Perini Navi

Perini Navi has built some of the world's largest sailing yachts in Viareggio, Tuscany, since 1983 and now operates as a brand of The Italian Sea Group. Founder Fabio Perini organized the company around automated sail handling that lets a small crew manage an enormous rig.

Fabio Perini founded the yard in 1983 with a specific idea: sail-handling systems automated to the point that a large sailing yacht no longer needed a large crew. The furling gear and control systems developed in-house went on to define the big ketches and sloops the yard launched over the following decades. The most famous demonstration is the Maltese Falcon, an 88 meter yacht whose three freestanding carbon fiber masts rotate and set square sails automatically.

The Court of Lucca declared Perini Navi bankrupt in January 2021 after a debt restructuring plan fell through. Two auctions closed without a buyer. At the third, in December 2021, The Italian Sea Group paid 80 million euros for the assets: the yards in Viareggio and La Spezia, an unfinished newbuild, a building complex in Pisa and the brand's intellectual property. TISG kept the name in use, and Perini Navi continues as the group's sailing yacht brand. The added yard capacity supports refit work and new projects of up to about 130 meters.

The existing fleet keeps the brand active on the water. Perini Navi sailing yachts work the crewed charter circuit and change hands through brokerage, and GetBoat carries both charter and sale listings for the marque. TISG has said the acquisition doubles its refit intake, a relevant point for owners of earlier Perini builds.