What a Triumph Rocket and Pershing have in common
by Nandini Raghavendra/economictimes.indiatimes.com on 28 Mar 2008
Pershing Performers Ocean Magazine
http://www.oceanmagazine.com.au/
A one core Triumph Rocket III parked in the porch of the 161-year-old Royal Bombay Yacht Club is a rare sight, to say the least. So when Tilli Antonelli, in his impeccably cut Italian suit, sunglasses and shoes, gets ready to ride astride the Rocket III, more than a few passers-by stop to watch the spectacle.
'I like power, whether it is bikes, boats or cars,' says the 52-year-old Chairman and President of Pershing, a Ferretti Group brand and prestigious Italian shipyard specialising in luxury yacht construction. With five bikes including a Harley Davidson, Honda superbike, MV Augusta and two BMWs, a Carrera Porsche, Audi and the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti (60 pieces to celebrate its 60 years), parked in his house near Fano in North Italy, speed on land is something Antonelli is pretty familiar with.
As for the lure of speed on the high seas, Antonelli began his adventures long before he built his first boat. Born in Ravenna, which is connected to the Adriatic Sea by a canal, Antonelli grew up with the sea all around him. As a child of ten, he helped construct masts and when he was 15, he began sailing and racing. 'I knew my future was linked with the sea,' says the man who is credited with having revolutionised the concept of life on sea with his Pershing yachts.
Seafarers have interesting tales to tell and so does Antonelli — of death defying storms weathered through sailing competitions, of few brave survivors and the many who lost the battle at sea. 'I was sure I was going to be a skipper of a sailing boat,' says Antonelli , who makes 100 yachts today and contributes 80 million euros to the annual turnover of his parent company, the 1,000 million euros Ferretti Group.
The journey from skipper on a sailing boat to yachts came in the eighties when Antonelli, along with two friends, decided to build wooden sports boats. 'We had no money to begin with,' he recalls. 'Our first customer from North Italy, who was in the transport business, financed the 65 foot hand made wooden sports boat which cost us 20 million lira to make.'
Italian musician Lucio Dalla’s eyes fell on this wooden beauty and one order led to another and Antonelli’s tryst with speed was foregone. When the market for sailing boats dropped in the mid-80 s, Anotnelli moved to power boats and chanced upon famous designer Fulvio De Simone’s work and fell in love with it.
'That was how the first 45 ft yacht for show maker Alberto Guardiani was built. He also financed the 300 million lira that went into building it. It was Fulvio who suggested the name Pershing , after the missile,' says Antonelli.
This yacht was a hit at the Sardinia show and in a few years Antonelli’s and Simone’s passion for fast luxury boats was transformed into global supremacy. Pershing became recognised as a synonym for customised and luxurious yachts.
Pershing is part of the Ferretti Group, leader in luxury motoryachts, with a unique portfolio of exclusive brands in the nautical world:
Yachting Unlimited are distributors of Ferretti, Pershing, Mochi Craft and Itama in Australia and New Zealand.
Yachting Unlimited is proud to represent some of the most respected boating brands, and states that their 'primary focus is to provide an unsurpassed level of sales and service to those wishing to enter into the Ferretti Family. The decision to purchase a Ferretti Group vessel represents a choice to discover a unique and passionate boating lifestyle and experience.'
For Further Information:
Yachting Unlimited Head Office
Suite 66, Jones Bay Wharf,
26 – 32 Pirrama Road. Pyrmont. NSW 2009 Australia
T: +61 (2) 9566 2628
Website www.yachtingunlimited.com info@yachtingunlimited.com
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