KARIN PAGGI: WORKING WITH EMOTION

We’ve heard lots of good news from the Custom Line shipyard recently – and some awards, too?

Indeed, two weeks ago, our Navetta 33 named Telli received the World Superyachts Award, winning best tri-deck, semi-displacement yacht. Also, in January, she won the Boat International award for design and innovation for best interior (up to 399 GT).

Positive news indeed.

It is, but we won’t rest on our laurels and besides the awards, we are ready to share some equally important news, as the shipyard is in full swing, working on the fourth Navetta 33.

A repeat owner?

Yes, a customer from the US for whom we built a luxurious Custom Line 120 at the end of last year. It was designed in collaboration with Francesco Paszkowski. Together we developed a novelty – the smallest yacht from the planing series, the Custom Line 106.

The American market is obviously important for you, but how is the rest of the world doing for Custom Line?

The States were and remain a strong market for us, as well as Europe. Of the developing markets, I would say Latin America, especially Mexico are doing well. There are already quite a lot of boats in Asia, and we hope that their number will grow with the work of the Hong Kong Custom Line office. I have been watching the Asian market for a long time, and I can say that people definitely prefer large boats here. The Russian market is gradually reviving after several years of silence, too.

How would you describe the typical Custom Line client?

There’s no such thing as a typical Custom Line client! Our planing and semi-displacement lines tend to differ when it comes to their owners as they are yachts that oppose each other in philosophy. Our clients are mostly men, from 30 up to 80 years old and most are private businessmen.

Is it an obvious age split for the planing lines?

You would think the younger guys would be interested in speed, but it is fact the older owners who only want the planing hulls. The younger Custom Line owners prefer to rest on their yachts. Owners like to be private, stay away from glamorous lifestyles and respect family values. Custom Lines are some of the most capacious semi-custom yachts on the market, and such models are usually chosen by those who need to spend time on the water with close people.

Can you tell us how you convince someone that they need a yacht?

I cannot disclose all my professional secrets! But I will tell you that in my work the main thing is emotion. To begin, I work with happy and positive emotions. Then, further into the process, such tools as inviting a potential owner to the shipyard, so they can see how our boats are created are valuable. Since most of our customers do not live in Europe, we conduct events around the world where we demonstrate our yachts. I try to organise as many private shows and private parties as possible, where in an informal atmosphere, with good live music, you can explore the entire Custom Line family.

Closed events are the style of Ferretti. Do you think that it is a plus to be a part the group?

Certainly it’s a plus. I can judge this by the number of clients who have come to us on Custom Line who grew up with the Ferretti brands.