The famed Akhir series of fiberglass megayachts from the Italian shipyard Cantieri di Pisa landed on American shores for the first time in the 1990s. The next time they come here, they’ll be built under the ownership of Mondo Marine. Mondo Marine has acquired Pisa, following a court-ordered solicitation of bids.
Mondo Marine was selected as the winning bidder in late April. (Pisa was established in 1945 and succumbed to the global economic recession.) It now owns Pisa’s trademarks, construction facilities, and marina basin. Mondo Marine further has taken over six yachts in various stages of build. All 33 current Pisa employees are being retained by Mondo Marine.
Equally interesting, the Akhir yachts will no longer be built of fiberglass. Instead, they will be all-aluminum megayachts. It’s an unusual move, given that the Pisa Akhir line starts at 98 feet (30 meters). However, Mondo Marine does specialize in metal yachts, so the materials switch is in keeping with its focus.
Alessandro Falciai (above), owner and chairman of Mondo Marine, plans to increase the workforce for Pisa as well as the production. You may recall that he’s more than familiar with turning shipyards around, having acquired Mondo Marine in 2013 with Roberto Zambrini. Among the yachts signed since then are a 197-footer (60-meter) set for launch this year.
Leave a Reply