Giacomo Giulietti, PressMare.it - Italia Yachts presented the new 12.98 in Cannes, a project that in its 'Bellissima'
version speaks the language of cruisers while also winning regattas in the "Fuoriserie" version, even around the buoys.
Daniele De Tullio,CEO, reveals its genesis.

Daniele De Tullio CEO Italia Yachts - The 12.98 unlike the 11 and 14 has a real 50/50 target, so it's 50% racing
oriented and 50% cruising oriented. In addition, it is a dimension, a size, which lends itself very well to having a dualuse boat. Unlike a larger boat which is perhaps meant more for cruising and a smaller boat which takes up more space
for racing, and many owners have a large boat for cruising. So it is an uncompromising boat like all of our boats, but
actually designed to race in class B, in ORC and IRC and for a family cruise of 4.

G.G. - How interested is the average owner in performance? Your average owner.

D.D.T - If for performance we don't just consider the absolute speed of the boat, which is an important element but
not the only one, I would say 99% of our owners. There's hardly an owner who approaches us and is disinterested in
the qualities that the boat develops when sailing. So I would say almost everyone, and if one isn't at first it's the
second question he asks us. Performance is not only speed but also quality when the boat is sailing. But that's a result
of all the work and all the guiding lines that Italia Yachts carries in its DNA.

G.G. - We asked Maurizio Cossutti, the naval architect who took care of the water lines, to explain how you can design
a boat that's comfortable, but also fast. Both given as key features of the 12.98.

Maurizio Cossutti, Naval Architect - We have set ourselves an ambitious yet achievable goal, the hull has been
designed to be functional in a range of displacements, so from 8700 (t) to 9200 (t). It's not that the "Bellissima"
version of the boat sinks and becomes, as they say, a 'mud-digger', it maintains its Italia Yachts DNA. So it was a great
effort on everyone's part at the design level and, we made it work. Takea few centimeters from here, give something
over there, I'd sacrifice something, and so did those finishing the interiors. So the result in my opinion, and I am clearly
biased, is definitely positive and interesting.

G.G. - Mirco Arbore, on the other hand, applied his architectural flair by playing with lights and materials to stylize the
interiors.

Mirco Arbore, Interior Designer - To make the interiors of an Italia Yachts work, for sure you must always compete
with the idea of fitting something elegant and comfortable into a very sporty environment. In this boat, unlike others,
we used much more technological materials, like for the bulkheads. We have also made an upgrade here with these
shutters that we see behind us. They are adjustable and also slide, for easy cleaning and to always create a different
lighting in this environment, which iis always surrounded by light. While most sailboats usually have little filtering
external light.

In general, very few elements are put on boats, at least color-wise, because that's easy. We took the harder route,
with the fabrics, the wood for cabinetry, shutters, and floor or for the bulkheads are all very different.

G.G. e - So, we'll just need to try it out!