As a student, the architect from Bergamo had very different plans for his future. But a certain Mauro Micheli made him fall in love with boats. Objects that he “treats” with the utmost care, using the most sophisticated technologies, but always nurturing the sacred fire of freehand drawing, an exercise that he considers indispensable and full of fascination. With an exact and ambitious objective: the creation of boats that are objectively beautiful and functional. Without any ifs or buts
by Chiara Risolo – photo by Giovanni Malgarini
A rocker, yes – he owns and plays 34 electric guitars – but not damned, quite to the contrary. Despite his full head of hair, which is as thick as it is indomitable, and his Sauvage beard, Filippo Salvetti conveys an image of himself which is delicate and deeply intimate. The cuffs of his shirt suggest a certain pragmatism: he prefers wearing them rolled up in true Garibaldian style, allowing him to move more freely at his desk without the annoying grip of buttons and other knick-knacks. A private person to the extent of seeming almost prude at times (many people with much fewer merits would look down upon the world from their high horse), he confesses that when he graduated in architecture from Politecnico di Milano, boats were not even remotely on his mind. “I came to Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta’s studio – Officina Italiana Design – almost by chance and then stayed there for several years”. That’s right, all the years he needed to learn the craft of his dreams and become one of the most authoritative pencils in the world of yachting.
Custom Line Navetta 38.
«The design of the Custom Line Navetta 38 focuses on the pursuit of timeless classicism, the defining element of the Custom Line range, through a balanced and harmonious stylistic language. This yacht is the perfect synthesis of nautical quality and elegance. The simplicity of the lines remains the key to interpreting the project, expressing a luxury that is never ostentatious and a stylistically refined contemporary design».
Let’s begin our talk with one of the recent most debated and controversial issues: the haemorrhage of archistars in shipyards. I don’t think this migration is an absolute evil; in any case, some of these high-sounding names have helped jolt the system, which was much needed. This being said, I think we need to make some distinctions. The intervention of an architect “from outside the industry” on larger ships makes sense; it gives further lustre to the yard and the product, but if we are talking about smaller boats, for instance, 50-footers, it is essential to have specific skills to rationalise spaces best, to keep a perfect balance between the famous pair form-and-function. In brief, this is done to prevent any damage.
«Archistars in the nautical sector are not an absolute evil. On the contrary, their migration has enlivened the market. It was necessary. Then, of course, distinctions have to be made. It’s one thing to work on big boats; it’s another to get your hands on a 50-footer».
Custom Line 50.
Custom Line 50 is the shipyard’s new displacement flagship and marks its debut in the under 500 GT metal yacht market segment. A language of timeless classicism characterises the exterior design. The lines and shapes are essential and clean, with a predominance of horizontal readings that give this vessel a sporty character without compromising the elegance and harmonious style.
For about ten years now, you have enjoyed the complete trust of Ferretti, one of the most important groups in the nautical industry. You are the undisputed expert on “heavy-duty” brands, such as Ferretti Yachts and Custom Line. Working on an exclusive project for a yard means respecting precise stylistic traits, as any design must spring from a powerful DNA that should not be distorted, out of respect for the clientele, while also trying to innovate. Contrary to what you might think, these stylistic “restrictions” are not obstacles but rather a stimulating challenge.
Ferretti Yachts 1000.
The exterior design of the Ferretti 1000 saves the family feel of the other smaller yachts in the fleet, but the addition of the two stern and amidships prominences makes the profile even more harmonious at this size. The overall balance of solids and voids is better, and the image is very contemporary
«Working for a large group like Ferretti is stimulating because, although I start from a precise DNA, I can add an element of novelty each time».
Ferretti Yachts Infynito 80.
With an overall length of 23.70 metres and a maximum beam of 6.32 metres, the Infynito 80 has a fast-displacement hull optimised to improve fuel efficiency and minimise environmental impact. This yacht combines the solar energy collected by the photovoltaic panels installed on the hardtop and the roof of the all-season terrace with an energy bank that allows you to enjoy life on board in ‘hotel mode’ for up to eight hours at anchor.
Ferretti Yachts Infynito 90.
Sure, but it is true that when many minds work together on the same project, the path can be more tortuous and often uphill. I am thinking about the so-called strategic product committees and style centres. In the Ferretti Group, the strategic committee is chaired by Piero Ferrari, an engineer who, coming from the world of cars and car design, has a good feel for proportions and lines and the ability to understand the strength, beauty and potential of a project without necessarily having the final renderings complete with animation on his desk. So I would say that as far as I’m concerned, I have no objections.
«Mauro Micheli is an absolute genius. A pure artist with a beautiful hand. I learned from him by watching him. I ‘stole’ his art».
You just mentioned certain stylistic restrictions, yet the Infynito range by Ferretti Yachts is unquestionably “something” that didn’t exist before – a sort of break with the past. In reality, Infynito is the litmus test of what I just mentioned. It was not evident that I would receive a favourable reaction from the product committee, as we are talking about a ship of impressive size, with a large bow, tall and open. Yet, they liked it very much. The Group fully understood the essence of the project. In addition, the fact that the competing yards are now working in the same direction, well, to me, is further confirmation of the success of this range.
Bugari Yachts 100’.
In 2014, he started designing the new range of Bugari Yachts, all between 70 and 120 feet long and with planing hulls. He revamped the entire 30-60 foot Atlantis range for the Azimut Benetti Group, designing the interior and exterior.
Regardless of the acclaim or lack of acclaim from industry experts and, more in general, from the market, when can a boat be said to be truly beautiful, no ifs or buts? Three words: proportion, simplicity, clean lines. When all this is in balance, the boat, whether small or large, is pleasing to the eye; it’s easy to code. That’s also what Mauro always said.
You mean Micheli, I suppose, your mentor? The boat whisperer… I started working with him a few years after I graduated in architecture. I went to his studio from time to time because I was working with other design studios, but then I stayed there for eight years. Mauro is the man who passed on his passion for boats to me. He’s an artist, he has a beautiful, inimitable touch. I learned a lot just by watching him. He didn’t explain, but I ‘stole’ his art when he was working (he smiles).
Ferretti Yachts 580.
Speaking of beautiful hands, you’ve been definited the trait union between those who drew with a pencil and those who dish out dozens of renderings a day with the new software we have today. Very true. I think it was a good time for me to start because, on the one hand, I was lucky enough to work with people who knew how to draw by hand, so I was able to refine my art. At the same time, I was already quite familiar with modelling and rendering software.
48 Atlantis
It’s a winning double track. I may be a romantic, but I admit that hand-drawing has an incomparable charm. Sketching on paper is, and always will be, the most natural and intuitive way to express initial ideas. It is in the freehand sketch that the clearest ideas are perceived, those that stimulate a receptive mind to imagine the future form and expression of the finished product. But we also welcome the technology that now allows us to create projects with surgical precision, leaving nothing to chance or interpretation, and to present them to the client as if they were already there.
…As long as the projects still contain proportions, simplicity, and clean lines. Absolutely. I would add that every project follows a set of guidelines, almost like a skeleton. If the skeleton is solid, the project, regardless of its direction, will be a success if it maintains its structure.
The team of Filippo Salvetti’s design studio: top right, Luigi Livia, top left, Carlo Maj, bottom right, Michele Bonetti, bottom left, Matteo Maj.
(Filippo Salvetti – Life in Balance – Barchemagazine.com – Excerpted from Barche, May 2025)
