It was three years ago when a group of international investors came together to plug over €15 million into the Cantiere di Pesaro shipyard in Italy, which had long stood bankrupt. They promptly renamed it Cantiere Rossini after the world renowned 19th century Italian opera composer who was born nearby and set about transforming the site into a luxury refit shipyard for superyachts.
The first step was constructing the glamourous palm tree lined dock and fitting shore power connections and in-built piping to collect grey and black water.
By the time the Cantiere Rossini opened for the first time in 2016, the yard had a new lease of life. It enjoyed a busy debut season, welcoming three superyachts for maintenance work. But this ambitious project was only just getting started.
In July this year, the yard opened a number of new quays and unveiled a 560-tonne travel lift. Meanwhile, a number of buildings were demolished to make way for a 15,000 square metre hard standing surface. Thanks to an additional investment of €25 million, Cantiere Rossini will soon begin its next stage of development; constructing two 70 metre painting sheds, new offices and a crew village comprising a gym, wellness centre, swimming pool and pub, as well as apartments to accommodate visiting crew.
The shipyard can now accommodate 10 large yachts in all weather conditions and has 24/7 security and CCTV cameras for peace of mind. It is capable of undertaking a range of refit and maintenance work, from minor repairs to complex engineering works.
The yard is now fully operational, with several yachts moored at its dock or already hauled out onto the hard. Among these are three yachts of around 50 metres undergoing works including the total repaint of the hull and superstructure, generator replacement and audio-video systems upgrade.
With a strong focus on customer service and a hardworking team sharing a vision of passion and ambition, Cantiere Rossini is closing in on its aim to be recognised as one of the best refit yards in the world.