Cantiere delle Marche: governance, quality and value. Interview with CEO Buonpensiere

Founded in Ancona in 2010, Cantiere delle Marche built its identity around steel and aluminium explorer yachts, becoming a global benchmark in this segment. In 2024 alone, the yard sold twelve units — an outstanding achievement.

Today, following the recent entry of CLP2, which acquired 72% of the shares (partly from former majority shareholder Tom Schröder, owner of FIL Bros Family Office, who retains a 20% stake), the company confirms its solid governance, robust order book and a strategy focused on quality, process control and value positioning.

We discussed these developments with Vasco Buonpensiere, CEO of Cantiere delle Marche (CDM).

PressMare – Vasco Buonpensiere, let’s start from the recent Cannes and Monaco yacht shows, two key annual events for the large yacht sector. What impressions did they leave, and what impact did they have on Cantiere delle Marche?

Vasco Buonpensiere – For us, Cannes and Monaco meant far more than just two exhibitions. At Cannes, we achieved tangible commercial results, confirming our market strength and the growing recognition of CDM’s philosophy: building steel and aluminium explorer yachts of absolute quality, where technical content and solidity matter more than appearance.

Monaco, instead, marked a turning point. Although we have been exhibiting at the MYS for years, this edition felt like an official entry into the global yachting elite. The atmosphere, the level of visitors, and the quality of contacts at Monaco 2025 gave us a clear perception of who we are today. The phrase I heard most often from clients and professionals was: “You are a small Feadship, a small Lürssen.” Not in size, but in approach, consistency, and meticulous attention to detail. Recognition like this, coming from people used to dealing with the top players, is extremely valuable.

PM – After such recognition, there’s always the risk of getting carried away. How do you manage that kind of euphoria?

VB – In this business, euphoria doesn’t last long. Brokers who only sell yachts can enjoy the moment, but for those who build them, every contract means three years of complex work requiring consistent quality, timing, and technical reliability. In 2024 we signed twelve contracts — an extraordinary result for our scale. But the real challenge is not growth in numbers; it’s maintaining balance, clarity, and the ability to deliver flawless yachts, one after another, without compromise.

PM – The entry of CLP2, the holding company of Giovanni Cagnoli and the Loro Piana family (through Carisma), represents a major governance evolution. What is the significance of this operation?

VB – Its value is strategic and cultural, not financial. CDM didn’t need capital — our financial position is solid, and our order book ensures long-term visibility. The entry of new shareholders was aimed at aligning visions. These are entrepreneurs who share our idea of luxury: discreet, authentic, never ostentatious. It’s a natural meeting between like-minded worlds. A new Board of Directors will soon be established, including CLP2 representatives and one director from FIL Bros, the previous majority shareholder. The operational management remains unchanged: Ennio Cecchini as Chairman, Gianluca Ciniero as COO, Gianfranco Caltabiano as CFO, and myself as CEO. This continuity was essential.

At the same time, we’re introducing a new division focused on process industrialisation, with the goal of improving production efficiency without sliding toward serial manufacturing. Think of it as process optimisation: nothing in our yard is industrial. Our DNA remains rooted in top-level custom building, and industrialisation serves to support craftsmanship, not standardise it.

PM – So the goal isn’t to increase volumes?

VB – Exactly. Our growth is based on value, not quantity. We might add one more yacht per year, but no more than that.

The priority is to improve margins and profitability, strengthening a reputation that today positions us as a global reference in the explorer segment. The goal is to do better, not more.

PM – CDM has become a case study for what’s often referred to as “quiet luxury,” a term frequently overused. What does it mean to you in practice?

VB – Quiet luxury is a subtle language — luxury that only those who understand it can recognise. It’s not about appearance but substance. In our explorers, elegance is never ostentatious: it shows in material coherence, craftsmanship quality, technical reliability, and the silent comfort of navigation. It’s a form of luxury that doesn’t seek attention but is immediately recognisable to those who experience it.

Our design philosophy follows the same principle: no excess, no apartments disguised as yachts, but interiors designed for the sea — functional, refined, and filled with details that reflect skill and culture. It’s the same language shared by our partners and clients, who have no need for show-offs.

PM – The product is evolving as well: onboard wellness, larger tenders, “four-season” yachts.

VB – Exactly. Requests evolve, and we evolve with them. New owners ask for dedicated wellness areas — gyms, yoga spaces, relaxation zones — and increasingly large tenders, often proper 40-foot chase boats with independent crew, capable of following the explorer anywhere.

This has driven the development of models like the Flexplorer, with a large lazarette and capacity to carry sizeable toys and tenders, typical of much larger yachts. We are also working on solutions to make our yachts liveable in all seasons: heated exterior surfaces, radiant walkways, modular enclosures. Today, the explorer is a lifestyle platform, not just a cruising yacht.

PM – Where are your strongest markets now, and how is demand for explorer yachts evolving?

VB – The United States, the United Kingdom, and Central America — especially Mexico — are currently our most dynamic markets. In these regions, the explorer yacht culture is mature: yachts as vessels of autonomy and substance, expressing a refined form of luxury linked to experience rather than ostentation.

The Middle East is developing as a destination, but local taste still favours more aggressive or spectacular designs — not our core business. In the Far East, the market for metal explorers is still limited; it requires a degree of maturity that is slowly developing.

Globally, we’re observing growing interest in dedicated chase boats, wellness decks, and four-season modularity, with heated decks and flexible enclosures.

It’s clear that long-range cruising is becoming an increasingly residential experience, where the sea is not just crossed but lived.

PM – During the visit on board RJ, the 155-footer you displayed at the Monaco Yacht Show 2025 — one of the best-crafted yachts we’ve seen this year — you spoke about “smart rigidity” in project management. What does that mean?

VB – It’s about balance. Italian shipyards are known for flexibility, but superyacht construction requires method.

We welcome owners’ customisations, but within precise rules: each variation is assessed for timing, costs, and technical impact. There are no shortcuts — but there is listening and the ability to find solutions.

This structured flexibility distinguishes us from Northern European yards, often more rigid, and from others who promise everything without considering the consequences.

PM – On sustainability, CDM has always taken a pragmatic approach, far from greenwashing.

VB – Yes, sustainability for us is not a slogan but a set of concrete choices. We’ve built yachts featuring advanced onboard energy management systems, electromagnetic shielding, and traceable materials labelled for recycled and recyclable content. Hybrid propulsion is a possible — though costly — path. The most immediate solution is the use of alternative fuels such as HVO, already available and compatible with current engines and generators.

It’s a real option, but what’s missing is a proper distribution network to supply yachting. You can find biofuel at car fuel stations, but refuelling a yacht still remains a challenge.

PM – CDM was born and grew in the Marche region, an industrial but less visible territory compared to other nautical hubs. How important is the local supply chain?

VB – It’s crucial. Here we have a high-level industrial and artisanal network — a real competitive advantage. We work with local companies that also supply international shipyards, and there’s widespread pride in doing things well. The regional association works effectively, connecting businesses, institutions, and universities, helping consolidate a shared identity. I often say that those who grow up here are like second-born children: they must earn every step through quality. It’s a different way of emerging — less celebrated, but more authentic.

PM – Finally, looking ahead: where will CDM be in 2030?

VB – In the same segment, but at an even higher level. Our niche is high-quality explorer yachts, and we have no intention of leaving it.

Our current backlog covers four years of production, with deliveries scheduled through 2029 and a newly signed 50-metre / 499 GT project for an existing client. Growth will be qualitative, not quantitative: stronger processes, full control, balanced margins. The goal is to build better yachts, not more, while preserving the culture of quality that brought us here.

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