Yachting news, Thursday, 29 October 2026

Ferretti cleared to build 100-metre yachts at Ancona

Italy's Central Adriatic port authority has approved a €3 million expansion of a production hall at Ferretti's Ancona yard. It will raise the maximum build length from 90 m to 100 m and is due to be finished in about six months. It is the first project at the port to go through the new single special-economic-zone permit, which took 54 days. The yard began as CRN's in 1963 and now builds full-custom steel and aluminium yachts.

Fort Lauderdale, day two: Princess X90, a no-reserve auction and price cuts

The 27.1 m Princess X90 is making its US debut at FLIBS. The 45.6 m explorer Scintilla Maris, rebuilt from an ocean-going trawler, is on show ahead of a no-reserve auction on 5 November. The 60.4 m Feadship Rock.It has had $1.6 million cut from its asking price.

Ferretti Group chief executive Stassi Anastassov used the show to call for bolder design and said he wants technology that will still be leading-edge in 2030.

Another Benetti Motopanfilo 45M finds a buyer

Benetti has sold another Motopanfilo 45M, with Kora Marine involved in the deal. She will be the first of the retro-styled series with a blue hull, with an RWD exterior and interiors by Valentina Zannier. Benetti quotes a range of 4,100 miles at 10 knots, and delivery is due in late 2028.

Moonen Phinn sold after 73 days

The 38 m Moonen 122 Martinique Phinn, formerly Cocoon, has sold after 73 days on the market. Built in 2023 and the fourth of the series, she was last asking €19,995,000. Charles Carveles of Edmiston acted for the seller.

Ninth Baglietto T52 goes in the water

Baglietto has launched the ninth hull of its 52 m T52 at La Spezia, with the owner present. Designed by Francesco Paszkowski, she sleeps 12 guests in six suites and has a beach-club pool whose floor rises to become extra deck space. Twin MTUs give 16 knots flat out and a 4,500-mile range.

Feadship signs up hydrogen-assisted combustion

Feadship has taken exclusive rights to fit AtomicOne's MXBuster system to yachts over 30 m after more than a year of trials on board one of its yachts. The kit feeds hydrogen made from purified water into the engine's air intake. Independent tests showed NOx cut by up to 55%. Because it is compact and needs no engine changes, it could suit older Tier II yachts that lack room for SCR exhaust treatment.

Francesco Bruni leaves Luna Rossa for Alinghi

Tudor Team Alinghi has signed Francesco Bruni as helmsman and skipper for the 38th America's Cup in Naples in 2027. The seven-time world champion helmed Luna Rossa in Barcelona in 2024 and later coached the Italian team, which agreed to release him. He will move to Naples, where the team starts sailing BoatOne in December.

Bruni is also racing this week as tactician on Torpyone at the RS21 World Championship in Cannes. The 40-boat event runs until 31 October, and the Italians won the opening race.

Luna Rossa goes back to the shed for a longer bow

Luna Rossa has ended its latest sailing block in Cagliari and taken its AC75 out of the water for modifications. The bow will be extended by about two metres and the stern widened, and the boat should be back in the water before Christmas. The team has 21 sailing days left before its testing allowance resets on 15 January. In the meantime, a group of youth and women sailors will train in AC40s.

World Sailing Awards shortlist announced

Thomas Coville, Max Maeder, Luuc van Opzeeland and Matt Wearn are shortlisted for Rolex World Sailor of the Year. The women's finalists are Paula Barceló and María Cantero, Maria Giubilei, Lauriane Nolot and Charlotte Rose. Luna Rossa is among the Team of the Year finalists. The public vote counts for half the result and closes at 12:00 UTC on 2 November. Winners will be announced in Qingdao, China, on 18 November.

Adaptive sailing centre opens at Portimão Marina next month

The Associação Vela Solidária plans to start activity at a new year-round training centre for Para and inclusive sailors in November, with a full programme from January 2027. The association co-organised the recent World Sailing Inclusion Championships here with World Sailing, and it calls the centre the first of its kind in the world. It will seek World Sailing certification.

The aim is to attract crews during the northern European winter. Switzerland, Norway, France and Austria have already agreed to send sailors for winter training, and a winter regatta circuit is being developed alongside the centre. (First reported on 9 and 13 October.)

Fifth fast boat seized on the Algarve coast this month

The Polícia Marítima seized a high-speed boat found abandoned on Praia do Telheiro, near Vila do Bispo, after a local resident raised the alarm. The Sagres lifeboat crew helped, and the boat was towed by sea to Marina de Lagos. It was the fifth such seizure on the Algarve coast since the start of October as part of anti-drug-trafficking operations. (Reported on 16 October.)

Livorno opens its doors to superyachts

D-Marin's Marina Livorno, a joint venture with the Azimut-Benetti Group, is now taking yachts up to 80 m at its Mediceo pontoon. It follows the addition of Marina di Olbia and Molo Brin in Sardinia to D-Marin's network in June. The complete development is due by the end of 2027.

IRC agrees rule tweaks for 2027

At the IRC Congress in London, a set of rule changes for 2027 was approved. Most are clarifications covering sail setting, manual and stored power, tack-point definitions and how a change in maximum beam affects a boat's age date. They should not change how boats are rated. Questions on scow bows, code zeros, storm jibs and adjusting turnbuckles while racing have gone to the technical committee. Delegates also discussed an 'IRC Grand Prix' certification framework, which would be piloted at a few events first.