There's a particular kind of Italian confidence that doesn't announce itself. It's in sartorial suiting, it's in the watches. No surprise then that you can also find it in craft motoryachts. For over half a century, Sanlorenzo has been producing custom-built, luxury sea farers.
For context, the shipyard was founded in 1958 in Limite sull’Arno by by Gianfranco Cecchi and Giuliano Pecchia. Their audacity started something that would eventually become the world's first mono-brand helming superyachts over 24 metres. The ambition was baked in from the beginning.
It's not all aesthetics and pedigree, though. Sanlorenzo takes the arts seriously in its capacity as Global Host Partner of Art Basel in the yachting sector for five years running since 2018, as well as acting sponsor of the 59th La Biennale di Venezia.
Massimo Perotti acquired the company in 2005, marking the beginning of its modern evolution. Then, just two years ago, the company's launch of 50Steel marked the first installation of a hydrogen-reformed (from green methanol) Fuel Cell system directly aboard a superyacht, certified by Lloyd's Register.
Translation: electricity for hotel services with engines and generators off.
Further translation: extended anchorage and maneuvering time minus diesel consumption.
Now, Sanlorenzo is working towards complete carbon-neutral propulsion by 2030. Given the track record, the goal seems more deadline than press release talking point. Sixty-odd years in, and the shipyard is still relentless.
Here are three models that best exemplify the tenacity.
The SD line exists for those who treat range as a prerequisite, not a feature. The fullest expression at 40.7 metres, the largest composite-built Sanlorenzo yacht clocks in 420 gross tons. It's a volume that has no business existing on a yacht this size, yet here we are. Zuccon International Project handles the exterior, and the asymmetry concept that Sanlorenzo pioneered is the kind of logic that only looks effortless in hindsight.
The beach area deserves its own paragraph. Lateral terraces that rotate open to 70 sqm, clearing the cockpit of every visual obstruction until what remains is essentially an open terrace facing the sea. Complement that with an 85-sqm fly deck, a crystal mini pool forward, and a side garage that swallows tenders up to 6.25 metres. Below, a 55-sqm owner's suite. Four guest cabins. A range of 3,200 miles perfect for transoceanic navigation.
The SX line is essentially what happens when the flying bridge meets the explorer yacht and neither blinks. But that's not the headline for the largest crossover from the brand. Despite its 120 feet and 270 gross tons, the SX120 is the first composite yacht worldwide to feature Volvo Penta's IPS Professional Platform. The four compact 1,000 HP engines deliver the output of something considerably bulkier, with meaningfully less fuel consumption and emissions.
An Eco Mode function reads real-time demand and adjusts engine power accordingly. The yacht thinks about efficiency so the owner doesn't have to. Propulsion aside, there's everything above the waterline. A pop-up pool that conceals or reveals itself through a lift-and-slide sundeck mechanism. The Sun Deck introduces the Smart Island, a modular seating configuration that can be rearranged entirely. Practical, considered, and the kind of detail that distinguishes engineering from engineering with taste.
Finally, the SL range is where Sanlorenzo's founding instincts live. Proof that those instincts are still sharp, the SL110A transforms concept into experience. Lissoni & Partners reimagines the bow entirely. The aerodynamic bonnet is replaced by a sea-facing terrace with integrated sofas and a swimming pool. A hidden hatch tucks away the mooring hardware. Kinda so clean it hurts.
The stern answers with equal composure. A transparent gunwale dissolves the boundary between cockpit and open water. At anchor, the starboard bulwark folds down into a terrace. And the yacht keeps opening itself up, almost generously. At its centre, a full-beam owner's suite with direct bow pool access and a private entry connecting master cabin to both upper and forward decks. Separation without isolation, because the distinction matters. Calacatta marble in the bathroom, dark wood panelling and coffered ceilings throughout.
Contact Sanlorenzo to explore yacht ownership opportunities
