Cutting-edge reft work

LUSBEN WAS FOUNDED AS LUSBEN CRAFT IN 1956 FROM THE ACRONYM OF TWO TUSCAN ENTREPRENEURS. AND EVEN BACK THEN, IT SET OUT TO BECOME THE LEADING COMPANY IN THE REFIT AND MAINTENANCE OF CRAFTS OF UP TO 30M ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN. THE COMPANY HAS GROWN AND ESTABLISHED ITSELF INTERNATIONALLY IN THE REFIT INDUSTRY, CREATING CUTTING-EDGE FACILITIES AND ONLY RELYING ON QUALIFIED PERSONAL. THE FACILITY IN VIAREGGIO IS IDENTIFIED AS A SITE OF EXCELLENCE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF LUXURY YACHTS.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF LUSBEN.

In order to further amplify the range of services, Lusben in 2004 acquired a new site in Livorno of more than 120m. Here, the new area Giga was completed, maximising Lusben’s ability to assist ship owners, crews, and the management of increasingly larger yachts. In order to develop the reft & repair areas, the shipyard in Varazze became part of the Lusben network in 2019. This site is characterised by modern facilities and innovative technologies. Let us take a closer look at some of Lusben’s latest accomplishments.

In the beginning of April, Lusben concluded the reft of Morning Glory, Perini Navi’s 48m sailing superyacht, famous for having Australian telecommunications magnate Rupert Murdoch as a previous owner. The historic ketch, built in 1993 at the iconic Perini Navi shipyard in Viareggio, has been restored to her original splendour according to the wishes of her new Italian owner. Through the Forza 3 company in Milan, Lusben was chosen to carry out the yacht’s ten year reft.

The Lusben team was responsible for painting the hull, living areas, and part of the aft cockpit, as well as for replacing the generators and refurbishing almost half of the teak deck. The deck work in particular has allowed the shipyard’s specialised workers to highlight their experience and know-how; more than 40% of the teak was replaced with slats of variable lengths from 4.5 to 6m, a notoriously complex operation. The standard slats are at just 3m typically much shorter, and this type of work requires greater care and precision on sailing boats than on motorboats.

The reft went on for a total of fve months and involved almost 50 workers in total, including direct employees and external suppliers who worked in cooperation with the crew. The incredible team effort earned the owner’s expressed interest and satisfaction, who is now ready to cruise the Mediterranean. Morning Glory is the frst of six Perini Navi boats to be launched this season. The remaining fve are currently undergoing refts at the Lusben facilities in Livorno and Viareggio, planned for delivery to their owners in the coming weeks. Despite the severe limitations imposed by the global pandemic, careful planning of activities has allowed Lusben to stay on schedule.

Another recently completed Lusben project was the reftting of explorer yacht Audace. The reft of motor yacht Audace, explorer of Cantiere delle Marche, was fnished at the Lusben shipyard in Viareggio. The full-custom yacht, commissioned by Andrea Merloni, former president of Fineldo and Indesit who recently passed away, has been the subject of an overhaul by the Lusben team. After the frst season onboard, the owner was considering a series of modifcations and improvements to make the yacht satisfy his needs even more and to be able to use it as a residence for most of the year. The Merloni Family, together with the shipyard, designer, and architect, wanted to carry out all the given directives as a form of respect for the late owner. >>

Designed by close collaboration of Merloni, Andrea Pezzini, CEO of Floating Life, and architect Mauro Sculli from the studio bearing his name, Audace was the subject of important structural work that has completely redefned her spaces and utilisation. From the original 42m, she has grown to an overall length of 46.6m. The stern has been lengthened by 2.4m and the bow has been made more aerodynamic and lengthened by 2.2m. Thanks to these changes, the strengthening of the generators, and other structural improvements, the maximum speed of the yacht has increased from 15.8 to 17 knots, while consumption has been reduced by 20%.

Audace’s interiors have undergone a careful and complete overhaul as well. Two lifts were installed to facilitate movement between the decks and service to guests, and an engineered emergency staircase now connects the owner’s cabin with the lower deck. The fooring of the owner’s deck and upper deck has been redesigned and can now be heated. The electrical system has been entirely renovated. Finally, all the furnishings on the owner’s deck have been revised and the palette has shifted from a prevalence of light colours to darker tones, making the rooms feel even more refned.

Like the interior, Audace’s exterior has been reftted too. The stern platform has seen a total makeover of the teak, and a robotic telescopic gangway has been installed with an 8m extension. The yacht was designed to facilitate a mainly outdoor life onboard. The large external living areas desired by Merloni, which can accommodate a banquet of 60 guests, have remained intact, except for the bar areas which are now more professional. All the works have been designed and followed by the technical studio of Floating Life and Satura Studio. The stops imposed by the pandemic did not have much impact on the work’s timetable, despite delays in the procurement of some materials by supplier companies: the reft was completed in sixteen months, with full compliance with the measures against COVID implemented by Lusben.