After having launched their brand in the yachting industry last April, Antonini Navi confirm they will start soon the first 40m project. We interviewed Aldo Manna, the mind behind the whole Antonini Navi ambitious yachting project, to understand how the company intends to develop its business.
Antonini Navi is entering the megayacht sector thanks to the full support of the Antonini family (Massimo, Lorenzo and Simone Antonini), who decided to invest over 10 million euros in this direction. Antonini Group has been operating in the Oil & Gas sector since the second half of the 1940s, earning a reputation for its knowhow and capabilities in the global implementation of Offshore and Onshore projects, as a provider of engineering, procurement, production, testing and commissioning services for large oil platforms.
Antonini Group now boasts three production sites located in different areas: the Olmec Unit, the Oma Unit and the Muggiano Shipyard.
The Antonini Navi brand will bring together the range of high-end marine services offered by Antonini Group in order to provide the market with an all-round offering, from the construction of custom yachts (up to 70 meters in length) to services including refitting, after-sales and superyacht berthing, as well as continuing to build for third parties, as has been the case for years.
The ambitious project will also embrace the creation of a line of yachts from 30 to 50 metres in length, designed by award-winning La Spezia architect and designer Fulvio De Simoni.
With an average annual sales of over 50 million euros and consolidated technical knowhow and expertise in the fields of engineering, design, construction, assembly and maintenance, Antonini Group is ready to build the first 40m project developed on their innovative utility platform called Up40 (Utility Platform 40m). The entire staff, based at Antonini Navi’s Marina di Pertusola headquarters, is composed of about 200 employees and 50 collaborators, dedicated to the four distinct areas of action.
Aldo Manna explained that their three different projects – Crossover, Motoryacht and Sport Explorer – have been developed using one only platform, called UP40. In the case of the UP40, the strategy of giving the vessel large fuel tanks and a special focus on efficiency at sea will guarantee a “grand cruiser” range of over 5,000 nautical miles at 10 knots. The top speed will be around 14 knots and cruising speed 12 knots. Antonini developed this utility platform in order to optimise the entire building process. As a matter of fact, in this way, they can start to build the hull of a 40m yacht, for which at least 6 months are commonly needed, giving the client the possibility to choose what kind of yacht he prefers to build at a second stage.
As Aldo Manna underlines “the projects we have developed are not to be intended as models but as a new innovative method through which starting from one only hull we can generate three different kinds of boat, totally different from one another: an elegant and modern Motoryacht, a streamlined and essential Crossover and, lastly, a solid and multi-purpose Sport Explorer.
The first is the Crossover , the most transversal project. On the same platform we can build our explorer 140 or more contemporary 40m motoryacht. The general arrangements of the lower deck are identical in the three projects, the subdivision of the space is the same. The main and upper decks are instead different. The engineering plan developed by Optima Design can be used for all the three kinds of boat, we will simply change the superstructure that will be chosen by the client according to the kind of yacht he desires.
Crossover 
Crossover
Antonini Navi will start construction of the first 40m yacht in September 2020. In 6 months the hull will be ready. During this period of time the sales department will be able to work with potential clients and once the contract is signed, the client will be able to decide which yacht to build – crossover – explorer or motoryacht – and benefit from a building process already started, which means seeing his boat delivered in only 12 months instead of 18. The interior design will be the same for the three projects, with some modifications possible.
Crossover 
Crossover
“We started to work with Optima Design at the engineering plan last March 2019. We are very confident that our work will give good results, despite this uncertainty times. We are not scared by this global emergency which stopped the economy. The money we invested are for projects that will see the light in 2 years, so we can not stop because of what is happening now. We have to look at the future”.
As to the boat show season, Antonini Navi said that it was not in their plans to participate in any of the scheduled events this year, the Cannes or the Monaco Yacht Show, so the instability of these shows do not affect their operations, but on the contrary gives the company a further opportunity because they could use this lack of international yachting happenings to work on their relationships without being overshadowed by all the big players of the megayacht sector.
Aldo Manna explains that they are developing their sales opportunities working within the contacts network deriving from the naval and metalworking world. From the same expertise they can also take advantage for other aspects: “our background developed throughout 80 years include cutting, furnishing, respecting deliveries and being at sea. Our approach and consolidated methods are exactly what a company needs to be in the megayacht sector. What we need to develop yet regards instead all those lifestyle and luxury aspects that are required in order to position a product in the high-end market. For the furnishing phase we will rely on the collaboration of third-parties. As to the building process, it is something where we are very strong since we are doing this for over 15 years. We have in fact worked as third-party for major shipbuilders for the construction of yachts over 50 meters. Our target is to position our brand and product at the same level as the other European shipbuilders. We want to offer a kind of product which respect the highest quality of the market but at the right price. We will try to sell our products without giving exclusivity to any broker but at the same time without giving up their support. According to our business plan, we aim at developing our core business in 2 directions: 50% will be generated through the sale of our products, the remaining 50% is expected from the sales of custom projects with the help of brokers. We deeply studied the market and have found out that the most requested product in the following years will be in the 40m range. That’s why we have chosen to design a 40m project that could be modular according to the client’s needs”.
Antonini Navi is going to organize some dedicated events for press and clients where they will officially introduce their brand and products.
