We met with Dmitry Lukin in a picturesque cafe on the Lerici beach after an eventful excursion to La Spezia, Amelia and Viareggio, where the shipyards of the Sanlorenzo company are based, which has been famous for its elegant and fast boats for more than half a century. Each of them is a work of art. The scale required to build both a yacht and a superyacht is impressive at first glance, once you cross the threshold of the company's office. To begin with, they will show the main models here, ask about their desires, show samples, and then send them to the field, more precisely to hangars. After all, nothing is as mesmerizing as the process of the birth of a boat. There is nothing superfluous here: a smooth exterior, spacious interiors, a convenient layout of cabins and incredible technical stuffing. A careful study of all the details takes time. Inside the first huge hangar, so far only metal frames are visible, hiding the outlines of the future boat, in the other the lightest plastic forms are laid out, which will become the bottom, and in the third there is already an assembled boat on which finishing work is underway. A visit to the shipyard is not only exciting, but also extremely useful for the future owner. We talked about this with the Managing Director of the Sanlorenzo representative office in Russia, part of the West Nautical group of companies.part of the West Nautical group of companies.part of the West Nautical group of companies.
Dmitry Lukin
- Made to measure - the philosophy of the Sanlorenzo company, which creates special personalized boats. How does the first acquaintance of a client with a future purchase go?
- Buying a yacht is always associated with positive emotions and entertainment. It is imperative for the future ship owner to have an emotional connection with his favorite toy. Of course, it can also arise when you look at the Sanlorenzo shipyard, in the sun-soaked Tuscany and Liguria, when you get to know the craftsmen who build yachts, you see their burning eyes, it is impossible to remain indifferent. An understanding of the value of certain design solutions comes, you begin to feel the DNA of Sanlorenzo.
- Exterior and interior design is an important component of the company's boats. What famous designers does the shipyard collaborate with?
- Sanlorenzo employs very experienced designers with exquisite taste, who have absorbed the Sanlorenzo style, in addition, the shipyard collaborates with top world designers: Piero Lissoni, Francesco Pashkovski, Margherita Casprini, Laura Sessa, Steve Leung, John Vickers, Patricia Warquiola and others.
At this year's Cannes Yachting Festival, Sanlorenzo unveiled the new SD96, whose interiors were created by Patricia Warquiola, the world's most sought-after female designer, largely due to her talent for combining beauty and comfort.
1 of 12 Yacht model Sanlorenzo SD96 © press service © press service © press service © press service © press service © press service © press service © press service
- What are the main differences between the SL, SD and SX lines? What new items does the shipyard offer in each?
- SL is a series of classic planing yachts. In 2018, the revolutionary SL102Asymmetric debuted in Cannes, the world's first asymmetric yacht to broaden the industry's vision of ergonomics. By removing the passage on the port side, it was possible to increase the width of the saloon on the main deck by 70 cm. With a length of 31.1 m and a width of 7.1 m, the interior volume of the cabin became a record in the class. At the same time, the incredibly stylish body has a perfect aesthetics. The model is very well received on the market - new cases are not available - we have to wait. In January 2020, we invite everyone to the exhibition in Düsseldorf, where the premiere of a model with the same concept - SL96 Asymmetric will take place. The debut of the new flagship of the planing yachts Sanlorenzo SL120 Asymmetric will follow.
1 of 6 Yacht model Sanlorenzo SL102 Asymmetric © Fernando Lombardi © Fernando Lombardi © Fernando Lombardi © Fernando Lombardi © Fernando Lombardi © Fernando Lombardi
The SD series are semi-displacement yachts with a distinctive look reminiscent of the transatlantic liners of the 1930s. Their speed is lower, while the volume of the internal space is greater. With the new SD96, the Italian shipyard has once again raised the bar with revolutionary ergonomics, such as a two-level foredeck with wide staircases. In addition to beauty and style (there is no other way for Sanlorenzo), all innovative solutions are aimed at giving the buyer a huge amount of functionality and space that were not previously available in this size. And the fact that the yacht won the award for the best ergonomics during the Cannes Yachting Festival did not surprise anyone - deservedly so! The new 96-foot hull offers the comfort of a superyacht over 100 feet in length that would have cost several million euros more.
1 of 6 Yacht model Sanlorenzo SX76 © Federico Cedrone © Federico Cedrone © Federico Cedrone © Federico Cedrone © Federico Cedrone © Federico Cedrone
The SX crossover yacht is a wildly successful series. SX is tearing up the market! For the first time in the history of 88-foot yachting, a luxurious beach club has appeared, previously available on boats from 40 meters, which cost tens of millions of euros, and the price of the SX88 is pleasantly surprising with the same level of comfort.
Yacht model Sanlorenzo SX88
- Can any boat be made hybrid?
- As one of the leading shipyards, Sanlorenzo is very active in introducing new technologies. We have the technological capabilities to install hybrid plants on a large list of models (not all), and now it is up to customers and the market. The cost of a hybrid yacht will be higher, but consider it an environmental contribution. Plus a nice bonus - the ability to walk silently.
- Asymmetric boat: how did you come up with the idea of such a vessel and what makes it strikingly different from others?
- First of all, the yacht should be comfortable for guests. The shipyard's naval architects made the assumption that the walkways on both sides of the yacht do not carry the proper functional load and for convenient operation it is enough to keep one. During testing, the concept was confirmed. Due to the passage, the area of the salon was increased by 10 sq. In addition, the speed of servicing guests on board has increased. Captains ask a question about the convenience of hanging the fenders - there are no difficulties, the fenders are hung from the flybridge, the captains are completely satisfied with the comfort of the crew.
- Why should customers visit the shipyard, what's the point?
- See with your own eyes the process of building a yacht, make sure of the highest level of quality, realize how yachts are a high-tech product. They are among the top most sophisticated b2c products on the market. When you look at a finished yacht, there is no understanding in your head how much labor and skill has been invested, thoughts about the filling do not pass, and there are kilometers of wires inside. Perhaps this gives rise to an emotional connection with the yacht.
1 of 7 Shipyard Sanlorenzo © press service © press service © press service © press service © press service © press service © press service
- What is included in a study tour to the shipyard?
- Most often, a person decides to go to a shipyard when he has almost made a decision to buy. He either wants to confirm his choice of a specific model, or is still in the process of choosing from two or three. On request, we organize a sea trial (test sailing. - ) to enable the buyer to evaluate the driving performance of a particular model. In the afternoon, we delve into the study of the configuration, we invite the client to the showroom to discuss various layouts and the choice of finishing materials.
- How many stages are there before the construction of the boat begins?
- The preparatory stage depends on the clarity of the client's vision of his future yacht. The more experienced the yachtsman, the more he knows about his needs on board. At the same time, we are aware of innovations in the world of yachting and are always ready to share solutions that will positively affect the comfort of our guests. If the buyer is just entering the world of yachting, a trip to the shipyard is preceded by several meetings - either in the Moscow representative office of the shipyard, or on the client's premises. Project managers from the shipyard and interior designers often come to the meetings. Many shipowners involve their families in the yacht building process.
- How long does the client wait for the finished boat?
“It depends on the model and the buyer's entry point into the construction process - typically eight months to three years for custom steel and aluminum enclosures.
- Sanlorenzo also offers a trained boat crew. Why is this needed?
- When purchasing a Sanlorenzo yacht, captains and engineers must be trained in Italy. This is a requirement of the shipyard. Successful completion of the training is the key to the safe operation of the vessel. Modern technologies make it possible to exchange information about the condition of the yacht online with the headquarters through a specially developed application for a tablet and a helmet with a video camera. Most of the issues that arise are resolved remotely, which has a positive effect on operating costs, and most importantly, allows the team to quickly resolve technical issues (and the owners do not delve into them) and enjoy the holidays on Sanlorenzo yachts.>
