Lazy Me
1972 marked a watershed for Cantieri Navale Italiano. This was the year that the shipyard on the River Arno...…
1972 marked a watershed for Cantieri Navale Italiano. This was the year that the shipyard on the River Arno in Tuscany changed its name to Cantieri di Pisa and launched the first 16-metre wooden Akhir designed by Pierluigi Spadolini, the celebrated Italian architect and industrial designer. Following on from the successful Saturno, Jupiter, Polaris, Pegasus and Kitalpha models, the Akhir range (named after the Arabic word for the bright Achenar star in the Eridanus constellation) would go on to become arguably the most iconic motoryacht of its kind. If imitation is indeed the purest form of flattery, then the late Pierluigi Spadolini must rank as one of the most significant influences on modern yacht design.
By the early s, Spadolini had been collaborating with the yard for over a decade and was responsible for developing the angular yet proportioned profile that is the basis of many of today’s fly bridge designs. The first Akhir already displayed some of the design features that make the range so distinctive, including the decisive exterior styling based on horizontal lines and functional interior layout. It was a combination that proved both popular and timeless in the 1990s the Akhir range still looked fresh and contemporary, despite being based on principles laid down some 20 years earlier.
But by the first few years of the new millennium the Akhir was facing stiff competition from rival brands such as Azimut and Riva who were introducing ever larger fibreglass models. When the Camuzzi Group acquired Baglietto and then Cantieri di Pisa, it didn’t take them long to realise that it was time for a facelift. In 2007 at the Monaco Yacht show, an all-new Akhir range was announced consisting of five models (90, 108, 118, 135 and 153 feet) completely redesigned from the hull up. The naval architecture and engineering was assigned to Arrabito Naval Architects in Livorno, who collaborate with yacht builders such as Posillipo, Rizzardi, Canados, Riva, De Birs and Destiny Yachts. They began work on the new models (except the 90-foot model which was supervised by Camuzzi Engineering) in March 2005 and the technical design is still ongoing. “We started from scratch with the hull design, structural engineering and propulsion and the mid-placed 118-foot hull was tank tested to provide the technical platform for the other models”, Giuseppe Arrabito explained, who had never before been asked to redesign four models simultaneously. “By the time the flagship Akhir 153-foot is launched in 2010, it will be one of the largest composite tri-deckers in the world with a top speed in the 30-knot range.”
The structural design was based on using biaxial composite fibres and vacuum infusion for the main decks and superstructures. In the case of the Akhir 90-foot the yacht is constructed entirely using infusion and epoxy resin, whereas the larger models use polyester and vinylester resins in a vacuum infused sandwich with an outer skin laminated by hand. The advantages of infusion or closed moulding are well known and include better fibre-to-resin ratio, less wasted resin, unlimited set-up time and ’cleaner’ usage (this latter point should not to be underestimated: workers operating in more comfortable and healthy conditions are more willing to apply their skills at a consistently higher level each day). “We decided to build the 90 using only vacuum infusion and epoxy resin for a number of reasons” said Massimo Mariotti, a materials specialist with the Camuzzi Group. “It falls within a very competitive size range and a custom builder like Cantieri di Pisa has to be seen to provide the best quality, so we chose the best resin and lamination method available in the industry short of autoclaving. So it’s a question of image, but also efficiency. This size of yacht is in high demand and so fast preparation times are essential for providing adequate space in the yard for the fitting out.”
The first new Akhir to be delivered was the 135 that was presented at this year’s Monaco Yacht show, but the first to make its official debut was the 108 a couple of weeks earlier at the Festival de Plaisance in Cannes. It was there that I caught up with Carlo Galeazzi, the man behind the new-look exterior styling, and Carlo Paladini, the shipyard’s in-house designer responsible for the interior design of these first two units.
“I would say the responsibility was almost unbearable”, Carlo Galeazzi said in response to my question about revisiting such an iconic brand. “I began by going back to basics with a full immersion in the history of the shipyard and the Akhir range to understand the values the yard stands for and identify the fundamental design elements that set the Akhir apart. If you look at the new models you have no doubt that they belong to the Akhir brand. You can hardly spot the difference and this was our intention, but in reality they are very different.”
What Galeazzi has retained of Spadolini’s original design are the bold horizontal planes of black windows and white superstructure. The main challenge was how to combine this classic look with the modern-day demand for larger windows or portholes to provide ample natural light and diminish the distinction between interior and exterior. Galeazzi is also an interior designer for Azimut and is very familiar with Stefano Righini’s trademark square windows set into the hulls of the Open S models. So it comes as no surprise that similar windows can be found in the owner’s and/or guest cabins aboard the new Akhirs. The difference is that the nine rectangular windows have been cleverly disguised on the outside by incorporating them into three black fascias that reinforce the horizontal black-on-white structure that lends the Akhir its elemental yet elegant exterior profile.
Galeazzi admitted that this window feature is still being tweaked as they work to reduce the mullions and increase the size of the panes.
The same elemental design has been carried through to the interior of the Akhir 108 (illustrated on this page) by Carlo Paladini. The main timber is satin-finished teak for the sole, walls and built-in furniture. For variety a flamed teak has been used for the vertical surfaces and a straight-grained wood for the horizontal planes. A masterly stroke is how mouldings of polished padouk, a hardwood with a warm, reddish hue, have been strategically placed to break up the teak and provide a touch of colour. When combined with off-white carpeting, brown leather upholstery and marble trim in the bathrooms that ranges from rosso lepanto to giallo mimosa, the overall effect is serenely seductive.
While visiting the 108, both Galeazzi and Paladini made constant reference to the 135 and so one of my first tasks in Monaco was to go aboard this first-born of the new Akhir range christened Lazy Me. I was accompanied by Roberto Zambrini, the recently appointed General Manager of Cantieri di Pisa. Zambrini came to the Baglietto group from an analogous position with Sanlorenzo and it struck me that while SL’s Alloy 40 won my vote for best new series in its size category last year, the Akhir 135 is likely to be my choice for this year.
By the early s, Spadolini had been collaborating with the yard for over a decade and was responsible for developing the angular yet proportioned profile that is the basis of many of today’s fly bridge designs. The first Akhir already displayed some of the design features that make the range so distinctive, including the decisive exterior styling based on horizontal lines and functional interior layout. It was a combination that proved both popular and timeless in the 1990s the Akhir range still looked fresh and contemporary, despite being based on principles laid down some 20 years earlier.
But by the first few years of the new millennium the Akhir was facing stiff competition from rival brands such as Azimut and Riva who were introducing ever larger fibreglass models. When the Camuzzi Group acquired Baglietto and then Cantieri di Pisa, it didn’t take them long to realise that it was time for a facelift. In 2007 at the Monaco Yacht show, an all-new Akhir range was announced consisting of five models (90, 108, 118, 135 and 153 feet) completely redesigned from the hull up. The naval architecture and engineering was assigned to Arrabito Naval Architects in Livorno, who collaborate with yacht builders such as Posillipo, Rizzardi, Canados, Riva, De Birs and Destiny Yachts. They began work on the new models (except the 90-foot model which was supervised by Camuzzi Engineering) in March 2005 and the technical design is still ongoing. “We started from scratch with the hull design, structural engineering and propulsion and the mid-placed 118-foot hull was tank tested to provide the technical platform for the other models”, Giuseppe Arrabito explained, who had never before been asked to redesign four models simultaneously. “By the time the flagship Akhir 153-foot is launched in 2010, it will be one of the largest composite tri-deckers in the world with a top speed in the 30-knot range.”
The structural design was based on using biaxial composite fibres and vacuum infusion for the main decks and superstructures. In the case of the Akhir 90-foot the yacht is constructed entirely using infusion and epoxy resin, whereas the larger models use polyester and vinylester resins in a vacuum infused sandwich with an outer skin laminated by hand. The advantages of infusion or closed moulding are well known and include better fibre-to-resin ratio, less wasted resin, unlimited set-up time and ’cleaner’ usage (this latter point should not to be underestimated: workers operating in more comfortable and healthy conditions are more willing to apply their skills at a consistently higher level each day). “We decided to build the 90 using only vacuum infusion and epoxy resin for a number of reasons” said Massimo Mariotti, a materials specialist with the Camuzzi Group. “It falls within a very competitive size range and a custom builder like Cantieri di Pisa has to be seen to provide the best quality, so we chose the best resin and lamination method available in the industry short of autoclaving. So it’s a question of image, but also efficiency. This size of yacht is in high demand and so fast preparation times are essential for providing adequate space in the yard for the fitting out.”
The first new Akhir to be delivered was the 135 that was presented at this year’s Monaco Yacht show, but the first to make its official debut was the 108 a couple of weeks earlier at the Festival de Plaisance in Cannes. It was there that I caught up with Carlo Galeazzi, the man behind the new-look exterior styling, and Carlo Paladini, the shipyard’s in-house designer responsible for the interior design of these first two units.
“I would say the responsibility was almost unbearable”, Carlo Galeazzi said in response to my question about revisiting such an iconic brand. “I began by going back to basics with a full immersion in the history of the shipyard and the Akhir range to understand the values the yard stands for and identify the fundamental design elements that set the Akhir apart. If you look at the new models you have no doubt that they belong to the Akhir brand. You can hardly spot the difference and this was our intention, but in reality they are very different.”
What Galeazzi has retained of Spadolini’s original design are the bold horizontal planes of black windows and white superstructure. The main challenge was how to combine this classic look with the modern-day demand for larger windows or portholes to provide ample natural light and diminish the distinction between interior and exterior. Galeazzi is also an interior designer for Azimut and is very familiar with Stefano Righini’s trademark square windows set into the hulls of the Open S models. So it comes as no surprise that similar windows can be found in the owner’s and/or guest cabins aboard the new Akhirs. The difference is that the nine rectangular windows have been cleverly disguised on the outside by incorporating them into three black fascias that reinforce the horizontal black-on-white structure that lends the Akhir its elemental yet elegant exterior profile.
Galeazzi admitted that this window feature is still being tweaked as they work to reduce the mullions and increase the size of the panes.
The same elemental design has been carried through to the interior of the Akhir 108 (illustrated on this page) by Carlo Paladini. The main timber is satin-finished teak for the sole, walls and built-in furniture. For variety a flamed teak has been used for the vertical surfaces and a straight-grained wood for the horizontal planes. A masterly stroke is how mouldings of polished padouk, a hardwood with a warm, reddish hue, have been strategically placed to break up the teak and provide a touch of colour. When combined with off-white carpeting, brown leather upholstery and marble trim in the bathrooms that ranges from rosso lepanto to giallo mimosa, the overall effect is serenely seductive.
While visiting the 108, both Galeazzi and Paladini made constant reference to the 135 and so one of my first tasks in Monaco was to go aboard this first-born of the new Akhir range christened Lazy Me. I was accompanied by Roberto Zambrini, the recently appointed General Manager of Cantieri di Pisa. Zambrini came to the Baglietto group from an analogous position with Sanlorenzo and it struck me that while SL’s Alloy 40 won my vote for best new series in its size category last year, the Akhir 135 is likely to be my choice for this year.
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