Cooksons help Furio to fly

by TV3 Media and Sail-World.com on 11 Feb 2008
Although better known as builders of the Cookson 50, America's Cuppers, supermaxi's and a host of other offshore racers, Cookson Boatbuilders have been involved in the construction of moulds for use in a new composite aircraft being launched in New Zealand tomorrow.

This is the story of the crossover of knowledge and technology from the marine industry to the aviation industry:

Lapo Ancillotti's story of why he emigrated to New Zealand is as remarkable as his decision with two other Italian migrants to design and build a commercial plane from scratch.

Stories of New Zealanders quitting the country for 'better' lives in Australia and elsewhere have lately swamped the media, but Mr Ancillotti and family left a lifestyle in Tuscany that Kiwis dream of.

And it seems ironic someone from a country steeped in the design and engineering tradition of Ferrari and Pininfarina says it was New Zealand's attitude to innovation that swayed him.

Until this latest project, Mr Ancillotti designed and built racing yachts. Yachting and aeroplanes are his passion, along with innovation.

He, Giovanni and Lapo Nustrini this month launch their revolutionary kitset sports plane, an aircraft aviation writers raved about even before it flew.

The project was backed by investor Kevin Grant.

Mr Ancillotti built boats from when he was 20 while still at university studying classics and aeronautical engineering. He and his brother-in-law started in a cow shed where he said they were 'the boy racers of the boat racing fraternity'.

'We grew up in this environment in which we were breathing boats, the sea and construction.

'We were seen like mad boys. The old men who were teaching us, they were very keen to teach because we were so exuberant, but they were always telling us `we have done this in that way since 50 years, why do you come up and want do it another way'?'

Almost inevitably, his path crossed with innovative New Zealand yacht designer Bruce Farr, famous for translating the principles of dingy yachts to big boats. He built Farr designed yachts in a yard Viareggio in Tuscany. In 1990, he sold his share in his company and his family embarked on a world trip to 'explore opportunities for the future'.

Italy's boat building industry at the time was quite traditional, not much into technical innovation, he said.

'For me research and innovation was the point, where I wanted my life to turn around.'

The family landed in New Zealand with Sydney as a destination and spent 10 days here.

'In that time we got the perception that New Zealand was a wonderful place for me, not only for living because I loved nature, but also on a professional side.

'I saw pragmatic people, very, very small bureaucracy and I saw an attitude, that as long as you have got a good idea -- it doesn't matter who it comes from -- you can do it. People get passionate, they get enthusiastic about it and committed to it. '

He flew on to Australia, as in the plan, spending a month there to repeat the process of meeting people and visiting companies.

'I said, `nah, the Australian attitude is not what I'm looking for'.'

He returned to New Zealand where he hooked up with premier racing yacht builder Mick Cookson, who was building composite yachts.

'I was pretty impressed,' said Mr Ancillotti.

He, wife Renata and young son Duccio rented a house and car for four months and they met people and got involved in the yacht racing scene.

'The difference was the people were open minded, very friendly, very curious and they were listening to me.

'They were curious to know what I was doing in Italy, what my ideas for possible new projects were. It was a great time.'

Instead of sailing at eight knots like he was used on the traditional boats he sailed in Italy, he was rollicking along at 20 knots.

'Here, I could see what innovation means.

'That performance, how the boat was built, and people's attitude -- they were not scared to go so fast, the excitement and the adrenaline altogether made me feel in love with New Zealand.

'I said `I want to come back one day but with better English, with respect so I can interact with people, with a position, a project, with something that would allow me to build something with those guys'.'

He returned to his beautiful home in the medieval city of Lucca, near Florence, where he promoted the idea of boats designed and built in New Zealand. Before the days of the internet, people thought he was nuts. But after a year he found someone a supporter.

Cookson's yard built the new ILC 40, Farr designed yacht in four months from scratch -- half of the time an Italian builder would have taken.

'I found myself in the middle of a dream, building a yacht in New Zealand, being efficient, delivering the yacht in Italy, perfect, no problem -- beautiful, better than any other racing yacht Italian had seen at that time.'

From that time, as word got around, the business grew and grew. Merit Cup and Admiral's Cup yachts were built. In 1999, he received an order from textile magnate Pigi Loro Piana, for a multi-million dollar maxi, racer-cruiser that would take 11 months to project manage. Commuting was no longer viable for such a large project and the decision to immigrate was made.

'I was feeling ready. I had a background in New Zealand, a reputation and record, lots of contacts.

He said it was important that he was bringing something to New Zealand, that he wasn't coming here to sell Prada.

On completion, the family again returned to Italy but with the intention to return to New Zealand. In 2003, he arrived back with two projects in hand. The only trouble was, in the meantime, New Zealand lost the America's Cup and his clients, one Italian and one British, cancelled on him.

'I found myself here with no project and no job because the America's Cup was gone.'

Then Cookson launched a new yacht, the Cookson50, an innovative racer-cruiser with a canting keel and Mr Ancillotti was able to sell three boats off the rough plans to Italian clients.

Cookson's Resin Infusion process triggered Mr Ancillotti's nagging idea to build a plane from composite materials. He wanted to transfer the technology from the yacht racing industry to aviation.

He shared the concept with friend and fellow migrant Giovanni Nustrini, whose father Luciano was a famous pilot, and who was the Australasian distributor for Italian sports plane Tecnam.

They put sketches together and then started to do a business plan 'just to find if it was crazy, or making sense'.

Composites had been used in planes before but only to substitute aluminium components. Mr Ancillotti's design integrated the structure, thereby greatly reducing the number of components.

'That is what is revolutionary,' said Mr Ancillotti.

They decided on a sports, acrobatic plane that could double as commuter. It would be sold as a kitset initially to get around the costs associated with obtaining certification.

Mr Cookson's reaction to the plan was typical of New Zealanders. He said: 'You can do it. Go ahead.'

They then applied for, and got, a grant from Technology NZ to conduct a feasibility study. When it gave them the thumbs up they then involved engineering company High Modulus, a connection from boat building, and persuaded Mr Nustrini's architect brother, Lapo to join them from Seattle to do the design.

Asked if he came across anyone who believed they were dreaming, Mr Ancillotti is emphatic: 'No. Not one. Not here in New Zealand. It Italy there was some scepticism. They d