Brunello Acampora Of Victory Design On The Essence Of Italian Yacht

By Robert Steadman, victory.it | solarispower.com

Yacht Designer Brunello Acampora is famous for his sleek designs, effective execution and sea kindly hull forms. The designer of the Solaris Power range of motor yachts, amongst his many other commissions, he has been involved with Solaris Power from almost the start.

Brunello speaks a fast staccato of European English, the inflexion in his voice emphasises his points. Good boats he rattles, are efficient, safe and dry. Good looks follow form so yes, they look good too. Not a fan of design stylists, yacht design for him is an art as well as a science; his view is that the engineers who crunch the numbers like him create the magic that is good yacht design. Italians are famous for their design, and the most famous of them all – Leonardo da Vinci was a scientist and an engineer – and certainly not a stylist!

Today, buyers of new yachts are more focused on the performance delivered on the water than ever before. Brunello’s view is that with good design this is a given and that it goes along with a really good-looking boat that turns heads, with good residual value and one that works reliably. He believes that compromising these important areas on the grounds of cost saving is not cool and he would not design for an organisation that suggests this. Efficiency is one thing, cutting corners quite another, as the clients trust both designer and builder to get it right.

IPS (integrated propulsion system) was pioneered by Volvo Penta and Brunello was a very early adopter. The first hull was designed with conventional shaft drive and the second for IPS. He was then able to compare performance on both boats and believes that the fully integrated technology wins in terms of reliability, and aftersales service, by having one system rather than different suppliers for different parts of the drive train. There are huge benefits in terms of the time that the installation takes. The design has been refined and works well, although for him personally the ultimate drive are high tech advanced surface piercing propellers. Taking out weight, complexity and labour for fitting all add to a successful end result.

NEW 60ʼ OPEN

Solaris Power commissioned Brunello first on the 57ʼ and then the 48ʼ. From there his Victory Design took the drawing and input from Norberto Ferretti who worked with Solaris Power to develop the first of their powerboats. Every Solaris Power in production today has the Victory Design label on her and they have remained true to the distinctive Solaris styling as well as marine engineering and design. These in combination provide good residual values. He regards it as Victory’s job to build the marketing identity of the brand which provides that unique Solaris Power look that clients immediately recognise. The 60 is the latest Solaris Power to join the fleet, and a number have already been sold off the drawing board. Trials were textbook perfect with an effortless 40 knot speed run which is a good result for a 60-footer.

DOLPHIN 51ʼ

Brunello takes his role as what he calls – Fresh Air – very seriously. In a market where builders quickly assemble in-house design teams, he sees it as key that he provides the fresh air to new design because he is working in the general marketplace, seeing new ideas and ways of doing things. It is easy for an in-house team to stick to what has always worked well and to mistake repetition for brand look and feel. By challenging this approach, designs evolve and take advantage of the new technologies and design ideas that are available.

PROCIDA ISLAND, ITALY

Today, fuel efficiency and different ways of powering yachts is an important part of yacht design’s direction of travel. Many of these new ideas can be trumped by good hull design that provides an efficient hull form that is lightweight and strong. The benefits of reduced consumption can often be most significant by creating a very easily driven hull form, producing minimal wake, which of course should also be strong and safe in a seaway.

Asked what he loves most about his work, Brunello talks about the box – or rather being outside it. Bringing new ideas to yacht design which opens the way for others to follow and develop also. And of course, his least favourite jobs are centred around PR, networking and all those events at which it is essential for an international yacht designer to be seen at and to participate in – seminars, talks and boat shows. Brunello just wants to design boats – that’s it. The market for him is booming again and so he is busy in his studio and looking carefully outside the box!

A favourite project for him is the Dolphin 51ʼ, designed for Mochi Craft. These fantastic looking lobster boats have astonishing residual values, which Brunello likes as he regards the delivery of a design that will keep on giving, an essential part of what a good yacht designer does. This boat exemplifies all that is best about Italian design – the Leonardo da Vinci effect if you will. Aesthetics married to technical values. The design idea came from America – think Cadillac Eldorado, Chris Craft, American movies – but with a sprinkling of Italian style.

No chat to Brunello would be complete without mention of Acampora Perfume – founded by his father – a business that combines emotion, good preparation and delivering on what people want. A bit like yacht design, some clients will focus on the bottle, and the packaging. But at Acampora they create moods – there is a mood board for every scent that is released. Of course, Brunello does the same for every yacht!

NEW 60ʼ OPEN

The team at Victory are solid. Massimo Bruni has been in the business for over 30 years, he is also a partner. Others come and stay. The business has been operating for 38 years without a break!

Things are moving quickly in technology – 3D modelling replacing sketching of which Brunello is still a fan. Computational Fluid dynamics have all but replaced tank testing, and AI provides cognitive algorithms and can hugely aid and speed the design process. Animation for example, provides a dynamic picture of the design before build begins. The march of digital technology is definitely, in Brunello’s view, the most important step forward that we will see in yacht design in the next few years.

In his spare time, Brunello spends time with his daughters enjoying the window that they open with him to a new generation. Then there is the house in Procida – a small Italian island with a colourful fishermen’s village. Here boating is on both a small gozzo, which is over 100 years old with a small diesel engine and a sail, and a Boston Whaler.

Chat completed, Brunello rings off and resumes his worklist of yacht design, providing fresh air, and finding ideas that don’t fit in the box.

Read Another Article
Download The Berthon Book 2024-2025 XX (28.2MB)