Sailing (flying) Ferrari is almost reality: John Elkann’s word

“Enzo Ferrari was always looking for the next challenge, just as we are today,” said John Elkann, Ferrari’s chairman, at the annual shareholders’ meeting, where he anticipated the now imminent entry into the world of sailing as well. It is only a matter of weeks away now, and the sailing Ferrari, which will have Giovanni Soldini as skipper, will be unveiled and will set off in the hunt for some of the most important sailing records around the world.

“We are preparing to enter the world of sailing: the quest for maximum performance at sea will offer us new opportunities for innovation in technology, performance and sustainability, and we are confident that our knowledge will inspire our future racing and sports cars,” Elkann confirmed.

The Ferrari project, which has been top secret for more than a year, is now close to entering its final phase. The boat is under construction, in the Pisa area, and from what we know will see the water in 2026. If on the F1 front, despite the arrival of Lewis Hamilton, it is certainly not the dream start to the season that Rossa fans imagined. Now, however, the Cavallino, which is simultaneously preparing by year’s end to unveil the first 100% electric Ferrari, is also opening up to new horizons. John Elkann and Giovanni Soldini is now a long-standing partnership, born with Maserati records.

What we know about the sailing Ferrari

Meanwhile, what do we know to date about this wonderful object? We reveal it to you in ten points. You will find out what minds are behind the project, what kind of boat it will be and how fast it will go, how much it costs, where it is being born, when we will see it in the water, who might be on board…

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1. Ferrari. Who is the designer? Guillaume Verdier

On the designer we have already commented. He is the Frenchman Guillame Verdier. First of all, he knows Soldini well; he is the one who oversaw the flying foil implementation of the trimaran Multi 70 Maserati with which he just finished the Soldini experience.

But Verdier is also on the design team of the flying monohull Team New Zealand that won the penultimate America’s Cup. He is the guru of large flying boats and superfast ocean sailing. To draw a comparison with the world of Formula 1, Guillaume Verdier is considered the “Adrian Newey” of sailing. We had interviewed him here, read on to get a sense of the character’s caliber….

2. Ferrari Goal: the world’s fastest round-the-world race

In recent years, Giovanni Soldini has specialized in trying to break records in the world’s major regattas/races. He is missing one, the most prestigious one, the Jules Verne Trophy. This challenge is nothing more than the prize for those who circumnavigate the world by sailing the fastest.

No boat or crew rules or restrictions. Only 21,600 miles to be rocketed. Here we told you the story of this legendary race, which has seen the greatest sailors in history race and will be the culmination of Ferrari and Soldini’s campaign.

3. It will be a flying monohull

About the length of the boat there is little doubt. It will be around 100 feet (30.48 m) and will be a full foiling monohull, that is, able to sail completely lifted out of the water, as we can tell from the few frames of the promo video launched by Ferrari.

Soldini himself spoke of a “monohull” with very high technological content. Examples on the large scale are already there: the America’s Cup AC75s, the FlyingNikka deep-sea flying monohull. But 100 feet had not yet been reached. There is the Baltic 111, however, which is not full foiling. It will be very interesting to see how the project will combine speed and safety because there are already those who say, “Can you see a 100-foot full foiling rounding Cape Horn?”

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4. Color? Ferrari red. And we will see it in the water in 2026

About the color of the flying super “one-ship” there is no doubt. Red. In fact, Ferrari red. It remains to be seen whether it will be all red or will have only colored parts. The boat will be in the water no earlier than the first half of 2026

5. Italian companies that will help Soldini

There will surely be many companies and excellences of Made in Italy on board Soldini’s boat. We are definitely betting on Cariboni for all hydraulic and hydraulic handling (foil arms, etc.).

The deck equipment will also be supplied by an Italian company.

6. The boat is built in Tuscany

Soldini’s new boat, according to rumors, is being built in a “secret” shed in Tombolo, the southernmost estate in the Migliarino – San Rossore – Massaciuccoli Park, crossed by the Navicelli Canal, in the province of Pisa.

7. How fast will it go? At least 50 knots!

How fast will Soldini’s new boat go? So much. Let’s try to play a little bit.

If, as it seems, the project will aim to break the record at the round-the-world race (Jules Verne Trophy), which to date is the one set by Francis Joyon’s trimaran IDEC Sport (40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds) at 26.90 knots average, with peaks between 38 and 44 knots, Soldini’s Ferrari will have to go faster: 50, 55 knots peak?

8. How much does Soldini’s superboat cost? At least 20 million

How much will Giovanni Soldini’s new superboat cost? It is difficult to predict, but many sources have spoken of an investment by Ferrari of 20 million euros in the project. To these must be added all the costs “absorbed” by technical partnerships….

9. Who will be on board with Soldini?

If the goal of the “Ferrari of the Oceans” is to go as fast as possible, it is clear that Giovanni Soldini will not be on board alone but will have to rely on a “commando” of trusted men. We are reminded of his “dolphin” Ambrogio Beccaria, currently one of the strongest ocean sailors in the world, who has sailed with John before and to whom he owes a great deal, by his own admission.

Ambrogio, however, is very busy with his Imoca 60 project and we are unlikely to see him operational and continuously on the new Ferrari as well. There will definitely be the historical core that has already sailed on Maserati in recent years, first with the VO65 and then with the Multi. Watch out then for one name, Alberto Riva: he is free from long-term sporting projects, and above all he is an electronics genius as well as an Engineer, thus able to offer fundamental skills on a boat whose management will be extremely complex.

10. It will sail with zero impact

Giovanni Soldini is buttoned up, but something about what innovations the boat will have, hull geometries aside, he has said. This will be a cutting-edge project in terms of technology and energy, and we will see systems on board that are not unique to the sailing world. Goal: minimization of consumption as well as energy autonomy, which is very difficult to achieve on large boats.