially close to the wind, can be steered perfectly on the wind edge with a pleasantly light rudder pressure and reacts without delay to the impulses of the very directly tuned steering. At 6.6 knots, the slim yacht runs hard on the wind with good height at an angle of 40 degrees to the true wind direction. And with her sharply cut bow, she also gets through the waves very well without pitching. The IY 12.98 is also pleasingly dynamic, especially on the fast courses on the beam with the 180 square metre top gennaker. With rigorous steering, the imposing boat can be actively steered like a planing dinghy. Pressure is quickly converted into speed. With only a medium wind up to a maximum of 15 knots, the boat sometimes logs double-digit values.
The good performance data is surprising in view of the fact that the test boat - the prototype equipped with all technical options - was obviously considerably heavier than calculated for the ship in its standard configuration. In addition, there were problems with the rigging during the test because the shrouds were pressed down too long and the necessary rig tension could not be built up as required.
The very robust steering system comes from the manufacturer Jefa and is easily accessible through the aft peak.
Italia Yachts is known for its stylish, modern and very cosy interiors
A continuous cable pull connects the steering wheels to the rudder quadrant, which is common on many yachts. This means that the system is not completely redundant, but the autopilot system is connected directly to the quadrant. In the event of a defect on the steering cable, the boat could still be steered reasonably well via the autopilot.
As well as their excellent sailing characteristics, Italia Yachts boats are known for their stylish, modern and very cosy interiors. In the Bellissima version, the boat has a higher quality and more extensive interior below deck than in the sporty Fuoriserie version, where weight reduction and sober functionality are more important than cosiness and living comfort. The attractive but also very unconventional interior design of the new boat was created by designer Mirko Arbore. His unique style is characterised by straight lines, corners, edges and an exciting interplay of different colour contrasts and surfaces. The sliding blinds with teak slats, which run sideways through the entire lounge as a visual stylistic element, are also very special. Although these are beautiful and undoubtedly functional, they also appear rather fragile and sensitive to impact.
The layout of the Italia Yacht 12.98
The general layout remains conventional with two cabins aft and a large owner's cabin forward. There are also two good-sized heads with a separate shower area. Unfortunately, the shipyard does not utilise the entire width of the ship for the berths in the aft cabins. For this purpose, the berths are divided by the
Engine compartment additionally restricted. It is therefore very cramped for two people in the back. The forward berth is more comfortable for double occupancy. The two sofas in the saloon are also ideal for sleeping.
The pantry scores with its high level of functionality and an enormous amount of storage space. There are also plenty of shelves and large compartments for pans and pots. Unfortunately, there is no flexible cover for the three-burner gas hob. This could significantly increase the work surface. In keeping with the trend, navigation is no longer provided for the IY 12.98.
There is also plenty of storage space below deck. Two long rows of overhead lockers are standard in the Bellissima version, and additional storage space can be found under the berths and sofas as well as in nicely sized lockers in the cabins. What is missing below deck, however, are usable handrails. Good handholds are only available at the companionway and in the galley. Further forward in the saloon, on the other hand, you will look in vain for something to hold on to while travelling.
Conclusion: a very beautiful and special boat
Of course, it is generally difficult to judge the build quality of a prototype because in many cases these boats are not yet built to the usual shipyard standards. Nevertheless, inconsistent gap dimensions, creaking floorboards, unsightly Sika joints and jammed doors are annoying and detract from the enjoyment of the boat. On the other hand, it is comforting to know that Italia Yachts can do a better and more beautiful job with the interior fittings in series production than was shown on our test boat. The Italia Yacht 12.98 has a standardised base price of a good 460,000 euros for both versions, Bellissima and Fuoriserie. This is interesting because the shipyard puts together corresponding equipment packages in advance for both the chic touring version and the sporty regatta version and then integrates these into the scope of delivery. Customers benefit from this, as the otherwise often cost-intensive extras are already included. Nevertheless, the basic price of the boat remains attractive, even in comparison with the competition.
Conclusion: With the IY 12.98, Italia Yachts has put a very beautiful and special boat on sale that impresses with its versatility and also shows strength under sail. The market segment for performance cruisers with a hull length of around 13 metres may not currently be very large, but it is very exquisite. It remains to be seen whether the newcomer from Italy will be able to hold its own against this strong competition.
The Italia Yacht 12.98 in detail
Technical data
- Designer: Cossutti Yacht Design
- CE design category: A
- Hull length: 13.16 m
- Total length: 14.30 m
- Waterline length: 11.20 m
- Width: 3.96 m
- Draught/alternative: 2.40/2.46 m
- Mast height above WL: 20.80 m
- Theor. hull speed: 8.1 kn
- Weight: 8.5 tonnes
- Ballast/proportion: 2.7 t/28.4 %
- Mainsail: 61.0 m2
- Genoa (105 %): 52.0 m²
- Gennaker: 180.0 m²
- Engine (Volvo P.): 36 kW/49 hp
- Fuel tank: 210 litres
- Fresh water tank: 360 litres
- Holding tanks: 2x 40 litres
Equipment and prices
- Base price ex shipyard: € 460,410
- Price ready to sail*: € 488,330
- Comfort price *: € 530,255
- Warranty/against osmosis 2/2 years
Prices as of 02/2023
* how the prices shown are defined can be found here !
Hull and deck construction
- GRP sandwich with foam core and vinyl ester resin
- Built with vacuum infusion
- Structural floor assembly with carbon fibre reinforcements
Rig
- Two-saling aluminium rig from manufacturer Seldén
- The shrouds (standard 1x19 wire) are on the outside of the hull
- The mast is inserted
Sailing
- Standard is the genoa with 105 %, overlap and centreboard rails on the cabin superstructure
- The sails are not included in the basic price
- A mainsail with a wide topsail is possible as an option. In this case, the rig is trimmed with runners
- A self-tacking jib is available as an option
- The buyer determines the manufacturer, the scope and the quality of the sail inventory himself. There are no limits
Layout:
- Only one layout
- Three cabins and two bathrooms are standard
- The aft berths are narrow for two people, but the sofas in the saloon also make good single berths
- The coffee table can be lowered for this purpose
Rudder and keel:
- The relatively slim design from Cossutti manages with only one, but quite deep rudder blade
- Two keels to choose from
- The standard L-shaped keel is slightly shorter, but heavier than the performance keel with lead torpedo
Motorisation
- The D2-50 from Volvo Penta with saildrive and folding propeller is installed ex shipyard
- No motorisation variants are planned
Batteries
- Standard AGM batteries
- 2x 130 Ah for the consumers, 1x 130 Ah for the motor
Shipyard
Italia Yachts,
61040 Castelvecchio di Monteporzio (Italy)
Distribution
Italia Yachts Germany,
D-24977, Langballig
YACHT rating
Attractive performance cruiser from Italy with considerable performance potential and a high fun factor. The boat is available with two different deck layouts for cruising and racing. The interior of the boat is beautifully finished and the price is also right.
Design and concept
- + Two independent variants
- + Attractive appearance
- + Modern, powerful crack
- - No baking boxes
Sailing performance and trim
- + High performance potential
- + Perfectly harmonised controls
- - Little space for tall ships
- - Winches close together
Living and finishing quality
- + Modern interior design
- + Large, functional wet rooms
- - Narrow aft berths
- - Missing handrails
Equipment and technology
- + Self-tacking jib as an option
- + High-quality fittings on deck
- + Bowsprit in two lengths
- - Control system not redundant
