Today at Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard there was the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the “Destriero”, the fastest motor yacht in the world which crossed the Atlantic in 1992 setting a record which still remains unbeaten.  

The monohull, built in 1991 in less than a year by Fincantieri, sailed 3,106 nautical miles without refueling, from  Ambrose Light, New York to Bishop Rock lightship on the Scilly  Isles, England, in 58 hours at an average speed of  53 knots (reaching  peaks of  70), and won once more the Blue Riband which in 1933 had been awarded to the legendary transatlantic liner, the Rex.

Present at the event were Corrado Antonini, Chairman of  Fincantieri, Cesare Fiorio, head of the Destriero Challenge program  and Aldo Benedetti, second-in-command of  the Destriero.

Built at the shipyards of  Muggiano and Riva Trigoso, the Destriero was the largest ship in light alloy ever to be constructed and one of the vessels with the highest  concentration of  efficiency, power and technology. At 67 metres long with a beam of  13 metres and 60,000 HP, the yacht could reach average speeds of over  60 knots. Record figures, the pride of Italy, a result based on a wealth of  experience in the construction  of  ships gained by Fincantieri in the course of over two centuries. The Destriero marked for Fincantieri the beginning of the production of  a new generation of  high speed vessels with consequent benefits for commercial development.

The challenge of  the Destriero started with the aim to break the record for crossing the Atlantic, for which the Blue Riband has been awarded since 1838. Later, in 1935 winners of the Blue Riband were also awarded the Hales Trophy, following a proposal from a British MP, Harold Hales. The competition regulations allow merchant vessels to participate provided that,  during an in Atlantic crossing, from East to West, they meet certain requirements: to have mail on board, paying passengers and a professional crew. The Destriero follows in the wake of this tradition; her challenge to the Atlantic starts from a passion for naval technology, from Ismaili Prince Karim Aga Khan, who sponsored the initiative, supported by leading testimonials of Italian industry and culture of the time, from the Fiat of  Gianni Agnelli,  to the IRI of  Franco Nobili and other numerous sponsors.