Heading Out To Sea: Exploring Ferrari's Debut Racing Yacht

by Yaseen Dockrat

Heading Out To Sea: Exploring Ferrari's Debut Racing Yacht

15 Feb 2024

After years of dominance of the tracks of Formula 1 and, recently, Le Mans, luxury sports car manufacturer Ferrari is heading out into the open sea with its first racing yacht. Earlier this year, The Prancing Horse announced that it planned its entrée into competitive sailing, with veteran navigator Giovanni Soldini as its team principal.

As is the Ferrari way, the Maranello-based company will use cutting-edge technology from conception to realisation to achieve excellence. Giovanni Soldini has more than 30 years of ocean racing experience, both solo and crew. He is also well known for his two solo round-the-world races.

“We are about to embark on an exciting journey that will expand our racing soul. With this new competitive challenge, motivated by our innovative capacity and commitment to sustainability, we will push beyond current boundaries. We are happy to be able to count on Giovanni, who is extraordinary in terms of experience, determination, and team spirit,” said John Elkann, chairman of Ferrari.

“I am thrilled to start this new adventure with Ferrari. We are working on an important and cutting-edge project with an amazing technological potential that brings together different worlds and skills of the highest level. Working with an exceptional team in the research and development of innovative solutions that are respectful of our environment is a truly unique experience,” Giovanni Soldini added.

The company is well-equipped for racing. The Prancing Horse has competed in Formula 1 since 1950 and returned to Le Mans last year, winning the 24-hour endurance race for the first time in 60 years. This won't be the first time Ferrari will produce an engine for water-based sports. Back in 1950, Enzo Ferrari supplied a 4.5 litre V12 from the 275 F1 car to Achille Castoldi, who used the engine to power his boat. Castoldi set a record for top speed at 150.49 mph over a kilometre on Lake Iseo. In the 90s, Riva also built some Riva Ferrari 32 speedboat examples.

The Prancing Horse has not yet revealed any further information regarding the production of its new Racing Yacht. Still, we at The Sandy Times believe that, like on the tarmac, Ferrari will dominate the waters. Sit back, catch your breath, and as soon as we have an update, we’ll tell you more about Ferrari’s entrée into Yatching.

by Yaseen Dockrat