One Italian megayacht yard acquires another: Tecnomar has purchased the Admiral brand, known for displacement and planing megayachts established in 1966.
Though Admiral was not well-known stateside, it did have wide recognition overseas. It was responsible for a variety of megayachts in steel and aluminum from 105 to 177 feet (32 to 54 meters). Perhaps its most famous delivery was Sea Force One, the yacht pictured. At 177 feet, she was more than just Admiral’s largest yacht to date. Inside, she featured an eclectic (some say eccentric) mix of reality and fantasy. A giant metallic parrot, a mostly-black master stateroom (save for a white sculptured headboard mimicking the seabed), and other adornments sprang from the imagination of her owner, who referred to himself as Captain Magic and dressed much like a mix between the Phantom of the Opera and a Gilbert & Sullivan Pirate King.
Admiral was a brand of Cantieri Navali Lavagna (CNL), which declared bankruptcy in 2010. A few news reports in late 2010 stated that CNL was acquired by the Italian division of a Chinese shipping company. However, an Italian newspaper reported earlier this week that CNL was broken up into 16 business units by a court in Milan and auctioned off the last Friday of October. It followed what was reportedly three failed attempts to sell CNL to the Chinese and Italian firms.
As for Tecnomar, its management team says it was attracted to Admiral because its offerings help extend the range of sizes the yard can now offer.
In related news, Tecnomar plans to acquire a refit and service dock to target yachts in the size range that Admiral has built. Also in related news, Tecnomar held the keel-laying ceremony for a new Impero model megayacht on November 2. Attended by the owner and his family, it involved placing a coin into the keel for good luck. The Impero 40 model, so-named forher 40-meter (131-foot) LOA, bears design by Luca Dini and the yard’s in-house team. Top speed upon delivery in 2013 is expected to be 19 knots, given twin MTU 16V 2000 M94 diesels. She’ll also meet RINA’s Green Star Plus notation, verifying she’s built and operating within stringent environmentally friendly guidelines.
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