Andrea and Sandra (in the picturw with Maurizio Granai of GPY, onborad the Ferretti 550 Fly) greatly enjoy life on a boat. With their Ferretti 550 Fly they sail for over 150 hours a year
by Francesco Michienzi – photo by Alberto Cocchi
The sea, an element that to an extent is still unknown, always gives new sensations. For those who are looking for peace, or simply calm, far from the frenzy of everyday life, it is an effective answer. To experience it in its most authentic aspect, a boat is the ideal solution. Looking for and finding a balance while sailing is a situation, which is absolutely perfect for this.
Andrea is a successful man, he works in the logistics sector and says that he is only an amateur owner; but you wouldn’t say that if you saw him manoeuvre while mooring his Ferretti Yachts 550 Fyb.
He probably meant to say that he only goes out on his boat for fun: «The boat is a chance to completely enjoy myself: I have always liked the sea, and to me it means relaxation. The boat fits into that desire perfectly. My work often takes me abroad, and having time off is very important for me, and the boat gives me that chance».
This Ferretti 550 Fly is Andrea’s third boat. He had a 50 foot open and before that a 44. You could say that this is the first real boat to go on comfortable cruises with all the family. In the past he has sailed on inflatable boats or on friends’ boats. «I was born in a coastal city, Livorno, so the sea has always been an important part of my existence».
There are four adults in the family, as well as two grandchildren and they use the boat nearly every weekend. Including three weeks cruising, our owner does as much as 150 hours’ sailing a year, when the average Italian pleasure boater does only around 50.
When buying a boat, every sailor assesses their own needs: «For me, there was the need to find a vessel that allowed me to experience unknown sea. Since I didn’t have that much experience as an owner, I looked for a product that allowed me to handle the sea with ease, which was welcoming for the family, and which met everybody’s needs, so we bought the Ferretti 550 Fly. I have to say that the path we followed was the right one, because we began with a fairly small, open-style boat, which meant that we could discover all the secrets of sailing. We started with the basics and in a few years we had enough experience and confidence to go on longer, more difficult cruises with the tranquillity of dealing with a long journey without major problems».
Andrea tells us: «I recently sailed round Italy because I took delivery of the boat at Cesenatico and sailed it to Marina dei Cesari at Rosignano Solvay. I did around a thousand nautical miles in 53 hours. It was a beautiful experience and I had the chance of discovering so many different places which can only be appreciated from the sea».
It was also a great chance to try out the new boat: «I thought it was a perfect test, really nice because we also had some rough sea, and so I was able to really try it out, especially in the Gulf of Messina. The Ferretti 550 Fly hull and the seakeeping is excellent».
Andrea continues: «Every time that we go out on the open sea it is a new experience, one that is never the same as the previous day».
We ask him if he is calm when skippering, or if he gets a bit worried: «I am very calm and I have to say that this calmness is also because of how good the boat is, because that is really important, especially for those like me who got into sailing as adults».
Andrea’s family has got a good relationship with the boat. They are happy and they use every aspect of it: «We cook, we do our laundry and use everything the boat has. We customised it specially so that we could enjoy it as a family». The boat is also, to an extent, a moment of freedom to escape everyday life.
That also means a lot to Sandra, the wife of the owner: «We like to think of the boat as being our house on the sea. I am always happy to use it, relaxed. I love being on a boat and I really like travelling at sea. We found this boat which means all the family can live well on board, and which also easily houses even the two small children and it felt like a fantastic chance to spend the holidays together. The boat is a delight and the sea is a marvellous place to be. Tranquillity and solitude are important for me too, they mean that I can recharge my batteries after a tough week. I really love the sea, and the silence, and I really love the open sea».
The Ferretti 550 Fly was bought from Maurizio and Giovanni Granai’s GPY company: «Maurizio is definitely a point of reference as a person, because this is still a fairly unknown sector and has a lot of dark areas, and so having a person to trust for any kind of advice or decision is really important, and goes beyond the simple client–supplier relationship».
(Owners and their boats: Andrea & Sandra and their Ferretti 550 Fly – Barchemagazine.com – October 2017)
