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[ CREATIVE MINDS: PININFARINA NAUTICAL ]

BOUNDLESS INNOVATION by Samuela Urbini

Since the 1980s, Pininfarina has been designing the interiors and exteriors of unconventional yachts. That vivid creativity is the fruit of the cross-fertilisation between the nautical division and the other expert teams in the international group responsible for crafting all kinds of transportation, architecture and industrial design

here are names that epitomise Italy’s world-renowned style which itself is synonymous with beauty, elegance and skill. Pininfarina is most certainly one. In the space of its 90-year-

plus history, it has evolved from humble beginnings as an artisanal workshop into an international group. Founded in 1930, it bodied some of the most beautiful cars ever built, models and one-offs that themselves wrote spectacular chapters in the history of design. Today it employs a workforce of over 500 skilled individuals in its offices in Italy, Germany, China and the US, working across the board in everything from cars to yachts, architecture and industrial design. All of its products share three core values: elegance, purity and innovation. Its nautical division merits a close look too as it has very deep roots, stretching all the way back to the 1980s. A powerhouse of impeccable design in its own right, it has flanked the leading international yards on bespoke yachts of the like of the Fincantieri Ottantacinque, Rossinavi Aurea, Super Sport 50 and 65, Tango Wallycento, as well as restyling entire lines, as was the case with Princess.

Left, the Pininfarina Nautical team at the main headquarters in Turin. Depending on the individual project, they may also call in other designers from their Miami, Shanghai and Turin offices. Far left, Daniele Mazzon, who has headed the Nautical Division since 2019

[ CREATIVE MINDS ]

This strategically important division has its own dedicated

a project unveiled at the last Monaco Yacht Show and

team of eight designers headed by Daniele Mazzon, Chief

developed in collaboration with Pininfarina. Aimed fair and

Transportation and Yacht Designer. “We add to the team

square at owners who like to treat their yachts as a static

depending on the project and we draw on the architecture

floating beach house, the 90m has a dazzlingly “theatrical

team if we need to design interiors or the car team if it’s a

central piazza” open to the sea and connected to the sky

sporty boat. The style department is at our Turin headquarters

by a reinforced glazed skylights of sorts that allows light to

but works in partnership with the other designers in the

pour in thanks to the superstructure design. A spectacular

group right across all our offices in Turin, Miami, Shanghai.

yet practical way of connecting sky, sea and environment.

Cross-fertilisation also happens with the work groups that

“Oceanco wanted a new Alfa Nero, a disruptive project for

do the painting, virtual reality, rendering, augmented reality

owners that touch down aboard by helicopter or arrive by

and 3D modelling”.

tender directly onto the piazza, the most important area of

The creative process “sometimes starts with digital designs,

the yacht onto which all the staterooms open,” continues

others freehand ones. But it doesn’t really matter – these

Mazzon. “Our collaboration with Lateral Naval Architects

are just the means to an end, a way of stimulating the yards

was fundamental too: the engine room was shifted below

to create something unconventional”. One yacht that most

water level so that we could open up the piazza at the side”.

definitely breaks with tradition is the Oceanco Kairos,

Another of Pininfarina’s latest yachts is a completely different

Above, left, the exterior and, right the interiors of the Oceanco Kairos, the latest dazzling example of Pininfarina’s originality and flair, complete with central piazza open to both sea and sky. Below, left, Daniele Mazzon and Chief Creative Officer Kevin Rice; right, the E6 Sport yacht designed for Elan

[ CREATIVE MINDS ]

These shots: the Persico F70, an exceptionally powerful fully foiling

and very sporty kettle of fish indeed. The Persico F70 was designed

yacht with aerodynamics honed in the Pininfarina wind

in partnership with Carkeek Design and Persico Marine, which

tunnel. Exceptionally light by nature, the craft’s interiors are open plan

also happens to build the glorious “flying” America’s Cuppers.

with the central fin reminiscent of a foil and a succession

Pininfarina’s nautical team crafted both the interiors and exteriors

of structural rings that create a perspective illusion

of this fully foiling 70’: “We used the Pininfarina wind tunnel in a marriage of hydro-dynamics and aerodynamics research, to achieve a hull that has this particular form. The F70 is a very exclusive craft, not just because of its cost. It is like a track car: aimed at a very select kind of client that does, however, exist,” concludes conclude Mazzon. Pininfarina DNA’s signature sportiness is also much in evidence in the brand new E6 which is part of Elan’s top-of-the-range E Line, and will be presented at the Düsseldorf Boot 2022. We can’t wait!