Persico Marine

Persico Marine
Nieri.vittorio · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Persico Marine
Type	Private
Industry	Shipbuilding
Founded	1998
Founder	Lorenzo Persico
Headquarters	Nembro, Bergamo province, Lombardy
Area served	International
Products	Yachts, high-performance hulls, composite components
Key people	Enrico Persico, Giovanni Persico

Persico Marine Persico Marine is an Italian shipbuilding company specializing in high-performance racing yachts, superyacht components, and composite solutions for marine and motorsport applications. Founded in 1998 in Lombardy near Bergamo, the company has supplied hulls, appendages, and engineering services to campaigns and shipyards across Monaco, Genoa, Auckland, Porto Cervo, and Newport (Rhode Island). Persico Marine operates at the intersection of competitive sailing, Formula One, and advanced composites, engaging with teams, designers, and yards from America's Cup campaigns to offshore racing circuits.

History

Persico Marine traces its roots to family-owned composite workshops in Bergamo province and expanded amid the 1990s boom in carbon fibre use driven by America's Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, Louis Vuitton Cup, and Whitbread Round the World Race demands. Early collaborations included partnerships with naval architects from Newport and Lyon and with design firms known for work on TP52 and IMOCA 60 classes. The firm grew by supplying components to yards in Monaco, Genoa, and Ancona and by contracting with teams connected to Oracle Team USA, Groupama Sailing Team, Emirates Team New Zealand, and SailGP campaigns. During the 2000s and 2010s Persico established R&D ties to research centers in Milano and technology groups linked to Politecnico di Milano and University of Genoa.

Products and Services

Persico Marine produces carbon fibre hulls and appendages for classes such as IMOCA 60, Class40, P2XX, Maxi72, and TP52; supplies deck modules and internal structures for bespoke superyachts in Monaco and Porto Cervo; and fabricates high-performance components for motorsport outfits associated with Formula One and World Endurance Championship. The company offers naval architecture support interfacing with studios like VPLP Design, Farr Yacht Design, Morelli & Melvin, and Finot-Conq; undertakes structural testing alongside laboratories affiliated to ISSM and CNR; and provides refit and repair services at shipyards in La Spezia and Livorno. Persico also delivers composite tooling, prototyping, and small-batch production for clients including Benetti, Azimut, Perini Navi, and specialist racing teams from Auckland and San Diego.

Technology and Innovation

Persico Marine has invested in automated layup, autoclave curing, and non-destructive testing technologies influenced by practices in Formula One and aerospace firms such as Airbus and Boeing. The company collaborates with firms and institutions like Sintef, TWI, Politecnico di Milano, and Technical University of Denmark to refine carbon prepeg systems, resin infusion techniques, and finite element analysis used by designers from Sparkman & Stephens and Maurizio Cossutti. They have employed computational fluid dynamics tools also used at MIT and ETH Zurich and have transferred knowledge from hydrofoil development seen with teams including INEOS Grenadiers-backed projects and BMW Oracle Racing. Persico’s facilities host CNC machining centers comparable to shops in Monaco and composite labs akin to those at CERN spin-offs, enabling rapid prototyping for regatta timelines like America's Cup cycles and Vendée Globe campaigns.

Notable Projects and Collaborations

The company supplied hulls and foiling appendages for several IMOCA 60 programs competing in the Vendée Globe and worked with skippers and teams linked to Armel Le Cléac'h, Sébastien Josse, Yves Parlier, and Jean Le Cam. Persico has collaborated with design houses such as VPLP, Farr Yacht Design, Hydro-Quebec-affiliated engineers, and composite partners who previously served McLaren Racing and Scuderia Ferrari programs. Commercial and private yacht projects include partnerships with builders like Perini Navi, Benetti, and custom yards in Viareggio, while racing collaborations connected Persico to Emirates Team New Zealand, Oracle Team USA, Groupama 3-linked efforts, and SailGP teams. Technology transfers involved exchanges with research groups at Politecnico di Torino, University of Pisa, and international partners in Auckland and San Francisco.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

Persico Marine remains a family-influenced private company headquartered in Nembro, with executive leadership drawn from the Persico family and technical directors educated at institutions such as Politecnico di Milano and University of Padua. The business operates manufacturing and R&D facilities in Lombardy and maintains commercial offices liaising with shipyards in Liguria and brokerages in London and Monaco. Strategic alliances and minority investments have been formed with composite suppliers from Emilia-Romagna and technical consultancies formerly affiliated with Rolls-Royce Power Systems and MTU Friedrichshafen, while contractual frameworks often reference standards promulgated by classification societies like RINA and Lloyd's Register.

Awards and Recognition

Persico Marine has been recognized within maritime and composite communities through accolades and mentions at events such as the Monaco Yacht Show, METSTRADE, and awards panels including juries from World Superyacht Awards, Boat International features, and technical exhibitions in Genoa Boat Show. Their projects have been highlighted in industry press alongside winners from Benetti, Azimut-Benetti Group, and racing teams noted at America's Cup and Vendée Globe podiums. External validation has included technical citations in proceedings tied to Politecnico di Milano conferences and collaborative showcases with institutes like CNR and ISSM.

Category:Shipbuilding companies of Italy Category:Companies established in 1998