Fabio Perini, the superyacht builder from Italy based in Viareggio, came from a family in which many worked in the paper industry. He followed the foot steps of his forefathers. But, being the creative boy that he was, he invented an automated felt tensioning system for paper machinery at the young age of 17. He joined the yachting industry later and implemented similar technology there. Soon he specialized in building vessels which could be termed as ‘mega’ in size and surprisingly, could be controlled by a very small crew. This he achieved using the deadly combination of a sharp acumen and absolute technical skills. It is worth mentioning that he still heads his paper machine manufacturing firm, “Faper group”, which is quite popular worldwide.
Design, style, and integration of both are the hallmarks of all Perini Navi creations. He has, since starting off, introduced at least seven elements to ship building- Contemporary styling, Sail automation, Comfort, Generous space on deck, a swinging keel for better stability, quality and most importantly, safety. He trusts his gut feeling and is an instinctive creator. This coupled with his experience and technical skills, enable him to design awesome machines.
Perini Navi, the name under which his sailboats are built, has it’s headquarters in Viareggio in Italy. It also has building facilities in Tuzla, Turkey, Rhode Island, The USA, and La Spezia. From the early 1980s the company has built 22 yachts some of which are available for charter. His boats include the “Marisa” or the “Principessa Vai Via”, the 50m ketch “Aurora”, the “Independence”, and the “Squall”-his first custom sailboat. This year he is on course to finishing the world’s largest sailboat-“The Maltese Falcon.”
His sailboats are usually anywhere between 80 and 210 feet in length and are characterized by acute weight-control mechanisms to enhance speed. Masts for all his boats are built in-house. As the sails are subjected to high stresses of automatic hoisting and lowering down they are rigidly tested before being accepted. Another important criterion for the sails is that they should retain, as much as possible, their original shape, and not deform despite the magnitude of stresses. This is to ensure near maximum power and hence efficiency. All these make choosing a suitable material for the sails a cumbersome process. There have also been cases where the sails have been coated with special material to block UV material to enhance the life of the sails. The longevity of his vessels has almost been standardized as “heavy usage for four years” or 25000 miles at sea. The company’s constant search of perfection has led to many major innovations in the industry like the invention of new material for sails and various weight reduction techniques. In 1983, he built the “Felicita”, which pioneered the idea that a big sail boat could be sailed alone. Since then the co ordination between the flybridge and the sail control became an indispensable part in operational safety of large sailboats. Advanced technology like computer simulation of sail loads and further optimization are a requisite to fashion these high performance clippers.
Fabio Perini won the prestigious Superyacht society’s Leadership Award in 2004. The awards ceremony were held at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October, 2004. This confirmed Fabio Perini’s status as the most revered figure in the industry, more so since the votes were cast by one’s own peers in the industry.
Fabio Perini, the superyacht builder from Italy based in Viareggio, came from a family in which many worked in the paper industry. He followed the foot steps of his forefathers. But, being the creative boy that he was, he invented an automated felt tensioning system for paper machinery at the young age of 17. He joined the yachting industry later and implemented similar technology there. Soon he specialized in building vessels which could be termed as ‘mega’ in size and surprisingly, could be controlled by a very small crew. This he achieved using the deadly combination of a sharp acumen and absolute technical skills. It is worth mentioning that he still heads his paper machine manufacturing firm, “Faper group”, which is quite popular worldwide.
