Classic Boat Cult: the Pershing 45, the first Pershing ever (13.8 m)

Pershing, a behemoth now evocative of very specific feelings and styles: sleek hulls, sporty and elegant lines, luxury and fun. A legacy that the brand has carried for nearly four decades, when a very specific hull came to life, changing everything. It was 1985 and an incredible design by Fulvio De Simoni was launched, a sporty, cabin cruiser 13.8 meters, capable of 37 knots and revolutionizing the market. The Cantiere Navale dell’Adriatico launched the Pershing 45, an icon then, a cult among Classic Boats today.

Pershing 45, the first Pershing ever

Immediately, however, a step back. Adriatic Shipyard? Yes, because not perhaps everyone knows that Pershing was not immediately born as Pershing. In fact, the name originally denoted the motor sport line of CNA (also a producer of one-off sailing hulls), which later became a stand-alone brand in 1998 when the Ferretti Group acquired the brand. Excursus aside, the Pershing 45 was an exceptional hull for 1985, strong with 3 cabins, sleeping a total of 6, 3 bathrooms, and exceptional furnishings and amenities, with a deck plan that was as sporty as it was well thought out. In short, with the 45 a type of hull was born that was destined to give rise to a long-lived segment, to say the least. Here is the Pershing 45, almost 40 years later.

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Pershing 45 – Project

The Pershing 45 is undoubtedly among my latest achievements the most challenging and professionally qualifying one [dichiarava Fulvio De Simoni all’uscita], a Kevlar and composite hull made according to the techniques applied in the world of competition, equivalent to restistances far superior to those of a “traditional” artifact and with significantly lower weights […] But its strength lies perhaps in its ability to be able to combine pleasing and elegant lines with remarkable habitability, components that, combined, are not so easy to find as features…

Produced in two versions, Open and Flybridge, the Pershing 45 was coming to light in a landscape already accustomed to speed hulls and sport boats, but not yet used to the possibility of having these, combined with remarkable livability. Qualities that the Pershing 45 quickly made its own, opening an incredible path for the range to come. Constructed of Sandwich, except for the hull, which is made instead of Kevlar fabric laminate, the 45 boasts a medium-deep V-shaped hull with wide outer side skids (for good sustainment at medium speeds), and four inner longitudinal skids, made especially for the aft area, thus increasing overall maneuverability and improving tacking.

Deck

Shifting our attention to the look and layout of the deck, first of all, in typical 1980s style, the wide bow, clear, fully flush and usable as a sundeck along its entire length (about half of the hull). In the cockpit, on the other hand, behind the windshield, immediately the helm station -raised, to improve visibility- served by double settees. Just aft, on the other hand, is the furnished cockpit, with a large L-shaped sofa and central table (convertible into a sundeck) and a bar top at the broadside. Just beyond, on the transom, a flat surface convertible into a sun deck, and the ladder, to facilitate bathing and boarding. The difference between the models, here, lies solely in the superstructures, completely absent in the open variant, and with a rigid and openable Top in the second case. They change, however, the interiors, as we shall soon see.

Pershing 45 – Interior

For a sleek and sporty hull, the Pershing 45 immediately struck for volume and livability on board. Taking advantage of the more than 4.2 meters of beam, in fact, De Simoni knew how to create an unexpected layout and space, offering, a standard of three double double cabins and three bathrooms, as well as an interior galley with a sitting area.

In the specific case of the Open version, optionally, the third cabin, the one at the far aft, was otherwise convertible into a tender garage, at the owner’s discretion.

Motorization and Performance

Coming, finally, to the propulsion component, the options offered at the time of launch included three distinct engines: in a first case, a pair of Caterpillars rated at 380 horsepower each, optionally replaceable by 2 Cummind sa 425 horsepower, or 2 Gm’s rated at 435 horsepower. In terms of performance, however, the projected maximum speed was a whopping 37 knots, with 32 knots as the indicated cruising speed. Serving it all, more than 1,300 liters of fuel tank.

Data Sheet

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