on 21 Jul 2014
The name Perini Navi evokes visions of incredibly large and luxurious sailing yachts built for the likes of Rupert Murdoch, Tom Perkins and Larry Ellison that turn heads wherever they go...
THE PERINI NAVI SHIPYARD was founded in 1987 by Fabio Perini, a genius inventor who made a fortune in paper manufacturing equipment. Growing up in Lucca, a Tuscan city just a few miles from the sea, it is not surprising that Perini had a passion for sailing. But he couldn’t find the yacht of his dreams on the market – deck space was too cluttered with ropes and winches and he couldn’t get the privacy he wanted as it took too many people to sail the size of yacht that he wanted.
Enter the inventor’s mind. Why run the lines above deck when they can by placed below? Why have the winches cranked by humans when they can be mechanised? Why rely on sailor’s intuition when decisions can be based on factual data?
The world of sailing tends to be very conservative and based in tradition, but in just a short time Perini turned it on its head. The “Perini revolution” was based on modern, mechanised sail-handling systems. Lines were no longer pulled in by hand, a very heavy and dangerous task, but run through automated captive reel winches. Lines were no longer on deck, but beneath it. Sensors that calculate loads were installed throughout and connected to computer systems. With all systems monitored and mechanised, the captain could practically sail the boat one-handed, with just the push of a button.
To read all of this article pick up a copy of the 2014 Jul/Aug issue of Asia-Pacific Boating magazine, or buy it online from www.magzter.com