Yacht Style – July 2019

J

ust as the words ‘Bond movie’ call to mind something more

than a feature film, the words ‘Staluppi Benetti’ call to mind

something more than a motor yacht.

Since the mid-1980s, John Staluppi has commissioned

and owned a series of spectacular superyachts named after Bond

movies, most recently the 69m Spectre, the American’s third

Benetti.

At May’s World Superyacht Awards in London, Staluppi and his

wife Jeanette joined Benetti hierarchy on stage as Spectre won the

‘Displacement Motor Yachts 500-1,999GT’ category, even though

the American had already sold the yacht by then.

The five-deck masterpiece was the latest commission by

Staluppi, who appears to love buying, building and selling yachts

as much as owning them, and has reportedly owned at least 20

boats of various sizes.

A former mechanic and gas-station attendant, Staluppi owns

one of the largest car dealerships in the USA, having introduced

The stunning sundeck / bridge deck includes a comfortable lounge area, an aft-facing bar (also pictured bottom left) and a rectangular spa pool

The bar on the sundeck; Jeanette and John Staluppi (fifth right) at the World Superyacht Awards,

with Azimut-Benetti President Paolo Vitelli (third left) and Benetti CEO Franci Fusignani (third right)

the likes of Honda and Hyundai to the US market. His love for and

knowledge of engines is sincere and a driving force behind his life

and lifestyle. And his mechanic’s hands-on approach to yachting

has produced some real wonders.

Staluppi considers yachts as “cars with propellers instead of

wheels” and his first yacht commissions were driven by a need for

speed. The 36m For Your Eyes Only was launched in 1985 and had

both MTU engines and water jets for a top speed of 30 knots.

In 1988, the 44m Octopussy, Staluppi’s first collaboration with

Dutch naval architect Mulder Design, was his successful bid to

build the world’s fastest yacht.

News of Staluppi’s yachts reached the ears of another larger-

than-life yachtsman, the Aga Khan, who wanted to build a yacht

that could best Octopussy’s 53-knot top speed. A personal duel

ensued, with Staluppi rushing to commission Moonraker then The

World Is Not Enough, a yacht that could reach 70 knots.

Gadgets are just part of the Bond mystique that also sees luxurious

REVIEW Benetti Spectre