Benetti Yachts: Craftsmanship & New Models

In conversation with Giorgio Sarti, sales manager for Benetti in the Americas.

Giorgio Sarti on Relationships and the Americas

While the yachting industry is perhaps best known for glitz and glam, Giorgio Sarti is a people-first kind of guy. Sarti has been with Azimut-Benetti since 2020 when he joined the Azimut sales department after a career in automotive engineering. In 2025, he was promoted to sales manager for Benetti in the Americas. And for him, relationships matter most.

As you might imagine, I’ve worked with IYG quite a bit since I moved to yachting, and the level of trust and confidence in their abilities I have is next level,” he says. “They always put their clients first, and when you mix that with the level of deep yachting knowledge they have, it’s a really special blend. It’s no secret why they’ve been so successful.”

Sarti thinks similarly of Benetti, which is perhaps Italy’s flagship builder of yachts.

Image: Giorgio Sarti, Sales Manager Latin America
Source: Azimut-Benetti Group

Tuscan Craftsmanship and Benetti’s Livorno Shipyard

The company is more than 150 years old, and ever since the beginning it has focused on two things: a high degree of Tuscan craftsmanship, and a sense of loyalty and pride that leads to producing yachts that are world class in every sense.

Image: Aerial view of Azimut-Benetti’s Livorno Shipyard
Source: Azimut-Benetti Group

Being located in Tuscany is really an important thing for us that some might overlook, not being familiar with the deep sense of pride craftsmen take in their work in that region,” says Sarti.

“And another really important thing about Benetti is that we actually own the shipyard in Livorno, which is very rare among yacht builders. It’s a special thing, and we don’t forget that while we are at work. Also, Benetti is privately owned, which helps make us agile. We can attend both to our clients’ wishes and our employees’ needs quickly and in a way that makes everyone happy. Things like that help to breed a sense of loyalty at Benetti, and that helps us look optimistically toward the future because we know our best people will always be with us.”

The Benetti Yachts That Shaped the Builder’s Legacy

The pride, loyalty, and sense of ownership felt at Benetti has contributed to some of the most significant milestones in yachting history. One was Nabila, an 86-meter yacht launched in 1980 for Adnan Khashoggi, and which was later purchased by Donald Trump. The yacht became so famous that she was featured in a James Bond film and also had a song written about her by Freddie Mercury.

Image: Completion of NABILA at Benetti’s Viareggio shipyard in 1980
Source: Azimut-Benetti Group

Benetti’s 2020 Gigayacht Launches and the Oasis Series

The year 2020 was of utmost significance both for Benetti and the entire industry. That year Benetti launched three “gigyachts” simultaneously, the 108-meter IJE, the 107-meter Luminosity, and the 107-meter Lana. This massive accomplishment pushed the boundaries of Italian boatbuilding far beyond anything that had ever been seen before.

Left Image: Benetti FB272 M/Y LUMINOSITY Right Image: Benetti FB277 M/Y LANA
Source: Azimut Benetti Group

That same year Benetti launched Rebeca, which was the first Oasis model ever built. Today, the Oasis Deck^® is implemented on yachts ranging from 34M to 72M. The wide-open aft space on the main deck revolutionized how yachts are used both by owners and charter guests, and has been imitated quite a few times by other builders—though never quite replicated.

Client Service Throughout the Benetti Ownership Journey

All of these achievements were driven by Benetti’s obsession with keeping their clients happy. “Owner experience has always been key to what Benetti is,” says Sarti. “That all stems from [the late Benetti president] Paolo Vitelli and the emphasis he put on client service.

His idea was that from the day a potential client starts thinking about Benetti to the day we deliver the yacht, the client always had to be the number one focus—and that extends to aftersales care as well, of course.

When it comes to quality control and client care, Benetti will always be number one. It is core to what we do here.”

Image: Paolo Vitelli, former chairman of Azimut-Benetti
Source: Azimut-Benetti Group

B.Loft, Motopanfilo, and Benetti’s Direction in the Americas

Currently, Sarti is excited about a number of projects going on at Benetti. Like many who follow the industry closely, he is particularly enthralled with the B.Loft series, which includes 58- and 65-meter models with massive windows meant to mimic a Tribeca loft space. He sees Giorgio Cassetta’s design as a strong fit for the Latin American market thanks to its vibrance and a sense of chic modernity. Sarti is also quite fond of the Motopanfilo 45-meter, a retro-inspired yacht with a steel hull and aluminum superstructure that places emphasis on guests communing with the natural environment around them, thanks to the Veranda Deck^®.

All of this is to say that Benetti continues to grow and expand in exciting ways while pulling from its storied past for a deep inspiration that separates them from the pack—with Sarti leading the charge in the Americas, and his people right behind him.