Mancini Fairline and Azimut

PowerYachtBlog

PowerYachtBlog

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 May 2007
Messages
4,366
Location
Malta - Med Sea
www.poweryachtblog.com
Apparently Mancini will be taking head of design at Azimut in replacement to Stefano Righini, as SR is set to retire.

Mancini first Azimut will be the S10 announced in April of this year, and currently under construction in Viareggio with a launch scheduled for Summer 2019.

It will be interesting if this will mean a stop to his Fairline collaboration in some time.
 
Interesting? It would be weird if that would NOT come to an end.
Though an intriguing alternative scenario might be AZ buying FL, coming to think of it.
In FL boots, I'd rather have Vitelli than some Russian folks as shareholders any day of the week... :rolleyes:
 
Interesting as Mancini has a design studio company, he's not a one man band. Will he be dissolving his design studio to work solely for Azimut? Surely he'd want to continue working for a number of brands (Overmarine, Baglietto, Otam, etc) rather than be tied to a single one?
 
petem said:
Interesting as Mancini has a design studio company, he's not a one man band. Will he be dissolving his design studio to work solely for Azimut? Surely he'd want to continue working for a number of brands (Overmarine, Baglietto, Otam, etc) rather than be tied to a single one?
Click to expand...

How does he then handle confidentiality, what if one of them accuses the other of pinching ideas ?
 
petem said:
Interesting as Mancini has a design studio company, he's not a one man band. Will he be dissolving his design studio to work solely for Azimut? Surely he'd want to continue working for a number of brands (Overmarine, Baglietto, Otam, etc) rather than be tied to a single one?
Click to expand...

He can do Overmarine, Baglietto, and Otam. But I think the product similarity and competitive segment between Azimut and Fairline is very much the same.

Righini was doing Overmarine (this was indeed his first famous work from 1985 and wer he started) and Falcon Yachts, and Azimut never complained about those.
Since the segment of those was a bit different. Remember that Azimut entered into the S Sport Yacht market in 2003 with the 68S.
While Falcon was a bit similar in the end 90s the client base was more custom/traditional and less modern to what an Azimut 80 Carat or 85 Ultimate was versus a Falcon 80 or 86.

Azimut buying Fairline? Why should they do it. It is a similar competitive product. I think a boat builder should only buy another name to take a short cut in entering a new segment.
 
PowerYachtBlog said:
He can do Overmarine, Baglietto, and Otam. But I think the product similarity and competitive segment between Azimut and Fairline is very much the same.

Righini was doing Overmarine (this was indeed his first famous work from 1985 and wer he started) and Falcon Yachts, and Azimut never complained about those.
Since the segment of those was a bit different. Remember that Azimut entered into the S Sport Yacht market in 2003 with the 68S.
While Falcon was a bit similar in the end 90s the client base was more custom/traditional and less modern to what an Azimut 80 Carat or 85 Ultimate was versus a Falcon 80 or 86.

Azimut buying Fairline? Why should they do it. It is a similar competitive product. I think a boat builder should only buy another name to take a short cut in entering a new segment.
Click to expand...

What's the concern, industrial espoinnage or the fact that if he was working for both brands he may end up building the same looking boats? Remember that FL do still have a design team (Andy Pope and others) to ensure that new Fairlines contain enough of their DNA.
 
If you consider the big Italian auto design houses, Pininfarina, Ital Design, Bertone, and others, they worked for several manufacturers at one time. So why not Mancini?
 
petem said:
Yep, not to mention Olesinski who designed hulls for fairline and princess for many years. Although ironically he does work exclusively for princess now.
Click to expand...

He also design hulls for Azimut from end eighties till end nineties.

But anyways yacht designing is a different ball game to automotive.
I would not be surprised if the news that he will do all new Azimut Yachts from 2019 onwards will be confirmed, that they he be exclusive for a certain type of production boat.
Ferretti did with Zuccon, and Azimut to a certain extent did it with Righini.

Even Cranchi did tie up Christian Grande and he stopped doing the works for Sessa when they did the agreement last year.
Now Cranchi is a much smaller builder to Azimut. So why not?
 
PowerYachtBlog said:
Azimut buying Fairline? Why should they do it. It is a similar competitive product. I think a boat builder should only buy another name to take a short cut in entering a new segment.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily.
As an example, when Ferretti bought Mochi, they were only interested in some of their industrial installations, and on top of that they thought to use the brand associating it to a completely new boat segment, which had absolutely nothing to see with the previous Mochi experience.

Back to FL, I can think of a couple of reasons.
Firstly, they might think to use the brand as a sort of luxury segment, even if most models would be somewhat overlapping (clue Ferretti/Riva).
Now, I can already hear you saying that the FL brand recognition is nowhere near Riva, which is true, but on average I would think that FL as a brand is perceived (rightly or wrongly, that doesn't really matter) as superior to AZ in most markets.
Secondly, it could make sense for them to have a production site in N Europe, though coming to think of it, maybe it ain't the right historical moment...

Regardless, I was just speculating, of course.
I suppose that if AZ were interested, they would have already invested in FL when the previous shareholders abandoned the boat (so to speak), regardless of Mancini.
 
Last edited:
The perceived superiority of Fairline is not much of a difference. From a design point of view Azimut is perceived as a superior product and an innovator, while Fairline gets a bit in its side from the quality side.
If you see used residuals for an Azimut 55 versus that of a 58 Squadron are not different, as are those of 50 Phantom to a 50, and or 46 to a Phantom 46.

The reality as has been rumored is that Fairline has been offered to Azimut a few times, since 2006/7 and they always declined to purchase. So this rumor will keep on persisting.

MapisM said:
Not necessarily.
I suppose that if AZ were interested, they would have already invested in FL when the previous shareholders abandoned the boat (so to speak), regardless of Mancini.
Click to expand...

This, agreed and if it that not happen two-three years ago when they could have bought it for peanuts why now.

Also I add when Ferretti bought Mochi, they got it for nuts and like that they where sure at least for a couple years that its most ever direct competitor is put to sleep.
In 2000 FG still had no idea what to do with Mochi, and I was told this first hand. The lobster line launched with the 51 Dolphin was presented in 2003.
 
As MapisM alludes to, perhaps now isn't the right time to be buying a British manufacturer (although the weak pound does benefit exporting).

It would be a real shame if FL and Mancini part company. The all new models (63GTO and T43) have met with critical acclaim. The "hull up" rework of the SQ53 was pretty successful and the cosmetic tweaking of the old (pre FL Yachts) models has freshened them up enough to extend their life by a few years. AFAIK, the design for the new SQ8x is well underway and the first FLine33 is now in build (hull mould arrived at the factory a couple of weeks ago).

I assume he's contracted to complete the work in progress and I'd be interested to know what else has been agreed. Hopefully enough to replace the remainder of the range.

Anyhow, all this talk of parting is idle speculation until it's properly confirmed.
 
OK, here's the truth for the horse's mouth....

"Mancini is an independent. AM Yacht Design work for a number of marine brands – with great success – in fact, he’s just moved the studio from Trieste to Monaco.

As you know, AM have designed some cracking new models for us – the T63GTO, T43 & F33 being just the first 3 that we’ve talked about.

Moving forward, Mancini will continue to design all our interiors throughout the range (current & future) as well as the exteriors of our none flybridge models (Targa’s & F-Line’s). He’ll be designing Azimut flybridges and large sports boats. Don’t forget that he also works for Dominator, Mangusta etc picking up design awards for 4 different brands at last Saturday’s World Yacht Trophies in Cannes."

Pete
 
rafiki_ said:
If you consider the big Italian auto design houses, Pininfarina, Ital Design, Bertone, and others, they worked for several manufacturers at one time. So why not Mancini?
Click to expand...

True, Pininfarina did Austin and Ferrari at the same time, seemed to work out...
 
PowerYachtBlog said:
Azimut buying Fairline? Why should they do it. It is a similar competitive product. I think a boat builder should only buy another name to take a short cut in entering a new segment.
Click to expand...
Sadly, when you compare the relative sales volumes I suspect that Azimut do not consider Fairline a major competitor. PYB is not clear whether Mancini will be directly employed by Azimut as Head of Design or employed as a sub contractor. If the former, there is no question he has to stop all work with other manufacturers. If the latter I would be surprised if Azimut would allow him to work for any manufacturer in the same market segment
 
My experience says Mancini is , how can I say this ? - not willing to do business by “ Russian rules “- period !!!!!
Of course there will be a put out story .
There may well be other conflicts too .
 
Deleted User said:
Sadly, when you compare the relative sales volumes I suspect that Azimut do not consider Fairline a major competitor. PYB is not clear whether Mancini will be directly employed by Azimut as Head of Design or employed as a sub contractor. If the former, there is no question he has to stop all work with other manufacturers. If the latter I would be surprised if Azimut would allow him to work for any manufacturer in the same market segment
Click to expand...

According to the statement by the unofficial (or official) Fairline voice that is Pete it is happening.

Azimut have Salvagni for the interior. So Mancini can do interior and may be consult them a bit for the exterior at Fairline.
They will let him finish what is he started. New 64 Squadron new 25 meter flagship, and new 33 F-line, those we have official. Might be some other models we are not informed.

After that it will be all Azimut. If Azimut will like his projects I guess he will have to renew all line up Flybridge and S in a space of three years.
His first Azimut flybridge should be a new entry level replacing the 42, which is the oldest model in the current line up.
Mancini will be presented next year officially at Azimut with the S10, so my guess is that in 2022/23 the Azimut will be all more or less designed by him.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top