By Matteo Zaccagnino, Editor-in-chief
Sea Time
The highest wave ever and a sailing trip around the world. These are ingredients worthy of an adventure novel. True, but in this case the key to understanding it is something else and it points straight to the world of watchmaking. The news is that the hands of two watchmakers have marked two exceptional feats that smell of the sea and salt. Nic von Rupp and Alan Roura have been in the news.
The first, Tudor ambassador, has tamed a 30-metre wave on his surfboard. Probably the highest ever in this discipline. In the same period, Alan Roura brought his Imoca 60 Hublot Unico Sailing Team back to Les Sables d’Olonne, in France, after a voyage around the world lasting 84 days, 55 minutes and 48 seconds. This is no small feat. Yes, because in between there were four capes to round, including the legendary Cape Horn, the fearsome 40-fathom and 50-fathom lines to face, not to mention all the variables and unknowns that usually mark a regatta like the Vendée Globe, considered, not without reason, the Everest of the oceans.
Staying on the subject of metaphors, the other news of the week comes from Portugal. Here, off the coast of Nazaré, Nic von Rupp began his epic descent from the top of a mountain that has earned him a place in the surfing Hall of Fame, pending official certification, for having ridden the most impressive wave that a man has ever managed to tame on his board. Only for the truly brave. Also because in those days the sea conditions were so prohibitive that many of the athletes competing in the Tudor Nazaré Big Wave Challenge were forced to stay on dry land. Remember the scene in Big Fish… ‘All of this was only possible thanks to an extraordinary team, it’s all about the team’, said Nic von Rupp, who added: ‘the bond I felt with the ocean that day was so strong; the news said that no one would go out on the water that day, but this was possible thanks to my team’.
A special day, and a special one for Alan Roura. On 3 February the Swiss sailor completed his third round-the-world voyage. ‘I’m immensely proud to have completed my third consecutive Vendée Globe’, commented Roura, who then added: ‘In each edition, despite the experience I’ve gained, I know that everything can change in an instant. Each race is an opportunity to push my limits and continue to learn. Nothing can be taken for granted. You have to constantly adapt, accept the unexpected and fight, day after day. Thanks to my team, my partners, Hublot, who understood the challenge represented by the continuous search for success, and all those who supported me on land and at sea. Without them, this adventure would not have been possible’. But that’s not all.
Still on the subject of hands and the sea, there’s another great challenge ready to go. Once again, the stakes are high: to beat the record for a non-stop sailing trip around the world. This is the goal that British sailor Alex Barrier has set herself. This pioneering initiative was created to open up new opportunities for women in sailing and change the perception of female athletes‘ abilities in this discipline. It is dedicated to all the female sailors who have the courage to dream,’ said Barrier. With an all-female crew, she will attempt to win the Jules Verne Trophy aboard a 32-metre multihull. The aim is to beat the current non-stop round-the-world sailing record of 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds, set in 2017 by Francis Joyon. The time of this extraordinary endeavour will be marked by the hands of Richard Mille.
Automotive and boating, an unbreakable bond
The Boot in Düsseldorf provided the opportunity for FIM, Fabbrica Italiana Motoscafi, to announce two new models. So far, nothing new. The real news, however, is the involvement of Designworks BMW Group, whose hand has left its mark, in particular, on the design of the new flagship. The Contessa 640 is the result of the collaboration between Alessandro Lottici, head of exterior design, and the creative studio of the Bavarian car manufacturer, which took care of the interior concept. ‘In the automotive sector, experience design plays a fundamental role in satisfying the individual needs and desires of customers, maximising the pleasure of life on board and strengthening the brand identity.
‘The 640 Contessa is a yacht that involves all the senses, offering an immersive experience thanks to its extraordinarily well-finished design, which clearly distinguishes it on the market,’ commented Tom Allemeier, Creative Design Director of Designworks BMW Group. This new sport-fly, which will be launched in a few years, brings the close collaboration that exists between these two worlds back to the forefront. It’s no secret that yacht design always looks to the automotive industry for inspiration. Proof of this are the many designations such as coupé, grand tourer, sports car and SUV that have entered the nautical dictionary.
It’s also nothing new that we have already witnessed and seen the incursions of car design into the great arena of boating. From Pininfarina, who boasts several collaborations such as with Wally for the interiors of the Wallycento Tango, and the Princess shipyard with projects such as the R35 and the V55. Not to mention that BMW Design WorksUSA itself has, in the past, collaborated with shipyards such as the Belgian Zeydon and Bavaria.
Not to mention that a pencil of the calibre of Chris Bangle, after his experience as chief designer at BMW, created his own studio where he tackled various design projects including a collaboration with the Sanlorenzo shipyard from which the first asymmetrical SL was developed. But there are those who have gone even further. Like Aston Martin. A few years ago the English car manufacturer made its debut in the nautical world with the AM37. More recently, another supercar brand, this time from the ‘trident’ company, presented an electrically powered runabout.
The reference is of course to Maserati, which last year launched a 10.5 metre zero-emissions boat. I could go on and on about this topic. There is no shortage of examples on paper as a concept and at sea, such as the collaboration between Frauscher and Porsche. But I would like to conclude with another food for thought. On this front there is also great anticipation for the debut of Alpine.
On the eve of the Düsseldorf show Beneteau announced the start of a collaboration with the famous transalpine automotive brand. ‘We are very happy,’ commented Oliver Oakes, team principal BWT Alpine Formula One Team, ‘to join forces with the prestigious yacht manufacturer Beneteau. BWT Alpine Formula One Team and Beneteau are both at the cutting edge of performance-orientated sectors and by combining our experience we will be able to create a series of projects at the forefront of technology’. Eric LeVine, Sales Director of Beneteau Motor Yachts, said: ’We are delighted to join forces with such a renowned player in the world of motor sport. This partnership reflects our shared dynamism and desire to launch ourselves into new challenges, which will certainly lead us to success; in fact, Alpine is the perfect partner for us, there are so many parallels with our brand, such as being a point of reference in the design of high-end products, the vision of an extraordinary customer experience and the desire to exceed market expectations’.
Duty yes duty no
All eyes are on the United States. For a whole series of reasons. Not least those to do with boating. The spotlight is on Miami which from 12 to 16 February will host the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show. This is not just any boat show, as this particular event is the most important sales event of the nautical season for the USA, and consequently for the rest of the world.
As we’ve said many times, the American market is the most important for the nautical sector, together with the European market, in terms of sales. In 2025 there are many scenarios to be deciphered. The most important concerns the issue of tariffs that the Trump administration is threatening to adopt. While the situation affecting Canada and Mexico is under observation, the same cannot be said about the choices that will be made regarding goods imported from the European Union and, above all, which sectors will fall within the scope of the tariffs.
The alarm for Italian-made boats has not yet sounded, even if the alert level is high. One thing is certain: playing in our favour for the moment is the strengthening of the dollar against the euro, which makes Italian nautical exports to the USA even more attractive. On the other hand, however, the measures being considered by the new administration, if adopted, will increase inflation and reduce the purchasing power of US consumers, including yachtsmen. It remains to be seen, however, what impact they will have on the finished product in terms of increasing the final list price.
If for the car industry the risk is there, given that many car manufacturers, especially European ones, have chosen to manufacture models destined for the American market in Mexico, as far as the nautical industry is concerned it is not clear which and how many shipyards have chosen to relocate production, destined to be sold in the USA, to the countries under scrutiny. This is an issue that will perhaps mainly concern components and accessories. At the moment it is only speculation, the only thing to do is to wait and see what signals will come from Miami.
