
Italia Yachts IY Veloce Outboard: Don’t Let Its Beauty Distract You
I finally had the chance! I’d been wanting to test a walkaround like the IY Veloce in something other than brochure-friendly conditions.
You know, the kind with flat water, golden sunshine over the rolling hills of Le Marche (we were in Fano for the test, right where the Italia Yachts shipyard is based), and maybe a stunning bikini-clad model in the background—because, they say, that always enhances a boat photo.
No, I wanted to test it in conditions where most boaters wouldn’t even consider heading out.
As the singer songwriter artist Jannacci used to say, I wanted to "see what happens" when you push a boat a little harder—especially a boat that, in the 21st-century yachting industry, is typically designed for owners who stay in port when the weather turns.
And to be honest, if I were just a leisure boater (to stick with the musical references), I don’t know if I would have gone out either.
Grey skies above, green water below, 1.5-meter waves, 20 knots of Levante wind, and an air temperature of 9°C (which felt like much less).
And all of this to take out an open boat. Yes, with a hardtop, but still an open boat. A very open boat.
Are you kidding me?!
And yet, I took the IY Veloce out, powered by three 400-horsepower Mercury outboards.
And I had an absolute blast.
Not because of the water spray we sent flying toward the photographer as we blasted past at 30 knots—though, admittedly, that was fun in a childish way. The only problem? The spray didn’t just drench the photographer and the RIB driver he was shooting from; it got everyone on board, myself included.
But let’s be clear: the IY Veloce is truly an open boat, and if you head out in these conditions thinking you’ll stay dry, you’re either clueless or... (insert your preferred term for someone a bit lacking in common sense).
I had fun because I got to helm a boat that was an absolute pleasure to drive—reactive, just as you’d expect from a weekender of this size with 1,200 horsepower on the transom.
A boat that, after three hours of cruising—always on the plane, with speeds well above 33 knots, two of those hours heading into the waves (partly for the photos, partly to return to port)—only slammed its hull hard against the water once. Just once!
And that happened while the helmsman was showing off, well beyond the conditions in which you'd normally cruise with guests who aren’t experienced seafarers or who you’d prefer not to subject to a stress test.
Throughout the entire ride, whenever a wave lifted the bow, instead of the stomach-churning drop where you brace for the inevitable SBAM! of the hull crashing back down, there was instead a soft, controlled descent.
The hull design by Skyron—who also worked on the exterior styling alongside the Italia Yachts Design Team—is a perfect example of how a boat can instill confidence and security in any condition.
Of course, Italia Yachts' sailing heritage is evident: structural integrity, construction quality, and optimized hull efficiency are at the heart of this project.
Daniele De Tullio and Massimo Franchini—respectively, the owner and driving force behind Italia Yachts, and the shipyard’s new consultant for its powerboat line (which won’t stop at just this model)—are both sailors at heart.
They know that when you’re out at sea, especially under sail with lower average speeds, you might sometimes find yourself in weather conditions you didn’t plan for—especially at the end of a vacation when you have a return date to meet.
That’s why their philosophy is simple: give you a boat that gets you home safely and without damage.
And maybe even make you enjoy conditions you never thought you’d handle with pleasure.
To be clear, "without damage" means no headliners peeling off after a hard landing, no cabinet doors swinging open and smashing against you (or breaking) because you don’t know where to hold on, no cockpit roofs vibrating and flexing to the point of stressing the structure and fiberglass, and—most importantly—no angry spouses and terrified kids.
Because if you traumatize them with a bad experience, they won’t just refuse to get back on board; they’ll make you sell the boat and remind you forever of "that time coming back from Corsica..."
Or Sardinia, Greece, Capri—it doesn’t matter. You’ll never live it down.
And beyond personal drama, this is also bad for the entire boatbuilding industry, myself included. That’s why I see it as a crucial issue.
So, those of us in the yachting world should be thanking and promoting builders who design boats that are both well-made and seaworthy.
Now, do you want to hear about the layout? The two cabins—one master and one twin—the spacious bathroom with a separate shower, the forward sunbathing area, the dinette-cocktail lounge, the midship galley, or the well-equipped helm station?
Do you want to know that the boat is infused-laminate construction and that the cockpit top—supported by two pillars and elegantly connected to the bow by curved profiles—is designed as a structural reinforcement that enhances the entire hull’s rigidity (much like the keel grid, chainplates, and rigging of an Italia Yachts sailing yacht)?
I could tell you, but honestly, a visit to the Italia Yachts website will give you all that information—and in even greater detail.
What I can say is that the Veloce has a strong personality and stands out in the crowded market of walkarounds this size.
Owning a boat like this says you have different tastes from the masses.
And the choice to forgo hull-side windows? That’s another distinctive feature.
Here, De Tullio doesn’t make it about aesthetics—though, in the end, it becomes one, as the spray rail-beauty line carving an “S” along the hull defines its profile and visually balances the generous bow volume, which benefits the interior spaces.
For him, it’s simple: if you build a monolithic structure like this, why would you compromise it by cutting holes for light?
Besides, you’re in the cabin at night, so… what light are we even talking about?
Another clever touch: the central helm seat’s inner section provides standing headroom for the aft cabin, making it comfortable enough to change clothes while standing.
So, if you’re drawn to the IY Veloce Outboard purely for its looks, that’s understandable—it’s reason enough to choose a boat like this.
But if you’re considering it because it makes even a rough day at sea feel enjoyable rather than an invitation to divorce court—then you’ve truly understood the real reason this boat was built.
Giacomo Giulietti
Technical Specifications – Italia Yachts IY Veloce Outboard
Overall length: 14.00 m
Hull length: 12.5 m
Beam: 4.15 m
Displacement (lightship): 10.50 t
Draft (outboard version): 1.25 m
Engine tested: Mercury Verado V10
Power: 3 x 400 hp
Berths: 4
Cabins: 2
Bathrooms: 1
Fuel tank: 1,250 L
Fresh water tank: 160 L
Max passenger capacity: 12
CE Category: B
Naval architecture: Skyron
Interior design: Arbore & Partners / Italia Yachts Design Team
Exterior design: Skyron / Italia Yachts Design Team
Builder: Italia Yachts
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