After a two-year break, Marina Genova, has reopened for “SeaYou – Yacht sales and charter days,” an event completely dedicated to boating and the professionals that work in it. SeaYou began with the idea of helping industry operators network: Shipbuilders, brokers, charter agencies and insurance companies, as well as the entire supply chain in the boating industry, allowing for direct, fluid networking opportunities.

The event took place over two days (12-13 April) where it was possible to visit super yachts in the marina, as well as discuss in depth on a number of topics, this year all of which were centred on environmental sustainability and refitting. The “rebirth” of the boat, in particular, was the focus of the workshop, “When refitting becomes green“, moderated by Franco Michienzi, director of Barche Magazine.

“Refitting – said Sergio Cutolo, chairman for Hydro Tec – should be incentivized. The yacht industry is still concentrated on new builds, when we have a considerable fleet, entrepreneurs and a workforce who want to work in refitting. Green reconversion of boats has its advantages from the point of view of costs and time, as well as ethically and philosophically.”

Also interesting was the contribution of Jean Marc Janssen, architect from Studio Christian Grande, who shared three design experiences: the Grand Ocean, an old Blohm & Vhos which underwent structural works on the stern, the “Picchio”, one of the first motor catamarans in 2010, and “Ssy” (Swiss sustainable yacht), the evolution of the Picchio with hydrogen propulsion and solar panels, a 100% green design.

“I believe that refitting – noted Janseen – is ethical, philosophical and customisable. We need to therefore talk about sustainability already in the heuristics phase and apply the idea of sustainability to the intellectual process, recognising that the vessel has a historical value even more so than material.” Ssy represents a new concept for catamarans, where its zero impact is also due to the research on the materials used on board: recycled leather, regenerating textiles and varnished cork for the bathrooms because “the owner does not want to compromise on sustainability,” noted Janssen.

The last speaker was Fulvio Montaldo, chairman for Cantieri navali di Sestri which, around 10 years ago, began a green restructuring, starting with the shipyard. “Refitting – explained Montaldo – creates two work hypotheses: we can find ourselves faced with a classic boat owner, who wants to keep the structure, this usually happens for classic sail boats, or, if talking about large charter ships, a client looking for an innovative product, or the latest technology available on the market. These are two very different worlds, but equally interesting challenges.”

The round table, presented by Giuseppe Pappalardo, manager for Marina Genova, also saw the participation of Tankoa, Boero YachtCoatings, Rina, Yachteye and Italian Yacht Masters Through brief speeches, each one offered, within their sector, their contribution for engineering, design, technology or the environment, different paths but all bonded through a single objective: protecting the environment.