Entering the reception area of The Italian Sea Group is unlike walking into any other shipyard. Numerous sculptures (above) and paintings are carefully placed around the room. The room itself is further dramatically set with several-story-high curtains and awash with marble. It’s akin to walking into an exquisite art gallery, which just so happens to engage your sense of smell, too, due to subtle enticing scents. And that’s the point. The Italian Sea Group wants to give its customers a complete luxury experience, not what is typically expected. It’s because The Italian Sea Group is itself far more diverse than its familiar yachting brands Admiral and Tecnomar.
The art is meant for enjoyment as much as inspiration. The local and international artists showcased can be commissioned to create something specific for your yacht. Their works extend beyond the main floor, too, positioned on the levels containing sales offices, the in-house design departments, conference rooms, and more.
Speaking of those conference rooms, you’ll likely sit with The Italian Sea Group’s management team in one of three of them, each named for its decor. There’s the Leather room, the Black and White room, and the Klein room (in honor of a blue painting overhead created by the artist). If you’re in need of a bit more inspiration, visit the model room (above). On display are a variety of new builds and concepts conceived with Philippe Briand, Luca Dini, Dobroserdov Design, Vripack, and more. When you’re ready to start outfitting the interior, The Italian Sea Group has an entire division at your disposal, too. An independent design company specializing in private residences, it was recently acquired by The Italian Sea Group. The residential relationships remain, complemented by yacht projects.
All of these experiences occur before you ever set foot in one of the sheds handling projects by Admiral, Tecnomar, or a third maritime brand, Nuovi Cantieri Apuania (NCA), which specializes in refits. Collectively, the three have delivered well more than 500 yachts and large commercial ships since 1942. A total of 11 buildings take care of warehousing, steel cutting, construction, and service/refit for them. Nearly all have been refurbished or newly constructed within the past two years. The only one that hasn’t will be next year, for crew. It will contain a gym, a lounge, and more for them to have an equally enjoyable experience as their employers.
Their employers and the megayachts they commission are primarily up to 164 feet (50 meters) LOA. The Italian Sea Group can handily accommodate bigger new builds and refits, though. Currently under construction is a 246-footer (75-meter) that will exceed 2,000 gross tons. She’s set to be the biggest megayacht under the Admiral brand, for delivery in 2018. On the refit side, NCA welcomed the 283-foot (86.11-meter) Quattroelle a few months ago. She fit easily in the facility’s 663-foot-long (202-meter-long) dry dock (above), one of the largest in all of Italy. So, too, did a subsequent refit, the 246-foot (75-meter) Smeralda.
Francesco Carbone, vice chairman and sales director for The Italian Sea Group, says talks are ongoing for some additional significant-size refits. In the meantime, about half a dozen megayachts from 125 to 180 feet (38 to 55 meters) are in build. They include the Admiral Impero 38 pictured below. The Impero series has been the most successful so far for The Italian Sea Group, in fact. Two Imperos have been delivered, and two more in different LOAs are under construction.
Even with all of these projects, The Italian Sea Group is seeking more. Specifically, it’s actively pursuing strategic partnerships. Earlier this year, it joined forces with the watch brand Franck Muller, for Franck Muller Yachts. Hull number one premiered at the Monaco Yacht Show. Three more are in various stages of completion. The boats (not megayachts) are targeted to owner-operators. Some may be boating newcomers, some may not. All, however, are highly brand-conscious. And that is the key factor behind the current, and future, collaborations, according to Carbone. The goal is to extend their favorite brands into a new arena, for a new experience.
There’s that word again, “experience.” The complete luxury experience as defined by The Italian Sea Group.
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