Absolute Yachts explains its success: Exclusive Interview

Italian yard Absolute Yachts debuted a new 50 Fly (opening photo) with the popular Volvo Penta IPS600 engines and articulating pod drives at the recent 2016 Sydney International Boat Show. It was the yard's first 50 Fly in the world and, fittingly, it was launched here.

Cesare Mastroianni, the Vice President of Sales and Chief Commercial Officer, spared some time to talk to boatsales and BoatPoint from the leather-upholstered lounges wrapping around the new boat's inviting dinette.

In case you didn't know, the Absolute owners and boatbuilders hailed from the Gobbi yard, a brand which had a small presence here with its beautifully moulded sportscruisers. Absolute went in a different direction and created an all IPS-powered fleet of flybridge motoryachts ranging from 40 to 72 feet instead.

The Absolute range includes semi-displacement boats in the Navetta fleet and shifts down to Sports Yachts and the 40STL Sportline, also on show in Sydney, which is a Med'-styled mega day boat perfect for parading about the Harbour.

Producing about 70 boats a year, the Italian yard has an especially close working relationship with Volvo Penta, as was evident when we headed to Sweden to drive the latest 2016 Volvo Penta products and innovations including the new IPS800 and D8 engine in an Absolute 56.

In Australia, Absolute is up to boat 11 in two years. They range from the 72 Fly flagship in Melbourne down to a 40STL in Sydney, thus, pretty much covering the full range of offerings.

LOCAL ABSOLUTE SUCCESS
Why has Absolute found a second home in Australia?

"We build our boats for all weather and international markets. We abandoned the strict Mediterranean concept," explains Mastroianni in our interview, gesticulating, as his mellifluous Italian accent massages your ear.

"They are made by good design for worldwide appeal.

"We offer comfort in the wide sense of the word... space, big windows, silent operation, lots of accommodation and storage.

"We offer innovation, with our design team headed by a 50-plus-year-old overseeing a team of 28-30-year-olds. You see what I mean?

"We have commitment. We care. We're not owned by a private equity company but five shareholders and our community," Mastroianni adds.

"And of course we are all IPS, with our integrated structural system for the hulls that is light but strong and eliminates creaks, and we're big on access even if you have to change an engine.

"We can use these big windows," Mastroianni says pointing to the glazing surrounding the new 50's saloon, "because we have a tight structure."

If you haven't been on an Absolute, you should know that these boats are especially voluminous, pushing that side of the design envelope, yet they remain light in weight and are propelled by modest Volvo Penta IPS power.

This combination has made the Absolutes a popular brand in local share-boat fleets, especially those run by Luxury Boat Syndicates on Sydney Harbour for their executive owners chasing a seamless European car-to-boat experience.

Absolutes are imported to Australia by Sydney-based Premier Marine, whose owner Steve Hannes first laid eyes on the line-up at Cannes boat show in 2012.

"The stylishness of the product, the extreme practicality, the Italian design and the functionality appealed to me," Hannes says, adding that they're a great boat for big city waterways and people looking for more space and luxury.

The Luxury Boat Syndicates share-boat fleet on Sydney Harbour now has four Absolutes in the range and the boats resonate with executives wanting to entertain.

NEW ABSOLUTE MODELS
The new Absolute 50 at the 2016 Sydney International Boat Show was the first one in the world. The second was to be shown at the 2016 Cannes boat show from September 6-11, then the third was being rolled out at the Fort Lauderdale show, with a fourth heading to Hong Kong.

The 50 has a three cabin and two bathroom layout with a unique feature — full crew quarters with a separate private entry in a boat of this length. For our market, it would make an ideal kids' retreat, playpen and storage area for watertoys.

At the 2016 Cannes boat show, Absolute was also poised to release its new Navetta 73 flagship long-range semi-displacement boat, followed by a new 58 Fly with the latest Volvo Penta D8 engines and 600hp IPS800s in 2017, Mastroianni tell us.

We recently drove the Absolute 56, revisiting this model in Sweden at the 2016 Volvo Penta new product press event, and have also tested the 52 Fly in full on our sites.

Absolute Yachts has been designing and building boats for the leisure
market since 2002 at its shipyard near Piacenza, not far from Milan. Its current fleet ranges from 12m to 22m and is imported by
Premier Marine into the Australian market. More at www.premiermarine.com.au.