A successful brand which in over 20 years has introduced twenty models from 94 up to 140 ft. All designed by Zuccon International Project
CUSTOM LINE HAS ITS ORIGINS IN A BUSINESS IDEA THAT FOUR PEOPLE HAD. FOUR PEOPLE WHO RELISH A REAL CHALLENGE, and with a very clear vision of the future: building boats of up to 40 metres, using composite materials and an industrial approach. The company was founded in 1996 by Norberto Ferretto, Ottavio Cascino, Carlo Moschini, business partners with 30 per cent of the capital stock, and by Lamberto Tacoli, who held 10 per cent. In 1999 the company was acquired by Ferretti Spa. Zuccon International Project was responsible for the interior and exterior design of the first three models, 94’, 104’ and 112’.
Gianni Zuccon recalls: «The idea was to make boats over 90 feet long. We suggested using a modular system, but to avoid discussing it as we felt that clients who could afford a boat that size may not have been happy with an industrially-constructed craft. At that time, yachts above a certain size were all tailor made. But with a modular moulding system we could ensure great flexibility in construction, with internal compartmentalisation that was completely different from one boat to another. This meant that an owner could choose from as many as 432 different combinations. We then also applied that concept to the size and shape of the boat, and could make changes to the moulds for the superstructure and deck».
The Custom Line 104 was never produced, even though in the way it was put together it looked like the most balanced boat. The 112 and the 94 were the most commercially appealing. The three models had a central part with compartmentalisation which was essentially identical, the only thing that changed was the positioning, which was determined by the size of the engine room – which was itself a function of the size of the engine used. Eighty-five per cent of the superstructure was almost always the same, there were some different components in the windows or the fibreglass topmast, which was also used as a distinguishing mark. Over twenty years, 18 models were made, eight from the planing line between 94 and 128 feet, and ten from the Navetta line, including the Navetta 43m, a project executed as Custom Line in 2002 and later marketed as CRN, and the new 42 metre which we will see next year.
In 16 years, 70 Navetta series boats have been sold. The record belongs to the Navetta 30m, which was brought to market in 2000 and of which 18 have been produced. Another one for the record books is the Custom Line 37 metres, that we will see at the Cannes Boat Show, of which three have been sold off plan. Ten years after the creation of the brand, the Custom Line 100 was introduced. Its design was based on the idea of a continuity of surfaces, both opaque and transparent, and was determined by the type of boat in question and thus how volumes were allocated in them. This made it possible to have more options of how external spaces can be used, and has been done by creating different spaces – such as the dining area at the end of the bow – and thus allowed privacy and onboard comfort to improve. Continuity was also the key to the approach in creating the internal areas. Here the presence of the single large window – which links the main deck and the bridge on the upper deck – underlines how it is possible to identify a parallel between the two creative paths, internal and external: this reflects how the planning can be traced back to a single chain of thought, driven by the same wishes and goals.
Professor Zuccon recalls: «The 100 was our breakthrough boat. It had been decided that we needed to introduce a new product to replace the 97; we talked about it for months with the owners, with the sales department staff and with the boatyard engineers because it was not easy to replace a successful boat with another that required significant investment. Fortunately we sold the new boat well. For me, the Custom Line100 was an extremely demanding project since it had to match up to the preceding 94’, 97’ and 112’ boats from the range. Measuring up in this well-established length range meant we had to show how the new product was part of an existing family with strong features and individuality, and also that we had to innovate: bringing stylistic, functional and technological solutions that reflected the constant research and experimentation process in the planning field».
In 1999 the Navetta series was added to the line of planing yachts. Gianni Zuccon says «The Navetta boats are in part their architect’s dream, what he believed in, his aspirations, and above all Norberto’s judgement. It is in my nature not to want to go fast, I don’t like noise and having to hold on when I am sailing. I like to travel in silence, and to hear the sound of the water. This is something I said again and again, until, at the end of the 1990s, Norberto said to me: “Listen, Architect, how about giving some thought to slow sailing?”. I immediately latched onto this request and began to think up a 24-metre boat – which was considered large, but nevertheless accessible. Shape, function and size – these are the parameters that you can’t ignore, particularly when you have to make a vessel for an owner who is going to spend a lot of time at sea, living in and completely inhabiting the boat as if it were his home. I have always been fascinated by slow boats, because I am convinced that they are pieces of architecture that stand out from other means of transport because they can be lived in, and you can inhabit the sea. The sea is a changeable place, which is not always the same, whether you move a lot, a bit, or stay still. There is always the concept of liveability, meaning that humans are always more important and not just temporary spectators. Architecture is the expression of the essence of a place, and is the culture of the community that meets up and embraces the culture of the place: the sea on the one hand – a moving sea, or a calm sea; and the boat on the other».
The story of Custom Line is continually evolving, with new models like the 37 and 42 metre Navetta boats, with contemporary interiors, in line with the approach taken in configuring the external volumes, without ever losing sight of its special status – as a marine space.
(Custom Line: tailored to people’s needs – Barchemagazine.com – September 2016)
