​“Boardwalk”: US ambassador on tour of Italy aboard a 117-metre Lürssen – protests from Venice

​On 21 December 2024, the Texan businessman Tilman J. Fertitta was appointed Ambassador to Italy by US President-elect Donald Trump. The owner of the NBA team the Houston Rockets is also known as a superyacht owner: his 118-metre Lürssen ‘Boardwalk’ set sail from Bremen on its maiden voyage in May 2026.

‘Boardwalk’ takes you back to your roots

Upon arriving in Italian waters, the Texan set off on 13 June aboard the ‘Boardwalk’ on a voyage along the Italian coast to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence. Fertitta himself has roots in the Sicilian coastal town of Cefalù, which he also visited.

The US Embassy has announced that Fertitta will be hosting anniversary celebrations on board to highlight the partnership between the United States and Italy as long-standing allies, economic partners and close friends. In addition to meetings with local communities, business leaders and public officials, the programme will include cultural events. The press release emphasises that Fertitta is personally covering the travel costs for the ‘Boardwalk’.

Gigayacht as a venue

​​​“I am looking forward to meeting Italians across the country to celebrate the ties that have bound our nations together for generations. It is a wonderful opportunity to mark 250 years of our independence, whilst Italy is also celebrating 80 years as a republic,” said Ambassador Fertitta. “This is the story of everything that unites us beyond the headlines. It also includes the story of my own Italian roots in Cefalù,” he added.

The starting point was the port of Civitavecchia. There, it was moored and the US ambassador lived on the old one, which is up for sale for 149 million euros “Boardwalk V” (77 m, Feadship, 2021). The plan is to sail from there to at least 13 Italian regions. In Naples, Fertitta met with local officials and business representatives before continuing on to Palermo and Cefalù. The route also includes cities on the Adriatic coast, amongst them historic Venice and Trieste, home to one of the three ‘American Corners’ in Italy. The Ligurian coast will also be visited, including Genoa, the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. The journey is set to conclude with a visit to Sardinia in mid-August.

Pre-emptive protest in Venice

​In Venice, protests are mounting against a brief visit by the 117-metre-long ‘Boardwalk’, which is due to arrive on 3 July. That is when the Redentore celebrations, commemorating the end of the plague in 1577, will take place. These include a fireworks display which could disrupt the Fertitta yacht if it were to drop anchor near St Mark’s Basin as planned.

Opposition is coming from environmental organisations and citizens’ groups. There was a similar outcry in the run-up to Jeff Bezos’s wedding, at which he “Koru” wanted to take to Venice but did not do so in the end. The Venetian authorities had yet to make a final decision regarding Fertitta’s visit. On 30 June, according to AIS, the “Boardwalk” was off the coast of Calabria.

A family of yachting enthusiasts

Tilman Fertitta is not the only yachting enthusiast with that name. His cousins, Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, are also said to be keen on large yachts. Casino entrepreneur Frank Fertitta is said to own the 94-metre Feadship “Viva” is said to have owned, Lorenzo Fertitta – co-founder and former co-owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) – is rumoured to have owned the 87-metre-long Feadship “Lonian” and the utility company “Hodor” to sail.