On any given day in any given business, discussions about succession planning take place. Yachting is no different, of course. While the Lürssen family still owns and runs its eponymous shipyard, it’s assembling the team to continue attracting custom-yacht buyers. Luca Raumland, who most recently set up a superyacht division for a builder, is the…
“Taking the helm at Next Yacht Group is more than just a new chapter in my career,” says Sebastiano Fanizza. “It’s a chance to shape the future of a company with extraordinary potential.” Next Yacht Group, which owns the superyacht brands AB Yachts and Maiora, has appointed him as its new CEO. Although Fanizza began…
Due to further clients coming from the United States plus Central and South America, Cantiere delle Marche (CdM) has opened CdM Americas. What’s more, it has tapped a seasoned yachting professional to lead it. Nick Bischoff is the new CdM Area Manager Americas. The Ancona-based Italian yacht builder opened its doors in 2010. From the…
With more than two decades of yachting experience in North America, Federico Ferrante is now the head of sales for the Americas for Benetti. Ferrante succeeds Nick Bischoff, who recently departed after six years to establish his own consultancy. Ferrante has spent 25 years with the Azimut-Benetti Group, mostly with Azimut-Benetti USA. In fact, he’s…
Margaret Whittaker, who acquired Pearl Yachts nearly 22 years ago, died on February 2 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. She was 76 years old. Although details of her early life are unknown, Whittaker was an active entrepreneur. For instance, she founded Slimming World, a weight-loss program offering healthy-eating plans and support groups, in 1969. She…
Paolo Vitelli, the Italian entrepreneur who founded Azimut Yachts and later created the Azimut-Benetti Group, died on December 31, 2024. He was 77 years old. Vitelli was born on October 4, 1947 in Turin. While still in college, where he studied economics and commerce, he put a love of boating and his coursework together. In…
In yachting, innovation isn’t just a buzzword; it’s transforming the seas. In this podcast episode, Jennifer Johnston Smith of Shadowcat sheds light on how, starting with its first shadow yacht Hodor, the company is setting new standards. Its fully custom catamaran shadow yachts, a.k.a. support yachts, aren’t just about space or creature comforts. They’re about…
Baglietto has a new U.S. representative, based in Fort Lauderdale. Tomasso Bilotta, with strong experience working with Italian yards and American clients, is the liaison for stateside customers and brokers. Bilotta began his yachting career nearly 20 years ago in Italy, where he grew up, working with Riva. Later, he joined Benetti, first in Italy…
The founder and president of Overmarine Group, the parent company of the renowned Mangusta brand of megayachts, has died. Giuseppe Balducci was 87 years old. Balducci’s introduction to yachting came fortuitously. He moved at a young age from his birthplace near Florence, Italy to the seaside city of Viareggio. When he was 16, he landed…
Fifty-seven years after he established his eponymous yacht yard, Wim van der Valk has retired. Van der Valk Shipyard remains in the hands of its management team, which, with the backing of previous clients, has bought the company from him. Van der Valk’s retirement coincided with his 79th birthday on April 18. It puts into…
