Ferretti Group brands gathered on the Amalfi Coast recently

Ferretti Group

The Ferretti Group has a well-earned reputation for hosting exclusive events in exclusive destinations for all of their Riva, Wally, Pershing, Itama, CRN, Custom Line and Ferretti Yachts owners. So it makes perfect sense that they’ve kicked off this summer’s yachting season on the Amalfi Coast. And of course, the weekend of exclusive events was held at Borgo Santandrea (a five-star resort located in the heart of the Amalfi Coast) to celebrate Italian summer and Italian yachting.

The event that was reserved for owners of the Group’s brands—began with a toast to mark the opening of a new Riva Lounge in Borgo Santandrea. Then the party was formally kicked off when Ferretti Group’s recently appointed Global CEO, Stassi Anastassov (who brings considerable experience as the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Duracell and other senior leadership positions at Procter & Gamble), welcomed the crowd.

Yachts from all of the Ferretti Group brands were represented in Borgo Santandrea’s anchorage. But the star of the show was a brand new Riva 54Metri (the largest Riva ever built) that was presented during the evening that featured a multi course dinner and a wide array of entertainment including live music, dancers, and a high-tech drone show.

The event also gave Anastassov a chance to interact with owners and share some of his vision for Ferretti Yachts as well. “Even the greatest brand if not managed and fed properly, sooner or later becomes irrelevant," he said. "You can have many great brands in isolation. But, to be relevant to a new type of owner, or future owners, you need something else. Many of the 30 year old billionaires or millionaires, who arrive from tech & AI, might not know Sophia Loren and Brigit Bardot, so we have to be relevant.

“We also need to understand the role which each brand plays. My ultimate goal is to never give a future yacht owner a reason to buy a yacht from anybody else than Ferretti Group. It’s really capturing that sense of never giving a future owner the reason to go to a competitor. That is my mantra. The delivery of the boat should be the beginning of the experience. The clients need to feel that we are there for them.”

That appears to be the case with the new Riva flagship. It’s result of a joint effort by Officina Italiana Design, the firm founded by Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta and exclusive designer of the entire Riva range for 30 years, and the Ferretti Group Engineering Department. Hull #1 was built for an owner who wanted everything that makes a Riva special in a larger yacht.

And it’s easy to see that the outdoor areas on the newest and largest Riva (that was built at the Riva Superyacht Division in Ancona) were designed to provide owners and guests with a close connection with the water as well as complete privacy too.

The large stern platform with an extra-wide walkway provides access to the beach area surrounding a large pool. While the welcome area on the main deck that’s furnished with a large sofa, armchairs and an outdoor bar provides a seamless connection between inside and outside. The bow also features an innovative design that allows two large sun sofas to extend the lounge area and hide part of the technical space beneath from view as well.

But part of 54Metri’s technical spaces in the bow were pretty much the only thing that were hidden from view during the Ferretti Group’s recent weekend of sun, fun, parties and relaxation in the sun on the Amalfi Coast. And I bet there will be more fun Ferretti group events this summer too.

Watch this space.