The story of "Piacere" begins in Florida. Broker Javier Navarro from Zarpo Yachts walked through the yacht show in Fort Lauderdale together with an owner who wanted to build his first custom yacht. "We looked at projects and spoke to designers, we were looking for a timeless and contemporary design," says Navarro. Little by little, a top team was formed to develop a motor yacht based on a very personalised wish list. Only a few addresses were shortlisted for the realisation.
"I first considered a northern European shipyard, but I also wanted to introduce the owners to Rossinavi," says Navarro, giving the "R" in Rossi an elegant roll. "They have the necessary build quality and can customise, but also have a personal touch, which is very important to these owners." Fortunately, the 62.6 metre long "Utopia IV" at the trade fair, so a viewing appointment was arranged immediately. "They loved the interior and the quality," reports the broker. "Above all, the two families hit it off straight away." This interpersonal relationship was one of the key drivers of the project. "The family touch that you have with a shipyard like Rossinavi, the direct contact with the top management, the Rossis themselves without intermediaries. It's very nice to work like that."
Shipyard boss Federico Rossi also remembers the visit to Fort Lauderdale: "After the owners had seen 'Utopia IV', we showed them the basic platform, signed the contract and continued working on the development." The project was to be specifically geared towards living on board and long-distance cruising. "The owners are family-orientated and love to live well. And because they had such clear ideas, we customised the project so that it fitted like a tailor-made suit," says Rossi.
Topteam fulfils the needs of all generations
One member of the design team is called Horacio Bozzo. The Argentinian-Italian designer with a studio in Pietrasanta, Tuscany, drew the lines. "An essential aspect of the briefing was beautiful views and as much daylight as possible," explains Bozzo, who gave "Piacere" a functional design with clear minimalist lines. He also created a yacht for outdoor living with large outdoor spaces that meet the needs of all generations. There is plenty of glass in the windows, bulwarks and railings to bring light into the interior spaces. "The name 'Piacere' means 'pleasure' in Italian and explains the owner's intention in one word. He wanted a yacht on which he could enjoy the pleasures of family life," concludes Bozzo.
Another important name in this dream team was Enrico Gobbi who took care of the interior design with his studio Team for Design. While Gobbi had already worked for Rossinavi on several occasions and had also designed the yacht that the owners visited in Fort Lauderdale, "Piacere" is the first joint project between Bozzo, Gobbi and Rossinavi. "It really was a close-knit team with excellent synergies and dialogue on all sides," says Rossi. "You can see it in the quality of the results."
Even before the designers really got started, the owners invited them into their home so that they could get a better idea of how they live, what they like and how they use their yacht. Enrico Gobbi recalls a warm and welcoming reception and was delighted with the experience. "When we went out on his boat, we even saw whales," he says. "But more than anything, the trip gave us the chance to get to know the owners personally and build a good relationship. They were very involved and emphasised that they wanted a welcoming, elegant and functional yacht, not something to show off. The word that came up most often was timeless. Because they wanted to keep 'Piacere' for years to come."
The owners also wanted to travel extensively to old and new destinations, which presented the shipyard with a number of challenges. "Piacere" was to be certified for both the Suez and Panama Canal and be a real long-distance yacht with all the features you would normally find on board a 60-metre yacht. "To offer a lift that goes from the lower deck up to the sun deck, a proper beach club and a large garage, you have to make the most of every space, be it for storage or technology," explains Rossi. You have to minimise the space between the decks, which is good on the one hand because it keeps the centre of gravity low, but on the other hand doesn't leave much room for the systems. For the air conditioning system, for example, intensive planning was necessary. "It's much easier to build a 60-metre yacht with 1000 gross tonnage than 50 metres with less than 500 GT," he reveals. "We used to joke about it at the shipyard. But it's true, on board 'Piacere' we planned every room as if we were dealing with an 18-metre sailing yacht."
Tenders and water toys
Intensive use of the space was also behind the owner's request for a beach club reserved exclusively for guests. On top of that, they wanted two Castoldi tenders, one 14 feet long for the crew and one 23 feet long for the owners. So Horacio Bozzo decided to place the garage at the bow: "Having it at the front makes a lot of sense because you can haul the tender in and launch it safely. It's also an open space that doesn't count as gross tonnage," he says. Using a hinged door was impossible because of the complex lines in the bow, but an ingenious solution was found. "We used the crane, which was intended for inserting the tenders, as an opening mechanism to push the aluminium hull door open and closed," explains Bozzo. "Because the door is structurally rigid but lightweight, we were able to use smaller and lighter mechanisms." There was also space for a waverunner and Seabobs next to the tenders.
"Piacere" surprises with large flybridge
In addition to the beach club, the focus was and still is on the sun deck. "Everyone who steps onto 'Piacere' is surprised by the size of the flybridge, and the owners have confirmed that they use it frequently," says Bozzo. "Previous customers have said that they don't like the fly as much because the yacht at anchor aligns itself with the wind and the upper deck becomes draughty." Following this feedback, he began to plan the sun deck so that the wind could blow as it pleased. Bozzo fitted sliding glass doors to the forward part of the hardtop, creating a space that is sheltered but not enclosed, nor does it raise the gross tonnage. This setup turns the highest level into an all-day space with a spa pool, bar and dining area - directly accessible by lift.
The interior furniture is mostly custom-made, but there are also pieces from top Italian design brands such as Minotti and Poliform, as well as plenty of leather for a lasting luxurious ambience. "Horacio's lines let a lot of sunlight into the interior, so I stuck with a light-coloured panel to prevent fading," says Gobbi. To satisfy the needs of the owner's family, the designer focussed on safety, especially for the children: "We rounded the corners and took every precaution to make the yacht safe without ruining its look."
Rossinavi meets challenges with ingenuity
In the early stages of construction, it was easy for the owners to visit the shipyard and finalise the details of the project. The pandemic changed that: visiting the owners turned out to be a better idea than anyone had thought. "We built up such a good relationship that the owners said: 'Just do it, you know our taste and we trust you'," recalls Gobbi. Rossinavi met challenges with ingenuity. "We packed samples in identically numbered envelopes and sent one set to the owner and kept one at the shipyard. After the envelopes were delivered, we started a video call and opened them together, almost like a game show," Rossi explains with a laugh.
When "Piacere" was delivered, it took a while before the travel restrictions were lifted and the owners were able to set sail. "I got an unexpected phone call one evening," reports Javier Navarro. "It was the owner. 'Javier,' he said, 'I'm super happy. I'm enjoying my first whiskey on board and I'm moved to tears'. I could tell from his voice that he wasn't joking. The construction process was challenging, and now everything finally fell into place, it was just fantastic."
Dreams come true on board the "Piacere"
The owner had dreamed of this yacht for a long time. "When he saw her, he loved her so much that he practically spent the whole summer on board and hardly ever went ashore," recalls Federico Rossi, "I think that 'Piacere' is a very private yacht, which may sound funny when you consider her size. She was built for living with the family. To see a yacht being used like this is a stroke of luck. It's sad to see them lying in the harbour."
"Piacere" may be the owner's first custom build, but she may have set a trend with this design team. And Rossi can be sure that "Piacere" won't be moored anywhere for long. After a summer in the Mediterranean, she spent a winter in the Caribbean and will soon be exploring the Pacific. Quite privately, "con Piacere", with pleasure.
Technical data
- Length over everything: 49,95 m
- Width:8,80 m
- Depth: 2,45 m
- Material: Steel, aluminium
- Motors: 2 x Cat C32
- Engine power:2 x 1081 kW
- Gross tonnage: 498 GT
- Speed (max.): 15 kn
- Speed (travelling): 12 kn
- Generators: Cat C4.4, 3 x 99 kW
- Range @ 10 kn: 4000 nm
- Fuel: 68000 l
- Water: 12500 l
- Owner / Guests: 11
- Crew: 11
- Construction: Arrabito Naval Architects
- Exterior design: Horacio Bozzo Design
- Interior design: Enrico Gobbi / Team for Design
- Class:Lloyd's Register
- Shipyard: Rossinavi, 2022
