Ferrari to add high-performance sailing to its race-bred stable
Ferrari’s tifosi will soon have another high-speed sport to follow, but it won’t involve an engineFerrari will soon add a prancing sea horse to its growing portfolio of high-paced products, revealing overnight that it has started work on a foiling sailboat.
The Italian car maker, F1 competitor and sometimes boat builder – it has collaborated with Riva on a twin 8.0-litre V8 dayboat that bore its logo – has announced it is kicking off a new project that will be “a great challenge that stems from Ferrari’s racing DNA and innovative drive”.
It has appointed long-distance foil-based sailing specialist Giovanni Soldini to head up the project, hinting that, similar to Maserati, it will be dipping a toe in long-distance endurance racing and aiming for an event such as the Rolex Middle Sea Race.
How do we know this? A short video accompanying the announcement shows what looks like a foiling hull that could belong to something like a catamaran or an Ultim-style foiling trimaran that has dominated the world sail racing circuit.
“This unique project will see the Maranello-based company utilise cutting-edge technologies throughout the entire cycle, from conception and engineering to realisation,” Ferrari said.
“The search for maximum performance at sea will generate innovations and concrete solutions for sustainability that, in line with Ferrari’s tradition, will be an important stimulus in the evolution of its sports cars.”
Ferrari is already experienced in high-end materials for building its growing fleet of road-going sports cars and through its Scuderia Ferrari, its Formula 1 racing division.
Ferrari chairman John Elkann said Ferrari was about to embark on an exciting journey that would expand the brand’s racing soul.
“With this new competitive challenge, motivated by our innovative capacity and commitment to sustainability, we will push beyond current boundaries,” Elkann said.
“We are happy to be able to count on Giovanni, who is extraordinary in terms of experience, determination and team spirit.”
One of the other challenges Ferrari could be looking at – and something Soldini has experience in – is record-breaking runs.
The Milan, Italy-born Soldini has competed in two solo around-the-world races and has extensive experience in racing the ORMA 60-foot trimaran class.
In 2013 he sailed 13,225 nautical miles in 47 days, 42 minutes and 29 seconds to set a world record for the fastest Hong Kong-London run, broke the English Channel run record, in 2021, and holds the record for the fastest boat on the original Fastnet course.
No announcement was made of when the project is expected to launch its first boat.
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