Leonardo Ferragamo the scion of Italy’s foremost luxury house Salvatore Ferragamo has entered the shores of India with a passion that has engulfed him all his life, and I am not talking about the luxurious fashion label. Very few know about his passion for the boats and the fact that he is the chairman of the Finnish Nautor Holding and of Nautor’s Swan, the yard that produces the prestigious Swan Boats. He is also the Chairman of the board of Camper & Nicholsons Yachting, the English historic yard bought by Nautor in July 2001 and Honorary President of Marina Management SRI, the company running the development of Marinas.
His elegant Swan 53, designed to be easily sailed by two people has already been sold in India. With this he makes a firm entry into the boating industry of India which is poised for big times in the coming years. As he says in the interview given exclusively to Asia Pacific Boating, India edition, “We are looking to our participation in the Indian market. Indians love the intrinsic qualities of a yacht and many of them have shown an interest in owning a yacht from us, which they can mostly station here (Italy) or take to India whenever they go vacationing with their family. Indians are very good sailors.”
The Swan 33 model is available in two versions. The interiors reflect the sense of style for which Nautor’s Swan is famed combining the precision of Finnish craftsmanship and the flair for Italian design. The model offers three or four cabin layout which can easily accommodate six people and the crew.
Leonardo Ferragamo has used sailing as a way of bonding with his family and maintains that family is as much a part of his business and his passion for yachting that it does not seem like a struggle to divide time between the two areas.
He entered the family company Salvatore Ferragamo at the age of 20 as assistant to the technical director of production. He went on to create and extend the menswear division, starting with footwear, accessories and clothing. Twelve years ago he gave in to his lifetime passion of sailing by purchasing Nautor. He has worked hard since then to render the exclusive Ferragamo touch to the wonder water vessel, which was originally founded in 1966 by Pekka Koskenkyla in Pietarsaari, Finland.
As an editor of the Asia Pacific Boating magazine I am excited at the way the boating industry in India is shaping – slowly but surely! The Ferretti and the Pershing from Italy are already available in the Indian market so are the British Princess Yachts, North America’s Meridian Yachts and Sunreef Yachts and these are just a few I am naming. In the times to come India will be participating more in races and regattas around the world. Last year, Kochi was host to the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race and those who participated in it remember the Indian sea with a fondness that will stay in the memory for a long time.
Asia Pacific Boating holds an annual regatta in Mumbai that has seen major corporate participation and is a much awaited event. Mumbai is already organizing boat shows and Goa has been following. My only wish list here apart from seeing the boating industry grow would be the building of world class marinas in the Indian shores where international sailors and millionaire playboys could dock their expensive yachts and a thriving marine lifestyle in and around it. I am sure that too will happen soon.
Posted by : Arati Thapa Group Editor Asia Spa India at 10:23PM
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