CRN shipyard
The champagne is flowing this year in Italy as two of the world’s best-known megayacht builders celebrate milestone anniversaries.
CRN, which is based in Ancona, is celebrating 50 years in business this year, while Benetti, which is based in Viareggio, is marking its 140th year in the boatbuilding industry.
CRN currently has seven yachts under construction at its Ancona facility along with another five yachts being built for the Custom Line brand. The 262-foot Chopi Chopi, which splashed in January, is CRN’s largest build to date and is scheduled for delivery to her owner in May.
Benetti says that its 140 years of history includes more than 300 boats built at six shipyards in Italy. It currently has 34 yachts under construction, including a 295-foot superyacht.
CRN recently promoted its company strategy in Hong Kong, hinting that the next few decades of celebrations in the yacht-building industry may come from regions far beyond European borders.
“This is an important moment for the development of our business because it allows us to reach a market area that is very important for us, especially for the long term,” CRN CEO Lamberto Tacoli said at a press event. “It is obvious that China has been an attractive market so far, but it will be more so in the coming years, when the yachting culture will have spread even more. Besides the whole of Asia Pacific, the markets that we are targeting are North, South and Central America, Africa — which is slow but emerging — and, obviously, the Middle East.”
Learn more at www.crn-yacht.com and www.benettiyachts.it.
