What sets it apart is its tenacity and stubbornness in achieving its goals, with charisma to spare. All qualities of those born under Scorpio, or tancua, in Genoese, hence the name Tankoa.
It took just 16 years, but Tankoa is now a consolidated presence on the superyacht market, demonstrating that time is what makes the difference, and not quantity but quality. The yard’s history is proof enough. “Investing in such a complex sector as yachting requires a medium to long-term vision. Especially if, as in our case, you start from scratch and not through the acquisition of an existing brand that already had a story to tell,” comments Guido Orsi who, with his sister Eva, shares the helm of Tankoa Yachts.
A challenge within a challenge, however, born on a solid foundation. Knowledge and expertise were never lacking thanks to their father, Guido Orsi, whose experience as owner of the Cantiere Navale Baglietto proved to be decisive in making this new company take a quantum leap.
At Tankoa Yachts it is the human factor, the Orsi family, that is the true added value. “Not to mention how the scenario in the last 25 years has changed so drastically with the entry of financial players conditioning the sector’s dynamics” continues Guido Orsi, who adds: “Our DNA tells a different story, one of traditional entrepreneurship where the human direct relationships with customers mean everything. An approach that has repaid us with solid growth and numbers”.
Numbers that reflect a production capacity that, in addition to the historical site in Genoa, will soon include that of the Civitavecchia site, the acquisition of which will allow the construction of four units from 40 metres upwards every year. “Our idea for Civitavecchia,” continues Guido Orsi, “is to build hulls and then internalise part of the welding process. Work that until now has been outsourced and will return to being in-house, benefiting from direct quality control. In Civitavecchia, we will start work almost immediately on one third of the area available on the former Privilege
.” This move mirrors the period of healthy growth Tankoa Yachts is experiencing, thanks to its ability to capture the interest of a clientele looking for something special and truly different. “For us, the shipyard is a tailor-made boutique that creates tailored boats that take into account and satisfy the customer’s needs,” comments Eva Orsi.
Hence an approach that champions the true meaning of custom builds. “50% of the 10 boats under construction are full custom while the rest are semi-custom. Even the latter, however, are in-house builds and, as such, are still highly customised. The advantage for the customer is a delivery time that cuts the pure custom wait by six months,” explains Guido Orsi. For the yard, 2024 started well and only got better.
In February, the first unit of the new T450 series, Go, touched water, marking the yard’s entry into the under 50-metre segment. The new 45-metre will also be present at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September, the yard’s debut at that event. Then came Rilassata, the sixth unit in the acclaimed 50-metre S501 series. And finally, in early summer, the 58-metre full-custom Diamond Binta came into being. Three superyachts that celebrate Made in Italy quality in the deepest sense of the term, on both a creative and design level.
Rilassata and Diamond Binda highlight the talent and flair of Francesco Paszkowski and Margherita Casprini while Go is the brainchild of Giorgio Cassetta. Joined also by the Nauta Design studio, the Ligurian shipyard created the Milano project, a 70-metre presented at the last Dubai Boat Show. “Although we have the capacity to build units up to 80 metres, as a corporate strategy we have decided to remain focused on the 45-65 metre range, which today represents our core business,” adds Eva Orsi.
Matteo Zaccagnino
