Yacht Investor – 19 June 2018

Blueprints

Blueprints Yacht Design Profiles New Concepts

Jacopo, let’s start with this announcement. Can you

tell us what it is?

A standard “no comment” would be the way to

go! But leaving joking aside, I do not want to spoil

the surprise and I will limit my answer to saying that

the announcement regards the logical evolution of

the Arrow460 platform. We are developing two new

versions, specifically on the “chassis” or, if you’d rather,

the hull of the Arrow460. It involves a great deal of

development work and naturally Mercedes-Benz

Style is involved, so that we will continue with that

magical “fil rouge” which takes us from land to sea and

vice-versa.

I noticed that there is a lot of curiosity and interest

around this project, the most basic question being:

How would you describe this project between Silver

Arrows Marine and Mercedes-Benz?

It is a special project, which has resulted in a very

unique product and which showcases an innovative

way of business. Fortunately, or unfortunately, when

you are the first to launch something new, you have

to work harder than others and prove yourself, but

this has not frightened us and we will continue with

the same strategy which we have coded, “born to

challenge convention.”

So how do you translate, and how would you

describe, achieving “challenge convention”?

Personally, I was immediately intrigued by this

unique idea. On the one side there was Mercedes-

Benz Style wanting to express its idea of mobility yet

on the other there was no actual partner or established

brand. When I understood it, I jumped in to this very

ambitious project because it meant to be measured

in a new dimension. It embraced a new concept for

everything from development, product innovation,

technology and the approach to sales.

When the founders of the project started working

on the idea, well before our official debut in 2012,

they faced several questions that were resolved in a

relatively short time. Having a very open vision that

did not follow standard ways of operation, it became

quite evident that it was not possible to find an already

established partner. It turned out that the only logical

solution was to create a stand-alone structure to

develop the project. The new company was founded

and this is what has made the difference. Along with

the opening of the company, a dedicated team was

selected, and the vision was implemented. Over

these years we developed a network of suppliers to

support production, a commercial network to sustain

the expansion of the company and the evolution of

the products in an innovative way. Our customer

service is aimed at having a one-to-one relationship

with bespoke Experience activities that are shared

with Mercedes-Benz and its car customers.

So let’s talk about the product.

Needless to say, it is neither so easy nor obvious

to be innovative in the nautical world. In recent years

we have seen how the 12-20 meter segment of the

motor yacht market was influenced by a fashion style,

brilliantly created by a brand that bears the letter “W”.

The briefing we created was clear, as far as the

product is concerned: do not copy anyone, create

a new style, and, if possible, create a new market

segment. This is what we believed in and we achieved

it with the Arrow460-Granturismo.

As it’s done in the automotive industry for a new

car model, we looked at the market and created a boat

starting from an analysis of assumptions made from

marketing, style and technology stand points. We

did not take the standard boating industry approach

where the construction is dictated and influenced

by the wishes of the owner, who may have positive

ideas, but always on a personal level, and never with

a holistic approach.

To summarise our approach, let me give you two

quotes. Gorden Wagener, Chief Designer Officer

Daimler AG, said: The ‘Silver Arrow of the Seas’

embodies Mercedes-Benz’s progressive, dynamic

design idiom of sensual purity on the water and weds

it to perfect functionality. ARROW460-Granturismo

is sure to cause a stir on the seas and at marinas

throughout the world.”

YI28_pp72-75 Silver Arrows_v3 NB.indd 74 08/06/2018 21:37