Built for island hopping, Sanlorenzo's new SX88 yacht line pairs the modern comforts of a penthouse with an adverturous spirit.
As we sailed along the Italian Riviera, more than a few gasps were elicited at the sight of picturesque coastal towns in the distance. We were heading towards the historic port of Porto Venere, basking in the sun on board a Sanlorenzo yacht. The sleek vessel glided gracefully towards our destination, to the background score of a barely noticeable hum of its engines and the soft lapping of the waves.
The yacht’s interior is as elegant as its streamlined design, and decorated with a tasteful selection of furniture and artworks, not unlike a stylish pied-a-terre. As Sanlorenzo chairman Massimo Perotti puts it, “You have the feeling that you are in a beautiful house rather than on board a boat.”
We were in Italy at the start of summer to tour the shipyards of Sanlorenzo, the luxury yacht maker that is headquartered in La Spezia, a port city in Liguria, that is also home to the chief Italian naval station. Founded in 1958, the leading luxury shipbuilder served primarily the local Mediterranean market before being acquired by Perotti in 2004.
Today, Sanlorenzo is among the top three biggest yacht building firms in the world with three shipyards in Ameglia, Viareggio and La Spezia, as well as plans for a fourth in San Marco. In Asia, it also partners with Simpson Marine as it sees the region as a growing market.