Bringing together different areas of expertise to tackle a challenge that neither company would approach in quite the same way on its own. This is the rationale that, in recent years, has led some of Italy’s leading names to work beyond the boundaries of their respective sectors: from the collaboration between Prada and Luna Rossa, where fashion, materials and technological research converge in high-performance sailing, to initiatives that have seen brands from the Motor Valley, such as Ducati and Lamborghini, engage in dialogue. Collaborations which, when integrated into the development process, can become genuine exercises in the transfer of technology and expertise.
It is against this backdrop that the partnership between Ferrari and Azimut Yachts for Ferrari Hypersail – the Maranello-based company’s project dedicated to ocean sailing – has emerged. Two different industries, yet with one element in common: the pursuit of extreme performance and the ability to design specific solutions centred on a single objective.
Azimut Yachts is the Technical Partner and Official Yachting Partner of Ferrari Hypersail. The collaboration begins on land, with the establishment of the Hypersail Operational Base at Azimut’s premises in Livorno, and extends to the sea with the Azimut Fly 72 x Ferrari Hypersail, the custom tow boat – a specialised support and towing vessel developed by Azimut’s Technical Department to support Ferrari Hypersail during the prototype’s initial flight tests and any subsequent test campaigns.
The partnership thus brings Azimut’s expertise, honed over decades of research and innovation, into the Ferrari project. “We are the only brand in the sector with an independent R&D department entirely dedicated to developing solutions that do not yet exist on the market. This choice is driven by an insatiable hunger for progress – the very same drive that has brought us together with the visionary Ferrari Hypersail project. We are proud to be part of an endeavour that takes on a challenge to generate new knowledge and inspiration for the world of sailing,’ says Andrea Antichi, General Manager of Azimut Yachts.
For Ferrari, the project represents a step into a new dimension of competition and performance research. “The Ferrari Hypersail project was born out of a desire to create something never seen before, bringing Ferrari’s racing DNA into the world of ocean sailing. We are delighted to have Azimut Yachts by our side; their contribution to the construction of the custom tow boat and the Livorno Operations Base will support a number of key activities during the project’s development and testing phase,” explains Lorenzo Giorgetti, Chief Racing Revenue Officer at Ferrari.
Azimut’s R&D Department and Technical Office have been called upon to tackle a highly complex technical challenge: to design a high-performance vessel capable of propelling the Ferrari Hypersail prototype to speeds of around 30 knots during the initial trials without a mast or sails, whilst supporting the dynamics of lift-off and flight on foils.
The solution developed involves customising the Azimut Fly 72 platform through targeted modifications to the power-to-weight ratio. On the one hand, a drastic weight-reduction programme based on the extensive use of carbon fibre has reduced the overall weight by 6 tonnes. On the other hand, the integration of 4,000 cavalli into the structural and systems architecture – doubling the model’s power with a configuration developed exclusively for the Ferrari Hypersail – has infused the yacht with a racing spirit. The installation required dedicated engineering, made possible by the team’s expertise and Azimut’s pioneering use of carbon fibre in the world of yachting.
To secure the Fly 72 to the prototype, the hull was also fitted with a specific tow post, dimensioned through rigorous strength analyses to withstand extreme static and dynamic loads. This was a project of great engineering rigour, which integrated Azimut’s expertise in naval, structural and systems design, as well as interior fit-out.
Finally, the entire on-board configuration has been customised to accommodate the team led by Enrico Voltolini and facilitate their work during testing. In subsequent phases, the Azimut Fly 72 will also be used for the crew and for VIP hospitality. The yacht will thus support Ferrari Hypersail from the initial key testing stages right through to major events around the world.
The collaboration between Ferrari and Azimut forms part of a wider trend: partnerships in which companies with different areas of expertise pool their research, design and production capabilities to tackle highly complex projects. In this case, the common ground is the sea, but the challenge stems from the meeting of two industrial cultures: that of the marine sector and that of high-performance racing.
Marta Gasparini
