There was a time when the success of a shipyard was measured almost exclusively at launch: how many new models, how many sales, how much innovation on display. That time has not disappeared, but it has gained a new dimension. The pre-owned market has become stronger, boats are staying in service for longer, and sustainability is no longer a slogan for brochures but a practical issue that owners and shipyards are addressing together.

It is in this context that Sessa Marine introduces Sessa Classic Division: not simply another after-sales service, but an integral part of its industrial strategy. Technical upgrades, restyling and refit work are nothing new to the boating industry. What changes here is the perspective. Rather than repairing or refreshing its boats only when necessary, Sessa Marine intends to follow each yacht throughout its entire service life, preserving its quality standards, design identity and, equally importantly, its market value.

To discuss this new initiative, we interviewed Matteo Re, Production Director at Sessa Marine.

PressMare – Matteo, first of all, how large is the Sessa fleet currently in service?

Matteo Re – Sessa Marine has 68 years of history and has built more than 20,000 boats, including around 8,000 from the highly successful Key Largo range. Many of these are still navigating today in every corner of the world. This represents an enormous technical and commercial heritage that the shipyard has decided should not be considered complete once the boat leaves the production facility.

Sessa Classic was created to give structure to this vision. The programme covers every aspect: interior refurbishment, onboard systems and electronics upgrades, engine refitting, renewal of finishes and the integration of the latest technologies.

PM – What is the process, the procedure and the list of inspections and work carried out on boats entering the Sessa Classic programme?

MR – Every operation follows procedures defined by the shipyard itself, balancing two equally important objectives: bringing the boat up to today’s standards of comfort and reliability without compromising its original character. Comparisons with other industries come naturally. Certified restoration programmes in the automotive and watchmaking sectors preserve the value of products long after they have gone out of production. Sessa Marine is adopting the same philosophy. Upon request, Sessa Classic work can be accompanied by a dedicated technical dossier and an official certificate documenting that all interventions have been performed in accordance with the programme’s procedures.

PM – The technical dossier, in particular, seems to be an interesting quality certification.

MR – It is a detail that becomes especially important in the pre-owned market. A boat with a documented and certified maintenance history is not only more transparent for a prospective buyer, it is also simply worth more. The relationship between traceable maintenance and residual value is becoming increasingly significant in boating, just as it has in other industries.

PM – There is also another issue that the industry can no longer afford to treat as secondary: sustainability.

MR – Sustainability is one of the principles guiding the development of our products. Our primary focus is naturally on the new boats currently in production. The new Key Largo 25, which we will unveil at the upcoming Genoa International Boat Show, incorporates solutions specifically designed to reduce environmental impact. This includes, for example, upholstery materials largely produced from recycled fabrics, but also our manufacturing process. We use resin infusion technology, which allows us to control precisely the amount of resin used during hull lamination, reducing waste while producing lighter structures. A lighter boat requires less power to achieve performance comparable to that of a conventionally laminated hull.

PM – Fewer horsepower means lower fuel consumption and lower emissions.

MR – Exactly. And when discussing sustainability, it is equally important to consider what happens during construction, not only when the boat is operating. Besides improving the efficiency of the lamination process, resin infusion virtually eliminates styrene emissions into the working environment during production. It is an aspect that often remains invisible but is extremely important because it significantly improves working conditions inside the shipyard while protecting the health of the people involved in production.

PM – With Sessa Classic Division, however, you are addressing environmental sustainability not only through new propulsion systems or alternative materials, but also from another direction that may be simpler and equally effective: extending the useful life of existing boats.

MR – Restoring an existing hull, updating it and keeping it efficient means consuming fewer raw materials, producing less waste and using less energy than building a replacement. Above all, it means extracting more value from what has already been built. This is particularly relevant for fibreglass hulls, a material that revolutionised recreational boating thanks to its lightness, durability and strength, but which still presents significant challenges when a boat reaches the end of its life. From this perspective, refitting is more than maintenance: it extends a boat’s lifespan and postpones—or even avoids—its disposal.

PM – When will the Sessa Classic programme officially begin?

MR – In reality, the programme is already underway. Sessa Marine has been providing this type of service for many years to owners who have approached the shipyard for work on their boats. Until now, however, it was an activity that remained largely behind the scenes. We wanted to give it a clear identity and dedicate a specialised team to it. This is not simply another commercial offering. Sessa Classic is now a strategic asset for the company. Dedicated service packages, standardised procedures and technical partners selected according to their expertise provide a structure designed to grow over time rather than remain a one-off announcement.

More than the launch of a new service, Sessa Classic Division represents, in our view, a change in the relationship between shipyard and owner. The boat is no longer regarded as a product destined to be replaced by the next model, but as an asset to be preserved, upgraded and enhanced throughout its lifetime. This is Sessa Marine’s vision of sustainability: build well, extend service life and continue to create value for every boat carrying its name.