The Rising Tide

THERE ARE PLACES in the world where time slows, where sea and sky hold court with history, and where luxury whispers rather than shouts. Monaco, with its cliff side palaces and regatta soul, is such a place. It was here, in the luminous post-war Mediterranean, that a new era of yachting was born—refi ned, visionary, unapologetically beautiful. An era not merely of vessels, but of values. And it is in this gilded frame that two names began to shape the contours of elegance: Monaco and Sanlorenzo Yachts.

In the 1950s and 1960s, as Grace Kelly graced the Rock and Rivieras pulsed with jet-set allure, yachting evolved into an art form. A fl oating expression of l’art de vivre, rendered in teak, brass, and ingenuity. In this golden light, the bond between Monaco and Sanlorenzo was forged—not through contract, but through shared ideals: elegance, excellence, discretion, and, ça va sans dire, a devotion to the sea.

This liaison begins in 1953 with Prince Rainier III’s founding of the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM). More than a maritime association, it was a statement of national identity—an institution that would soon rise to international prominence, attracting royalty, sailors, and statesmen alike.

Just five years later, in 1958, on the history-rich Tuscan coast, three shipwrights coming from Limite sull’Arno, Florence, founded a small shipyard destined for greatness. Sanlorenzo would go on to defi ne what it meant to build fatto a mano yachts—each one a singular creation, meticulously tailored to its owner.

Since then, and in synchrony, Monaco and Sanlorenzo rode the rising tide of a Mediterranean new renaissance age. From Saint-Tropez to Portofi no, the sea became a runway for the glamorous and the visionary. What unites Monaco and Sanlorenzo is not just philosophy, but gravitas. Both embrace a rarefi ed elegance: l’art de vivre where understatement meets mastery. At Sanlorenzo, the yacht is not an object but a space—a sculpture in motion. And in Monaco, the sea is not just a backdrop but a protagonist.

This shared set of values is why Sanlorenzo yachts have become fi xtures in the Monaco landscape, and why so many of their owners are also members of the Yacht Club. Royals, collectors, and entrepreneurs—discreetly powerful fi gures with a taste for craftsmanship over ostentation—find a natural home in both worlds.

Monaco provides the stage, Sanlorenzo the vessel. Together, they compose a lifestyle in which every detail matters, and every journey becomes a legacy.

The Monaco Yacht Show—perhaps the most iconic in the world—has been a privileged stage for Sanlorenzo’s avant-garde premieres. Here, the shipyard unveils its latest masterpieces to a discerning audience, moored at Quai Louis II under the Club’s distinctive flag.

But beyond the grand unveiling, there is intimacy. Sanlorenzo frequently hosts private owner events, design previews, and cocktail receptions within its Piero Lissoni-designed private lounge at the Portofi no Building in Théodore Gastaud Square, in the heart of La Condamine, the vibrant central quartier in Monaco, just behind Port Hercules.

In parallel, and over the years, the collaboration between Sanlorenzo and the Yacht Club de Monaco has grown into a sophisticated alliance.

In recognition of Sanlorenzo’s role in pushing forward sustainability and design innovation, the YCM has also included the brand in panel discussions, sustainability forums, and invited leadership to speak at strategic initiatives, such as the Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting program. As well, Sanlorenzo has been the obvious stage for the highly-awaited private pre-views to its owners and passionate friends of its newest creations, such as the recently presented 50Steel Almax and SD132 Andiamo.

The dialogue between Monaco and Sanlorenzo is not only nautical but architectural, artistic, and intellectual. The Yacht Club’s iconic building, inaugurated in 2014 and designed by Sir Norman Foster, is a modernist tribute to seafaring life—a structure that could fl oat as much as stand. Similarly, Sanlorenzo has entrusted its style to some of the world’s leading designers and studios, such as Piero Lissoni and Zuccon International Project, merging architecture and emotion with unmatched fluency.

Art is not an accessory to Sanlorenzo, it is integral. The brand has long participated in Art Basel and the Venice Biennale, curating immersive onboard art spaces and collaborating with leading galleries.

A passion for art, culture and design is la raison d’être of Casa Sanlorenzo, inaugurated last June in Venice during the 2025 Biennale. Casa Sanlorenzo captures everything that makes this brand so special. A space that refl ects the soul of Sanlorenzo—where art, architecture, innovation, and craftsmanship meet. With the opening of its Casa in Venice, Sanlorenzo pivots from producing exquisite vessels to becoming a vessel itself, one that carries culture, ideas, and transformation.

Monaco’s own cultural ambitions embody all this, in its promotion of fi ne art, design, and environmental dialogue, through the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and YCM’s events calendar.

Together, Monaco and Sanlorenzo uphold a vision of yachting that is not only elite but enlightened. As the yachting world grapples with its ecological impact, Sanlorenzo and Monaco are navigating boldly ahead. The shipyard’s investment in hydrogen fuel cell technology—developed in partnership with Siemens Energy and integrated into models like the 50Steel Aimax—signals a transformation in how power, luxury, and conscience can coexist.

Bluegame, Sanlorenzo’s trailblazing “exploration vessel” brand, has taken on the sea’s next frontier: the America’s Cup. Its hydrogen-powered chase boat BGH-HSV is not only competition-ready—it’s a message to the industry that performance and sustainability are not mutually exclusive.

Finland Nautor’s Swan, the last jewel joining the Sanlorenzo parure, embodies sustainability, performance, seaworthiness and unmatched design.

As Monaco’s twilight sky casts its fi rst glow over Port Hercules this September over the Monaco Yacht Show, the partnership between the Principality and Sanlorenzo stands not just as a testament to heritage, but as a compass pointing toward the future. In the words of Sanlorenzo’s Executive Chairman Massimo Perotti: “Luxury and sustainability…without compromise.”

His vision, grounded in innovation—whether green methanol fuel cells or the hydrogen-hybrid BGH-HSV—fi nds its perfect echo in Monaco, where the Yacht Club’s General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri reminds us: “We want to build the future…the yachting industry cannot evolve if it does not incorporate the sustainable development concept into all its initiatives.”

In Monaco, the Yacht Club leads internationally through the SEA Index® and the Advanced Yachting program—a holistic framework aligning sport, technology, and environmental science. Together, these two institutions are not just yachting protagonists, they are shaping the future of responsible luxury.

At its helm, H.S.H. Prince Albert continues steering Monaco’s embrace of advanced sustainable yachting, where innovations such as zero-carbon marinas and youth engagement are not afterthoughts but priorities.

Monaco and Sanlorenzo are shaping a new yachting ethos, one in which elegance honors its origins, innovation safeguards the sea, and each voyage carries the promise of a more conscious and beautiful tomorrow.

As we celebrate this union during the forthcoming Monaco Boat Show in July, the legacy they’ve created is no longer just history—it’s a living manifesto for yachting’s next horizon.

Perhaps the most enduring connection between Monaco and Sanlorenzo is the quiet reverence both hold for continuity. Yachts, in this world, are more than vessels. They are family heirlooms, fl oating homes where children grow up with the sea in their veins. They are passed from generation to generation—not just as assets, but as expressions of identity.

Likewise, the Yacht Club de Monaco is a cradle of heritage. It nurtures young sailors, celebrates maritime history, and welcomes future stewards of the oceans. Sanlorenzo, with its bespoke builds and artisan mindset, mirrors this ethos in every rivet and every silhouette.

Together, Monaco and Sanlorenzo tell a story not only of past and present, but of enduring beauty—of a life lived fully, elegantly, and always on the water.

Ferruccio Rossi is CEO of Sanlorenzo MED.

By Ferruccio Rossi

Yachting & Boating Editor

Ferruccio Rossi is the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the newly established Sanlorenzo Monaco Group, where he leads the company's commercial development across Monaco, France, and Spain. Based in the Principality of Monaco, Rossi oversees operations through Sanlorenzo Monaco SAM, Sanlorenzo Côte d'Azur SAS, and Sanlorenzo Baleari SL, with offices located in Monaco, Cannes, and Palma. In addition to his role at Sanlorenzo, Ferruccio Rossi is a contributing writer and editor for Yachting and Boating for The Monegasque, where he shares his extensive expertise in the yachting industry.