Baglietto Yachts

Custom superyacht shipyard Baglietto, based in La Spezia, Italy, draws from a rich heritage of Italian craftsmanship and innovation.

History of Baglietto Yachts

In 1854, Pietro Baglietto founded a shipwright company in Varazze, Italy, that has borne his name ever since. By the late 1880s, Baglietto had established itself as a popular builder of regatta-winning racing sailboats. One of the yard’s most unusual commissions was for an elegant transport boat for Pope Leo XIII. The elegant 1988 barge was powered by six oarsmen. With the turn of the century, Baglietto added motorboats to its offerings, setting two important records. In 1906, the yard launched Giuseppina, at 22.6 metres the largest combustion engine-powered cruising yacht ever built in Italy, and, around time, prototyped the world’s first hydrofoil craft.

Baglietto, led by Bernardo Baglietto from 1910 to 1951, continued to build diverse and innovative vessels throughout the 20th century. Its reputation for an ability to deliver fast boats exploded with its delivery of fast patrol and anti-submarine vessels during World War I. Along with racing boats, the yard delivered pleasure yachts for illustrious clientele such as the King Alfonso of Spain, Guglielmo Marconi and Giacomo Puccini, who christened his steam yacht Cio-Cio-San. In the post-World War II years, the shipyard launched several popular series, including its innovative M Class flybridge cruising yachts. Now led by Pietro Jr, Baglietto shifted from wood to aluminium construction in the late 1970s and began moving up into the world of superyachts. Always pushing technology, in 1986 the yard launched 26 metre Chato, which reached an astounding 62.50 knots with waterjet propulsion. In the 1980s the yard worked with young designers who have now become legends such as Gianni Zuccon, Alberto Mercati and Aldo Chiccero. Built for an American client, Mercati’s 36 metre Adler opened the yard to the US market. Powered by twin diesels powering steerable water jets and a Textron Lycoming turbine powering a fixed centerline booster, Adler reached a top speed of 36 knots.

The Gavio Group, a major Italian industrial corporation that also owns Cerri Cantieri Navali (CCN), acquired Baglietto in 2012. In 2015, the Gavio Group added Bertram to its holdings. In 2020 the company announced new top management with CEO Diego Michele Diprato brought over from the CCN yard and Fabio Ermetto returning in the role of CCO. New models and a focus on hybrid diesel electric propulsion were also introduced.

Notable Baglietto Superyachts

Perhaps one of the most well-known early Baglietto superyachts was Chiccero’s 33 metre Maffy Blue (now Christo He), launched in 1991. This boat proved so popular it became a series for the yard.

While not a superyacht, the yard delivered a custom 29m open boat named Opus (now Oceanis) in 1994 to lines by Francesco Paszkowski. This collaboration continues with Paszkowski being the yard’s go-to designer in the opening decades of the 21st century. In 2006, Baglietto launched Blue Scorpion, a 53-metre full displacement superyacht with a unique “zen” interior design by Paszkowski. On the semi-displacement side, the shipyard delivered the 44-metre, 30-knot Monokini in 2013. Monokini features an exterior design by Paszkowski and a contemporary interior by Alberto Mancini. The company also built RC (2004, now Ability), for Roberto Cavalli and Freedom (2017) launched at CCN – both designed by Tomasso Spadolini.

In 2015 Baglietto delivered a highly customized 40-knot planning 13.8 metre sport boat based on a patrol boat hull for Fiat heir Lapo Elkann. Called Lap 1, it is the first of Baglietto’s MV 13 series. In 2017 Baglietto delivered the first of a new Fast series, a Fast 46 metre named Lucky Me. Another new model series debuted in 2017 with the T-48 Andiamo designed by Paszkowski, which was a finalist for a Boat International Design & Innovation Award for 2018. The second T-48, Silver Fox, was delivered in 2018. In 2019, the yard set a new benchmark with a 55 metre named Severin*s, the largest of the builder’s T (for traditional) line. Highly customized, the yacht features three family staterooms on main deck. The yacht received the World Yachts Trophy at the Cannes boat show for Most Advanced Yacht the same year. In 2020 the yard delivered a 40 metre Fast named Panam and Club M, a 39.75m displacement motor yacht to a Horacio Bozzo design, which was a finalist in the 2021 Boat International Design & Innovation Awards. This was followed by 54.6m C in 2021, also with full custom lines by Bozzo.

Specialisations

Baglietto offers new construction of semi-displacement and planning yachts in aluminum from 30 to 50 metres and full-displacement steel and aluminium superyachts above 40 metres in length. Typical production is 3 to 4 yachts per year. Its shipyard in La Spezia also builds military vessels and offers service and refit work for superyachts to 120 metres. Significant capital improvements were made at 35,000-square-metre yard in La Spezia overlooking the Gulf of Poets in 2015. A new shed for vessels up to 70 metres was opened in 2020. Baglietto also have a facility in Carrara for building its military projects and also smaller yachts up to 40 metres.