Give or treat yourself to a subscription to Boats in Motion print + digital and for only 39 euros a year you get the magazine at home plus read it on your PC, smartphone and tablet. With a sea of advantages.
While Italy celebrates having seven shipyards among the top fifteen in the world, particularly in the sector of mega yachts, there is a pillar of its history that lies abandoned. It is Destriero, one of the most daring projects ever undertaken by the Italian boating industry.
In cinema, such a project would be a colossal with everything magnified from the length, 220 feet, to the power, over 60,000 HP. This is the Italian boat that has enchanted and made people talk about her all over the world, but which is now in serious danger of being forgotten forever. The memories of those who lived through those moments are indelible, but the boat has been abandoned in Germany for many years. It would be a shame not to preserve such an important piece of history, especially in a country that suffers from a chronic lack of nautical culture.
But there is someone trying to prevent this unjust end. Alberto Scuro, newly-appointed chairman of the Historic Motoring Commission of the States General of Italian Heritage, has just launched an appeal to the Aga Khan: support the recovery of the Destriero.
It was Prince Karim Aga Khan himself who promoted the project thirty years ago, with the support of the industrial elite of the time. This glorious project set a record in the Atlantic Ocean, covering over 3,000 nautical miles without refuelling and averaging over 50 knots.
The Commissione Motorismo Storico considers the Destriero an element of Italian heritage and would like to launch an initiative to restore her and make her accessible to new generations. To achieve this, the commission is also ready to request the declaration of cultural heritage by the Italian Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini.
As mentioned above, for now Alberto Scuro has sent a request addressed to Prince Karim Aga Khan, in his capacity as president of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. The motivation is to receive information on the ship Destriero and above all to make the Prince aware of the need to support a salvage initiative.
It has been known for years that the Destriero is in a state of disrepair in Germany, near Bremen, in the area of the Lürssen shipyards. Now, after yet another report, the Historic Motoring Commission wants to take action to try and save it.
Almost 60 meters long, Destriero was designed by Donald Lee Blount and built in early 90’s by Fincantieri and Pininfarina. At the time of her creation (early 1990s) she was the largest aluminium vessel ever built, 223.7 feet (68.19 metres) and 13 metres wide, about 43 feet.
In 1992, just one year after her launch, she sailed in the record time of 58 hours, 43 minutes and 5 seconds over 3,100 miles at an average speed of 53 knots, crossing the Atlantic at a maximum speed of 67 knots.
The journalists of Motorboats, together with Giornale della VELA and Top Yacht Design are committed every day to guarantee quality, updated and correct information about the nautical world in a free way through the websites. If you appreciate our work, support us by subscribing to the magazine. The annual subscription costs only 29.90 euros!
Sign up for our Newsletter
Powerboats, its stories, from small open to motoryachts. Sign up now for our free newsletter and receive the best news selected by the editorial staff each week. Enter your email below, agree to the Privacy Policy and click the “sign me up” button.
Until March 31, 2026, Saint-Raphaël is hosting the Leopard Catamarans Winter Showroom, an unmissable opportunity to get up close and personal with the full range of motor catamarans from the renowned South African shipyard. If you are looking for a
For lovers of adrenaline and vintage boats, we have scouted out two “missiles” from the 1970s in our classifieds board. If you’re already buzzing, buckle up and find out what we’re talking about below. And if you love vintage boats,
Welcome to the special section “BAM 35 Years.” We are presenting “cult” articles from the Motor Boats archive, starting in 1990. A journey through time among stories unobtainable today, even in the great sea of the internet! A dive into
A tribute to the companies and people who have made Barche a Motore great over these 35 years allowing it to be born, grow, and become great up to this historic anniversary. In these articles the great excellences of boating
2 thoughts on “Destriero, the forgotten legendary. But now someone wants to save it”
To whom it may concern, this is the actual position of the Destriero.
53.16984537303321, 8.60215035604643
Hi to whom it may concern Why was Destriero abandoned who was or is the owner of the Boat please