Benetti is the protagonist of the new book from Assouline, the prestigious New York publishing house with nearly 2,000 titles sold worldwide on topics such as luxury and design. This extraordinary publication takes the reader on a fascinating journey around one of the world’s most famous shipyards.
Founded in Viareggio in 1873, Benetti has a long history of tradition, innovation and success in the luxury yacht building industry, and this book written by Kevin Koenig, one of the world’s most authoritative yachting journalists, captures the brand’s essence and gives readers deep insights into its evolution. Using archive images, the volume bears witness to the passion and hard work that have contributed to making Benetti one of the world’s leading luxury brands.
The book accompanies readers through decades of challenges, successes and innovations of the Shipyard, from its founding through to the 1960s, when Benetti invented the concept of the modern megayacht and launched the iconic and timeless ‘motopanfilo’ yachts with the Delfino, Gabbiano and Mediterraneo lines, and from the technological revolution of the 1990s and 2000s, which saw the introduction of diesel-electric engines on the Ambrosia III (now available for practically all Benetti yacht families), through to the “giga season”, a period of just 100 days in 2020 that saw the launch of the M/Y Lana, M/Y Luminosity and M/Y IJE, three giga yachts over 100 metres long and including the largest hybrid in the world.
Benetti has shown an untiring commitment to excellence by collaborating with the best engineers and top international designers, some working in sectors such as architecture, art, automotive and fashion, to generate stylistic contamination and an endless flow of new developments.
In the book significant attention is given to famous owners who have chosen Benetti yachts over the years, attracted by the quality of the craftsmanship and the idea of being able to enjoy the beautiful experience that only life on board a yacht like this can offer. From magnate Adnan Khashoggi, who commissioned the most famous yacht of all time, the “Nabila”, to Prince Ranieri of Monaco and David Bowie, who spent his holidays on his “El Caran”.
This new volume is a celebration of the heritage and dedication of all the people – founders, designers and the entire workforce – who have made Benetti a touchstone in the global luxury yachting world. With its refined presentation, eloquent narrative and range and depth of detail, this coffee table book is an extraordinary tribute to a unique success story that continues to sail into the future.
