SUPERYACHT #11
Winter 2007
Article selected from our quarterly magazine dedicated to the largest
and most luxurious boats with information, interviews, technical
articles, images and yachting news
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Article by
Daniele Carnevali
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CANADOS
Sixty years of made in Italy
The long road that led Canados to the Olympus of international
shipbuilding began under fairly unusual circumstances. In fact in
1946 the Saiman factory that manufactured trainer flying boats in
wood decided to go full time into the nautical industry,
exploiting know-how achieved in the technology of glued plywood
and laminates.
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Riccardo Palmieri, Canados Marketing Manager
For further information: Canados, Via dell'Idroscalo 182,
00121 Rome; tel. +39 06 56339732; fax +39 06 56037581; website www.canados.com .
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So the Cooperativa Costruzioni Navali of Ostia was
set up, with headquarters at the Ostia seaplane base where the
former Saiman premises stood. The first vessels launched by the
Cooperative were commissioned by the Harbourmaster's Office and
other Military Bodies. It was only later that pleasure craft were
built, firstly small boats and then, with experience and the
acquisition of new technologies, increasingly bigger vessels.
In the early 70's the Cooperativa Costruzioni Navali began
production of 20 metre wooden boats for Giuseppe Casa, an
entrepreneur with experience in building runabouts. In the same
period the Cooperative was incorporated into the new Casa
structure, taking the name of Canados, and was joined by craftsmen
from the University of Wood in Limite sull'Arno. The combination
of the latter with the yard's master shipbuilders took Canados to
its position as one of the undisputed leaders in ply and laminate
vessels, with excellent results especially on the national market.
In those days wealthy figures from the Italian economic and
industrial scene sailed Canados boats, confirming brand validity
and prestige. The economic boom of the late 70's, which had
positive fallout also in the yachting sector, impelled the yard to
develop new production strategies. This was the period of the
first fibreglass hulls and the first sailboats. In the latter
segment Canados debuted with a design by the young architect
Andrea Vallicelli: a 33 footer that made her name also thanks to
racing success in the sports version called Red Canados.
Subsequently the range was widened by the introduction of a 37
footer, again by Andrea Vallicelli who was now famous for having
designed Azzurra, the first Italian yacht to take part in the
America's Cup, and by a 44 footer designed by Mario Violati. In
the meantime motoryacht production, concentrated on wooden vessels
between 20 and 37 metres, hit a high point with the creation of
the biggest yacht in mahogany ply ever built in Italy,
commissioned by Greek owner Panos Nomikos. Towards the end of the
80's Canados, having reached maturity in fibreglass production,
decided to transfer this technology to its motoryachts. The first
in the series appeared in 1987, the Canados 58, built with the
technique of layering in mould, applied the following year to the
Canados 70 S, a semi-custom model that took the yard into the
international market. With the coming of the 90's and a long tough
period for the Italian economy, Canados reorganised its strategy
with view to compatibility with market requirements. In that
period boat design was entrusted to the celebrated architect
Tommaso Spadolini and to the emerging Francesco Paszkowski who
created a line of motoryachts headed by a 24 metre in fibreglass
with interiors masterfully executed in wood. After this
parenthesis we come to the present day: a shipyard that has made
its name worldwide and whose consolidation strategies have taken
it towards broadening its offer into sectors previously
unexplored. With no changes in construction quality - achieved
through the yard's philosophy of manufacturing everything in house
to maintain full quality control - or in attention to detail and a
love for tradition linked to innovation, Canados decided to
reinforce its market position in the fibreglass motoryacht sector
by placing greater emphasis on the level of customisation, this in
order to best satisfy the needs of each individual owner.
Moreover, Canados decided to flank its flying bridge line - models
from 72 to 116 feet - with a range of open yachts and small
displacement ships. With the 90' Open designed by Luiz De Basto
Canados stepped onto the great open stage, putting itself forward
with a design that is innovative both in technical and
constructional characteristics, being built with vacuum infusion
technology. Next year the Open range will be reinforced by the
arrival of a new 75', while 2009 is envisaged as the year for
presentation of the small displacement ship line of which the
first example will be 42 metres LOA. Canados' strategic plan also
includes reinforcement of brand presence both nationally and
internationally, with expansion of the sales and service network
through nomination of new business partners in consolidated
markets such as the United States. To complete the picture,
Canados' development plan envisages extension of the shipyard with
new sheds for building, laying up and after-sales service.
Establishment of the exclusive Yacht Club Canados (YCC), within
the docks currently under construction, will be the culmination of
the consolidation work implemented by this Roman yard which,
thanks to considerable investments, aims over the next three years
to reach a production of 20-22 vessels a year as against the 13 of
the current season.
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