Sailing Yacht Fortissimo Makes Her Presence Known

With a name like hers, plus a metallic-green hull, the yacht Fortissimo doesn’t intend to sail quietly over the horizon. In fact, her owner is looking forward to competing in international regattas and extensively cruising the Med, the Caribbean, and North America.

Launching the evening of May 21 at Southern Wind Shipyard’s Cape Town yard, Fortissimo is hull six in the SW96 series. Like her predecessors, such as the yacht Liberty from 2024, she’s a sloop combining bluewater voyages and competitive performance. A lifting keel within her carbon composite hull complements these intentions. Still, though, Southern Wind welcomed the owner’s requests to support his specific goals on the water, based on his extensive experience. “With each new yacht, we continued to evolve the platform while responding to the specific visions of the owners,” Marco Alberti, Southern Wind’ CEO, notes.

With naval architecture by Farr Yacht Design, the yacht Fortissimo has several modifications aimed at boosting sailing efficiency. For example, a new J4/baby stay system with a halyard lock and hydraulic tensioner is aboard. An extra set of winches—specifically, a third set—are in the aft cockpit, enabling more complex racing maneuvers. “The additional running backstay winches signal an unambiguous racing intent,” explains Yann Dabbadie, Southern Wind’s technical manager.

Resonating with her racing personality, the interior of Fortissimo has subtle carbon-like accents. With Nauta Yacht Design, the owner created a clearly contemporary atmosphere warmly welcoming guests. Ultraleather-covered surfaces, soft fabrics, and other rich textures invite them to settle in while simultaneously enjoying panoramic views. Since the sailing superyacht has a raised-saloon arrangement, sunlight is as much a part of the interior experience as the touchable surfaces are. Altogether, six friends and family have three staterooms, one of which is aft of the saloon. The master suite, meanwhile, is fully forward. After races or on passages, everyone can relax in the saloon and a TV area forward of it.

Sea trials are set for the coming weeks, after which the yacht Fortissimo will cruise in the Western Med for the summer. Afterwards, she’ll race for the first time in Ibiza JoySail in September. Her owner, who was at the launch, is beyond excited. “I can’t wait to cruise it! I can’t wait to race it!” he says. “Fortissimo comes from sheet music. I am not a musician, but it means play fast, play strong, and that’s how I feel about this boat.”

Farr Yacht Design farrdesign.com

Nauta Design nautadesign.com

Southern Wind Shipyard sws-yachts.com