The true story of the Menorquins. With these boats you can go anywhere

Where classical beauty meets state-of-the-art technology. Thus the Menorquíns from fishing boats have become cult objects for long-cruise enthusiasts.

Flying your mind between the shores of Europe and the United States, it is easy to see that some of the most fascinating and elegant hulls around were born as workboats. Lobsters, goiters, and trawlers: in their highest expressions they are icons of true seafaring, and all were originally not intended as leisure boats at all. Each area then has its own variations and peculiarities, fortunately. Today we look at the so-called “Mediterranean trawler” in one of its evergreen versions: the Menorquín from Sasga Yacht.

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Menorquín: all “class A”

An entire range from 34 to 68 feet all certified “class A,” meaning suitable for virtually any type of sailing, says a lot about the way these yachts are built, but also about the type of owner they are designed for.

“They are all made in Menorca,” says Davide Pedetti of
Pedetti Yacht Sales
, Menorquín’s importer in Italy since 1996 – and have gone from being a traditional fishing boat to being consecrated as an object of worship. Experienced shipowners usually come to us and spend even months on board. They have usually already had a speedboat or sailboat and now want more space or lower fuel consumption. When they try the Menorquín, however, they hardly then change their minds.”.

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The history of the Menorquín

Going back in time, their story begins about 45 years ago when in the Minorcan island’s capital Juan Sastre Bernat, starting with the island’s traditional fishing llaüt began building Menorquínes llaüts founding Astilleros Menorca. The entry into Italy, precisely with Pedetti Yacht Sales, dates back to 1996, when Menorcan llaüts were first imported into Italy. The following year, the Menorquín Yacht brand debuted, entering the market with a 13-meter cruising boat, and in 2001, 16 and 18 meters were reached, a remarkable bet for the time.

The new generation “Sasga” was born in 2010 when family Sastre restarted from a boat heir to those Minorcan llaüts that were so successful.

Mediterranean vs. “non-Mediterranean” trawler

What is the difference at this point between a classic trawler and this “Mediterranean” version?

“Let’s talk first of all about the outdoor spaces, ” Davide Pedetti replies. – which are not emphasized in American or northern European models, especially with regard to the bow sundeck. If we think that for Menorquín the target market is Italy, it is easy to see how outdoor livability should be enhanced as much as possible. The pleasure of sailing is total and it not infrequently happens that the boats are delivered directly to Menorca and then from there the owner takes her alone to Italy or takes advantage of it for a cruise to the Balearic Islands.

We have a client who bought a 44-footer and went from Liguria and did Corsica, Sardinia, Ustica, Sicily, the Aeolian Islands, and then came back to Liguria via Capri and Ischia, all in one run. To spend that much time on a 12-meter motor boat you definitely need to have first-rate livability.”

A house on the water

It is not only in the equipment that can be found on board from refrigerators to a real fume hood, but also in the furniture. On board the Sasga Menorquín, the furniture is made in solid wood by the shipyard’s in-house joinery with materials such as white pickled oak that give that Provencal house style effect that is always magical on board.

At the helm on these hulls is Iñigo Toledo, founder of
Barracuda Yacht Design
and if we are talking about boats to go anywhere this architect is a true guru as his designs in every size for long-distance yachts attest. Today, in addition to hulls built by combining decades of experience and technology, we also find the best in technology on board. This is because experienced customers are also demanding and attentive to the constant innovation that the market offers, such as from the electronics perspective on the integration and automation level.

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Those who want to spend entire weeks on board, at the same time, also want the opportunity to create an environment that is ideal. Responding to this need is the new Signature program, launched by Sasga and dedicated to Menorquíns from 54 to 58 feet. How does it work? The Minorcan shipyard provides a team of naval engineers to those who join, architects, and interior designers capable of pandering to requests and guiding the owner to the design and implementation of the boat tailored to his or her sailing and living style in a creative design process starting with the interior and exterior layouts, as well as the technological equipment best suited to his or her on-board needs.