HE NEWEST TREND for express cruisers is based on a centuries-old Italian fishing boat. The traditional rounded stern and bow are immediately recognisable, and while the original style featured masts and sails, today's interpretations are more likely to have planing hulls and high-performance engines. But true aficionados are just as enamoured with the Rubenesque design and romantic history of the vessel as they are with as the ideal platform for a prized one-off rather than a cookie-cutter acquisition. “We spend a lot of time customising the boats—like a tailor-made suit,” says Giovanni Aprea, sales director of Apreamare, whose family has been in the business since 1849.
