The Yachtmaster concluded with team-building activities in Marrakesh’s ‘old town’

The 25^th Benetti Yachtmaster was held in Marrakesh at the Fairmont Royal Palm Hotel, which hosted over 200 guests including captains, surveyors, owner representatives and other industry experts. The US edition of the 25^th Benetti Yachtmaster will be held in Miami from April 2-3.

In the two-day event in Morocco, the Benetti Yachtmaster – launched in 2000 by the late Paolo Vitelli – presented the shipyard’s latest products and sustainable technologies, and new customer-service offerings.

The first day was devoted to a coaching session in the style of a serious game. Sitting around a table, groups of 10 people used ‘conversation cards’ to stimulate discussion around work issues. Day two enabled participants to get a closer look at Benetti’s vision in terms of innovation and design, sustainability and assistance, with input by Lusben, the refit division of the Azimut-Benetti Group.

Marco Valle, Azimut-Benetti’s CEO, opened the plenary session by celebrating the 25^th edition of the Yachtmaster and its significance for relationships with stakeholders, while also analysing Azimut-Benetti’s 25^th successive year topping the Global Order Book for 24m-plus yachts.

Massimiliano Casoni, Benetti’s General Manager, focused on the collaboration between the shipyard and the leading players in the boat building industry. To consolidate these relationships, the shipyard conducted interviews in 2024 using the Net Promoter Score (NPS), a tool for measuring customer satisfaction and understanding customers’ propensity to recommend the brand. Together with other tools, the interview results helped identify Benetti’s strengths and areas for improvement.

Massimiliano Casoni, General Manager of Benetti

“Benetti’s success is based on constant dialogue with the various players, including captains, who play a key role in telling the yacht builder what the real onboard requirements are,” Casoni said. “This is an ongoing dialogue that’s far more than the mere delivery of a product. Benetti’s goal is to create made-to-measure yachts that meet the specific needs of owners, captains and crew, so guaranteeing an exclusive yachting experience.”

Daniela Petrozzi, Benetti’s Sales Manager, illustrated the order backlog up to the end of 2028, with 60 yachts under construction and on order totalling over 2.7km in length. Petrozzi broke down the backlog by geographical region – Europe (35%), MEA and APAC (33%), Americas (32%) – and thanked the captains, brokers and surveyors who contributed to 75 per cent of the contracts.

Sebastiano Vida, Benetti’s Head of Product, spoke about Benetti’s self-billed role as ‘The House of Yachting’. He also outlined the shipyard’s new initiative, ‘Perspective from the Bridge’, which enabled captains to explain their point of view at a roundtable focusing on topics such as innovation, sustainability and insights into owners’ ways of enjoying their yachts.

Gilberto Francesini, Benetti’s R&D Project Manager, and Marco Coiatelli, Custom Head of Engineering, presented the shipyard’s Green Route and anticipated future developments. Azimut-Benetti’s study of alternative fuels has led to the adoption of HVO biofuel, while green methanol from renewable sources may be used on Benetti yachts from later this year. A methanol engine room simulator (based on a new 68m project) will be installed in Livorno to help captains familiarise themselves with the functions, safety and management of this new solution.

Pierluigi Rago, Benetti’s Class Warranty Manager, and Luigi Spina, Custom Warranty Manager, illustrated the new assistance programmes serving owners and crews of the Class and Custom yacht lines, offering personalised support for the yacht’s entire life cycle. Every unit benefits from a dedicated Service Manager during the warranty period and a global network of service points in Europe, the Americas, Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

Ferdinando Pilli, General Manager of Lusben

Ferdinando Pilli, Lusben’s General Manager since September 2024, outlined changes in the refit division, as well as the new services and infrastructure following completion of the €12 million investment package in the three-year plan. He also spoke about future projects at the Livorno site to support captains and crews.

“The division’s recent results confirm that investments in infrastructure and personnel in the last few years are bearing fruit,” Pilli said. “We’re still investing to make stays more enjoyable for captains and crews and we’re sure that all this, along with the quality of our work, will enable Lusben to consolidate its role as the refit hub for the entire Mediterranean.”

Gianni Paladino, Lusben’s Sales Manager, announced that the company is managing Benetti’s after-sales service from 2025. A new five-year maintenance contract covers preventive and corrective maintenance, refitting services and integrated support for spare-parts supply, as well as technical documentation and consulting.

In the second part of the day, participants headed to the medina, Marrakesh’s ‘old town’, where they enjoyed team-building activities, underlining the Yachtmaster event’s focus on synergy and relationships.

benettiyachts.com