As they get older, many sailors switch to a motorboat out of convenience. With Sanlorenzo boss Massimo Perotti it is the other way round. The passionate boat builder, who transformed the Sanlorenzo brand into one of the most successful companies in the superyacht world within 20 years and who recently integrated the Finnish shipyard Nautor into his company empire, is changing sides on the water and focussing on wind propulsion.
In search of innovative solutions
It was only a year ago that Perotti started 50 metre long "Almax" the first yacht with methanol fuel cells. The steel displacer built by Sanlorenzo continues to serve as a test laboratory for the ecological propulsion system, which enables open-plan layouts thanks to a small engine room. "Almax" went to a new owner this summer, which is why the shipyard boss decided to order the large aluminium Swan. Delivery is expected in spring 2028. At a press conference at the Monaco Yacht Show, Perotti joked cheerfully that his wife first had to mentally adjust to the new type of yacht and travelling with a heel. He also has little experience with sailing yachts to date, in contrast to his daughter Cecilia, who is passionate about sailing and takes part in the ClubSwan 28 regatta series.
In addition to the 44-metre model, the new SwanAlloy line will consist of two other new products with lengths between 50 and 70 metres. The boatbuilding visionary hopes to fill the gap in the market left by the bankruptcies of the shipyards Alloy Yachts in New Zealand and Perini Navi in Viareggio, which specialise in super yachts. The British brokerage firm Edmiston is helping him to market the large aluminium sailboats.
Relocating production to Northern Europe?
Contrary to expectations, the large aluminium swans are not, like the Maxi line comprising four models laminated in Finland, but welded in Holland. Massimo Perotti confirmed that "at least the first unit will be built in the Netherlands". This decision marks a geographical expansion of the Nautor and Sanlorenzo yacht shipyards, which previously only produced in Finland and Italy, and could indicate a new strategic direction.
With the decision to build at least one yacht in the Netherlands, Massimo Perotti is relying on the maritime expertise of this northern European country. The Netherlands is regarded as one of the leading locations for yacht building, particularly in the production of aluminium superyachts. The shipyard industry there has specialised skilled workers and an established supplier structure. It is not clear from Perotti's statement whether the planned production is a one-off project or the start of a longer-term relocation of production.
New design paths
Designer Malcolm McKeon was responsible for the design of the XL-Swan and not, as has been the case for four decades, the Argentinian design icon German Frers. These are the basic technical specifications of the SwanAlloy 44 known to date:
- LüA 43.50M
- LWL 40.50M
- Width: 9.45m
- Draught : 4.30 - 6,30m
Martin Hager
Editor in Chief YACHT
Martin Hager is editor-in-chief of the titles YACHT and BOOTE EXCLUSIV and has been working for Delius Klasing Verlag for 20 years. He was born in Heidelberg in 1978 and started sailing at the age of six, in an Opti of course. This was soon followed by 420s, Sprinta Sport and 470s, which he also sailed on the regatta course with his brother. His parents regularly took him on charter trips through the Greek and Balearic Islands. Even at a young age, it was clear to him that he wanted to turn his passion for water sports into a career. After graduating from high school and completing an internship at the Rathje boatbuilding company in Kiel, it was clear that he did not want to become a classic boatbuilder. Instead, he successfully studied shipbuilding and marine engineering in the Schleswig-Holstein state capital and focused on yacht design wherever he could. His diploma thesis dealt with the “Testing of a new speed prediction method for sailing yachts”. In 2004, the superyacht magazine BOOTE EXCLUSIV was looking for an editor with technical and nautical background knowledge, a position that was perfect for Martin Hager. The application was successful and a two-year traineeship was arranged. After twelve years as an editor, the editorial team changed and he took over responsibility for BOOTE EXCLUSIV as editor-in-chief in 2017. After long-time YACHT editor-in-chief Jochen Rieker moved to the role of publisher, Martin Hager also took over the position of editor-in-chief of Europe's largest sailing magazine YACHT, which is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, at the beginning of 2023. When he's not working on topics for the two water sports titles, Martin Hager likes to go out on the water himself - preferably with kite and wingfoil equipment or on a little after-work trip across the Alster.
