Attitude 175

An Italian superyacht spin on an American Down East-style workboat.

The yacht design world is more active than ever with concepts that stir imaginations, but that likely will never part a wave. On a trip through Italy’s boatbuilding regions this past summer, we did notice one that might have potential. It caught our eyes and stole our hearts at Rossinavi in Viareggio.

Since the introduction of Hinckley’s 36-foot Picnic Boat in 1994, Americans have developed an enduring love affair with the Down East-style motoryacht. Long before the Picnic Boat, however, aficionados appreciated the styling and hardiness of the classic workboats that ply the coastlines of Maine and the Canadian Maritimes in search of the venerable table fare known in Latin as Homarus americanus— the cold-water lobster. Enter Rossinavi. Rossinavi has gained steam as an innovative builder of stylish yachts. The hallways and meeting rooms of the company’s offices are lined with models of mold-breakers, some of which have been delivered and some in-build. The one that caught our attention is a showstopper.

Designed by architect Carlo Colombo (his first yacht) to appeal to the American market, Attitude, as the concept is known, takes styling cues from the broad pool of Down East vessels that have grown from the Picnic Boat. Most notably, the yacht’s profile has a pronounced structural element that covers the sundeck and supports the mast and electronics domes, then trails down to the waterline with a sharp swoop forward. While thoroughly contemporary, the design clearly evokes the DNA of the classic Down East yacht. Rather than feeling cheesy, as such a thing could, it works in spades.

While Attitude is still a concept, Colombo and Rossinavi have endowed the 175-footer (53-meter) with extensive, expansive glazing and the amenities of a luxury villa. The yacht’s main deck aft is open for maximum connection with the elements. The builder suggests that if an owner wanted it, he could even have a proper fighting chair installed back there. Arrabito Naval Architects penned the concept’s fast-displacement hull.

This sexy superyacht may never hit the water—or haul a lobster pot—but it sure would look great anchored off just about anywhere.