Luxury Italian launch set to steal the show

By ROBIN BAILEY

The Italians are coming, and the first of them will be starring at the Imtec boat show at Princes Wharf next month.

Leading the bids to prise open the chequebooks of top-of-the-range boat buyers in this part of the world is a Ferretti 480 luxury launch.

With a price tag of $2.2 million, the boat is being exhibited by the Auckland brokerage Lysaght Marine.

The Ferretti group is one of the biggest in the world, with a reputation for performance and quality.

In 1968 the company began building motor sailers, switching in 1980 to luxury motor yachts. At the end of the 80s Ferretti established its production base at Forli, south of Venice. The company headquarters are still there, but there are now 14 production boatyards, 13 in Italy, located mainly between Forli and Ancona, and one in Miami, where the Bertram range is built.

Among the Ferretti products are flybridge motor yachts from 13m to 24m; Pershing high-performance open cruisers between 11m and 27m; Bertram 11m to 22m sport fishermen; Riva 10m to 26m open flybridge models; CRN 30m to 65m luxury steel superyachts; Custom Line 28m to 40m composite superyachts; and Apreamare 7m to 16m fishing boats.

All that adds up to a company that this month was the subject of a public offering that gave it a value of more than $1.2 billion.

Founder and chairman Norbeto Ferretti says the family-owned company will co-invest if the deal goes ahead, and he will stay with the company.

Brett Lysaght, who has been in the boat broking business for the past 14 years, believes there is a market here for the exotic brand names and luxury performance craft in the Ferretti stable.

He was invited to represent the group as New Zealand distributor and has spent a lot of time and money in Italy to add his company's name to the list of 280 Ferretti dealers worldwide.

"I'm taking a huge punt bringing a 14.5m [48ft] boat with a price tag of $2.2 million to a boat show at this end of the world," Lysaght says.

"Everyone knows how well this country is doing as our superyacht builders turn out exotic craft. And we are leading the world in production of composite high-performance sailing boats.

"Where we are behind is in the mid-range. We are making nice boats that can handle our sea conditions in safety and perform well. But the detail and finish the Italians achieve is way ahead.

"I think the effect on the local industry from competition at this level will help our manufacturers to lift their game.

"It happened in trailerboats when the imports first began arriving. Some of our manufacturers were bleating about unfair competition, dumping allegations, all that sort of concern.

"Now New Zealand companies - Rayglass is a classic example - are more than holding their own."

Lysaght selected the Ferretti 480 to launch the sales drive because he believes it will demonstrate just how good the boat is and how well it performs.

Its power plant is two MAN diesels, each of 630hp. Maximum speed fully laden (14 passengers and gear) is 31.5 knots and it cruises at 27 knots.

The cruising and top speeds are guaranteed by the manufacturer, says Lysaght. "That applies right through the range, every boat in the stable. It's something our manufacturers will have trouble matching."

"And to prove the performance point to sceptical Kiwis, I'll have our diesel guru, Len Gilbert, do his evaluations on the 480 after Imtec."

Here for the Ferretti launch will be the company's managing director, Fulvio Dodich, who will also be looking over the Viaduct Basin and the America's Cup bases. The group's main man, Norberto Ferretti will be here during the Cup defence.

The 480 will be floodlit on Princes Wharf facing Quay St to ensure Imtec visitors don't miss our first Italian.

* Imtec - the International Marine Trades Exhibition and Convention - is on from August 7 to 11.

International Marine Trades Exhibition and Convention