The House of Yachting says “welcome home.” For its 26th Yachtmaster, Azimut|Benetti offered captains a carnival atmosphere at the place where it all started — and where it continues today.
Viareggio hosts one of Italy’s most famous carnivals. Every year in the festive run-up to Lent’s sobriety, the seaside Tuscan town takes to the streets for parties and parades anchored by massive, mechanical papier-mâché floats. Several stories tall and intricately complicated, they tell stories inspired by everything from legend and fairytale to current events. Part engineering feat and part artistic marvel, they only do what they do because of the people who work them. Some work behind the scenes, pulling levers and guiding the works, while others face the public, putting on a show.
Not entirely dissimilar to how a yacht works, actually. An appropriate time, then, for the world’s most prolific yacht builder to welcome captains onto its home turf.
Azimut|Benetti has been hosting Yachtmasters since 2000. Past years have seen events on either side of the Atlantic; 2025 Yachtmasters were held in Miami and Marrakesh. This year, however, the company that bills itself as The House of Yachting decided to open up the house itself, hosting the event at and around its shipyards in Viareggio and nearby Livorno. More than 200 captains and other yachting professionals gathered for the event, which focused heavily on the ways the venerable company is modernizing and addressing the needs of captains and crew.
Company leaders were keen to tout the debut of the Azimut|Benetti Service Division, which they introduced on the second day of Yachtmaster. Launched in January, the platform aims to address yachting’s evolving needs by offering integrated solutions designed to simplify yacht management, enhance the ownership experience and help captains through the division’s three strategic pillars: technical services, fleet operation and the lifestyle and turnkey ecosystem.
Attendees heard how the service division provides personalized maintenance plans, warranty extensions and global assistance at fixed costs. It also incorporates a digital IoT platform to optimize yacht performance and lifespan. Additionally, the Crew Academy program enhances crew expertise while offering crew the opportunity to hone new skills. The Yachtique atelier offers bespoke interior design solutions tailored to owners’ preferences.
Benetti also unveiled the Benetti Service Net project, a global assistance network comprising 16 Service Points in yachting regions, managed by certified partners and coordinated by the shipyard.
A theme that ran through the days was the diversity of skills on offer under the Azimut|Benetti umbrella. Captains want to work with Azimut|Benetti and its refit division, Lusben, in Viareggio and Livorno because they can supply all these specialized skills in one place and under one name, says Ferdinando Pilli, Lusben general manager.
“This world,” he says, “is still an artisan world.”
In an ideal situation, Pilli says, they work with the captain from the beginning of the project all the way through.
“He’s the one that understands the boat,” Pilli says. “He has the feeling for the boat.”
The event also emphasized the modernization of infrastructure, onboard technology, preventive maintenance and turnkey services. Benetti showcased the results of a process initiated after the 2025 Yachtmaster; feedback tools such as the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and the Perspective from the Bridge project informed the company’s efforts to optimize operating standards and strengthen trust with captains and owners.
Structural improvements at the shipyards, including advanced electronic panels and automated turnstiles, were also highlighted.
“Ongoing dialogue with owners, captains and crews is a strategic lever for excellence in the production and servicing of our yachts,” Benetti general manager Massimiliano Casoni told attendees. “These activities have strengthened trust with our stakeholders, translating into tangible actions across the supply chain and fostering long-term relationships.”
The Yachtmaster’s industry-specific events took place in Azimut|Benetti’s main headquarters and shipyard in Livorno, where one of its construction sheds was converted into a comfortable — and, in the Italian style, well-catered — convention hall. When the work was finished, captains adjourned to Viareggio for relaxation and team-building exercises including a carnevale-themed scavenger hunt, followed by VIP seating for that evening’s parade.
For once, the captains got to sit back and watch someone else run the big, beautiful machine.