2021. Leonardo Ferragamo: I tell you about my concept of a motor boat

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Leonardo Ferragamo: I tell you about my concept of a motor boat

From Boats by Motor 2021, no. 18, April-May, pp. 44-50.

A world premiere. A fascinating challenge. Nautor’s Swan’s entry into the engine not only marks a turning point in the shipyard’s history but charts a new course in style and innovation.

There are three dates that can best summarize the history of Nautor’s Swan. The 1966 year in which it was launched Tarantella the first 36-foot sailing hull signed by Sparkman & Stephens. Then there was 1998, which marked the entry onto the scene of Leonardo Ferragamo under whose leadership the shipyard began a new path of development and success. Finally, 2021. To be more precise, January 15, a date that will go down in history because it marks Nautor’s Swan ‘s debut in the engine. It is not a choice dictated by chance or by a sudden change in strategy since the core business will always remain sailing. On the contrary, it was the heritage of knowledge combined with the nautical culture that has always been a distinctive feature of the shipyard that convinced Leonardo Ferragamo to conceive not so much a new range of motor boats but a new way to be able to experience the pleasure of the sea and sailing as he explains in the interview he gave us.

Does entry into the engine mark a momentous moment in the history of Nautor’s Swan?
Definitely. But I would like to point out that Nautor’s Swan before being a shipyard is a brand and as such embodies values and skills. This choice can be defined as a natural evolution and transfers to the engine that vision, culture, and tradition that are the basis of the brand’s success in the sailing world.

What prompted you to conceive of a motor boat?
We had been looking with interest at entering this market for years. But we resisted the temptation until we were sure we were proposing something absolutely innovative. It all started with the idea of conceiving a support hull to complement Nautor’s offerings in sailing. Later, the more the project went on the more we realized that this boat could intercept the interest not only of an audience composed of Swan sailboat owners but of a much wider audience looking for something unique.

What are the most salient aspects of this project and how do they help distinguish it from the offerings in the market?
First of all, the kind of approach. Culture, elegance, innovative spirit. We wanted to transfer what have always been the hallmarks of the Swan sailing range into the engine. The result is a boat that combines a stylistic and aesthetic language of refined elegance with many functional aspects.

Can you give us some examples?
The profile is well-proportioned and balanced with the upright fore and aft sections accentuating its elegance. In addition, the deck layout, on a single level and without steps, designed on a walkaround layout makes her particularly practical in terms of life aboard. We have also found ways to soften the aft platform by hiding from view the bulky presence of the outboards inserted within a platform that, as needed, can raise or lower so as to facilitate access to the water or mooring at the dock. And these are just a few examples.

How has the issue of functionality been thoroughly investigated so that it can meet the demands of a wide range of boaters?
The trump card of this project lies precisely in having designed a boat whose use can be declined in a variety of ways. Beginning, for example, with the possibility of having a Long Top that, thanks to the presence of telescopic poles combined with movable glass panels, makes it possible to create a large space protected and sheltered from external elements such as to make it the ideal means of support for large yachts. Conversely, the need to be able to house equipment for diving, or for practicing windsurfing, sport fishing, kite surfing has been indulged by freeing up the stern space thus recovering a large surface area to be allocated to this use. All this is the result of a great design and creative effort whose purpose is to offer a new kind of on-board living experience.

What kind of reception do you think a boat designed and built by a shipyard with a long tradition in sailing but its first experience in motor?
The values in terms of seriousness, quality and competence on which the brand has built its reputation in sailing are the same values we have borrowed in the engine. Then there is another consideration. Nautor’s new motor range introduces content to the scene that stems precisely from the great wealth of knowledge gained precisely in sailing. If we look at the stern momentum of this model, the thickness of the sides, the assortment in terms of color range, we notice a strong connection with the world of the Club Swan 50 (one-design sailing hulls ed.). The collapsible sides much in vogue today on models placed in the same range are not present on the new motoryacht.

An intentional decision?
At this first stage we preferred to stick to the concept and philosophy of a shadow/chase boat, intended precisely as a support boat. In the future we do not exclude this solution.

In sailing, the yard has always used some of the most prestigious signatures in yacht design. This project carries the signature of Jarkko Jämsén in his first ever with Nautor’s Swan. What are the reasons behind this choice?
It all happened randomly. We got to know each other recently and start a shared path. Planning and design have always fascinated me a lot. During the lockdown period, I had the opportunity to explore with Jarkko all aspects related to design in a completely new way. Among the firm’s strengths was the ability to make use of cutting-edge technology thanks to which I could grasp, almost in real time, every change, every required modification while still working remotely and remotely. But it is not just a matter of working tools. Jarkko, in addition to showing great professionalism, was very attentive to my requests and, at times, even my provocations.

How much of your own is in this project in the engine?
So much. As mentioned earlier, the idea of getting into the engine had been brooding for some time. Over many years I had been able to experiment with many solutions but had never found, even as a sailboat user, anything that completely met my needs. I did not want to get caught up in the frenzy. Only when I was sure that I was presenting something truly new did I decide to embark on this new adventure.

By Matthew Zaccagnino

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