PARDO BELLISSIMO
The Italian boatyard, Cantiere del Pardo, has been building luxury Grande Soleil sailing yachts near Bologna, Italy, since 1973. But as Pardo’s Business Development Manager Rok Babarovic told me when we spoke on the phone as he drove along the Adriatic Coast to work, in the last decade, things have changed. Sailing and yacht building had hit the doldrums, and the company went searching for new horizons.
“People are now so time-poor, and sailing is a big commitment in both preparation and time on the water,” Rok told me. “After the production of over 4500 top-shelf yachts, we had to change the way we were doing things.”
The company recognised the growing trend in dayboats and realised they needed to produce a boat that could bring instant joy. Wally Yachts was getting traction with their new models, and many rigid inflatable brands were gaining converts as dayboats, but with a history of top-shelf boats, Cantiere del Pardo needed to offer something unique. Something luxurious, chic, and different.
By 2016 Pardo had teamed up with innovative marine architects at Zuccheri Yacht Design for a range of powerboats. When the drawings of the Pardo 43 were
