Anniversary: 40 years of Pershing - from repair company to innovation leader

The Italian luxury brand Pershing is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Here is the story of its rocket-like rise from repair company to innovation leader.

The year is 1981 and while hundreds of thousands of people across Europe are demonstrating against the deployment of US Pershing II medium-range missiles, three young men in the tranquil town of Mondolfo on the Italian Adriatic coast are sitting together over an evening glass of wine and planning their future. Tilli Antonelli, Fausto Filippetti and Giuliano Onori are keen water sports enthusiasts and dream of running their own boatyard. Antonelli, a regatta sailor and Fastnet 79 veteran, Filippetti, a trained boat builder, and Onori founded the "Cantiere Navale dell'Adriatico" without further ado. The name sounds wooden, but fits in with the nomenclature of Italian company foundations at the time, in which the word "Cantiere", meaning shipyard, cannot be missing.

A turning point in the early days

Initially, the three friends concentrate on repairing wooden and plastic boats. But it soon became clear that they wanted more. Their meeting with designer Fulvio De Simoni in 1985 marked a turning point. Together they developed a new boat model that would set new standards. Four years after the shipyard was founded, they presented a yacht at the trade fair in Genoa with a name that made a statement in reference to the aforementioned missiles: Pershing 45, a name that suggests power, precision, quality and speed.

For the first time, a sports boat combines the speed of a thoroughbred powerboat with the comfort of a motor yacht. The Pershing 45 offers its owners an unprecedented level of interior volume and privacy, combined with the high-speed performance of a pure powerboat. With three bathrooms and three cabins, the Pershing, whose model name will henceforth also be the shipyard name, sets standards in terms of cosiness in this class. It was the birth of a brand that would characterise the yacht market with ground-breaking innovations in the decades that followed. From the development of the first hydraulic gangway with Besenzoni to the use of 3D printing in boat building.

Read more about this:

• 40 years of Pershing: Significant models in the history of the shipyard

International expansion and technological milestones at Pershing

In the early 1990s, Pershing pushed ahead with internationalisation. The brand initially expanded into the Mediterranean region, the USA and the Far East. At the same time, it continued to develop new technological innovations. In 1991, the Italians led by Tilli Antonelli presented the Pershing 70, the first model with a gas turbine, which reached a top speed of 55 knots - an incredible speed, and not just for the time. This was followed in 1996 by the Pershing 54, one of the first models with surface propulsion. The typical propulsion "roostertail", the metre-high water fountain behind the boat, becomes a trademark.

Ferretti takeover and entry into the superyacht segment

In 1998 Pershing becomes part of the Ferretti Group with well-known brands such as Ferretti, Riva, Wally and Itama. This takeover gives the brand additional financial opportunities and room for manoeuvre. This provides creative freedom to realise ambitious projects that previously seemed unthinkable. The presentation of the Pershing 88 in 2000, for example, was a milestone: the hull was given the characteristic silver paintwork for the first time, which became the trademark of all subsequent Pershing yachts. In 2004, the 35 metre long Pershing 115 marks the company's entry into the superyacht segment. The model combines a gas turbine with water jet propulsion and thus achieves a top speed of 52 knots with outstanding manoeuvrability.

Design evolution and new model series

In the years that followed, the innovation-driven development team led by Tilli Antonelli continued to drive the evolution of yacht design. The Pershing 72 from 2007 marked the beginning of the collaboration with Poltrona Frau. From then on, the furniture manufacturer designed the bridge, seats and numerous other interior details. Another revolutionary design feature is the hidden sliding door, which connects the exterior and interior areas between the saloon and cockpit into a single large space. In 2014, Pershing introduces the characteristic side wings with the new Pershing 70, which have since become another trademark of all models.

43-metre flagship and new materials used by Pershing

In 2019, the Italians presented the 43.30 metre long 140, a power format in XXL, which is accelerated to up to 38 knots by a MTU quartet with 7756 kilowatts of power. It is not only the largest Pershing ever built, but also the first with an aluminium hull. Features such as the elevated bridge with direct access to the sun deck and the owner's area on the main deck set new standards. The so-called beach area, i.e. the oversized bathing platform, opens up on three sides and creates a unique connection to the sea.

Lightweight construction and performance optimisation

In recent years, the development team has increasingly focused on lightweight construction and performance optimisation. The Pershing 7X presented in 2020 is part of the Generation X series, which is based on the four pillars of design, technology, performance and lightweight construction. Thanks to the use of light metals and a comprehensive weight reduction in the interior, the Pershing 7X achieves a displacement of just 35 tonnes. The result is lower fuel consumption at the same speed compared to previous models.

The latest model series is the GTX series. With this series, Pershing is once again setting new standards. The 35 metre long GTX116 is the first model. It combines Pershing's typical performance and sportiness with maximum comfort. The main deck extends over two levels: the lower one for direct contact with the sea, the upper one for socialising.

Continuous technological innovations at Pershing

Since the presentation of its first model in 1985, Pershing has crossed numerous boundaries and broken new ground. In doing so, the shipyard has always remained true to the basic principles that were already recognisable in the Pershing 45: Each model impresses with plenty of performance, the use of modern technology and contemporary design. The first major change in this direction was the transition from shaft and Z-drives to surface drives from Arneson. The result was top speeds with outstanding manoeuvrability.

Pershing claims to be the world leader in the installation of surface drives on leisure boats. The use of waterjets in conjunction with a gas turbine, which produces more than 3,750 kilowatts and was first installed on a Pershing 115 in 2004, must also be mentioned when it comes to innovation. This was followed in 2011 by the introduction of the first three-engine propulsion system on the 108. 80 - a more mass-market approach with IPS drives. The brand essence, however, remains the same: power and radical speed meet as much comfort as possible. In the spirit of the three founding fathers from the 1980s, back in 1981 at the Vino in Mondolfo.

Read more about this:

• 40 years of Pershing: Significant models in the history of the shipyard