The British Motor Yacht Show has long been a premier event for unveiling the latest in luxury motor yachting, and this year, it serves as the stage for Sebino Yachts to introduce the exquisite Bellini Astor 36 to the UK market. With a heritage steeped in Italian craftsmanship, innovation and passion, Bellini Yachts combines timeless elegance with cutting-edge design. The Astor 36 is the culmination of decades of expertise, offering discerning buyers a truly unique yachting experience, as we discover in this guest blog by Sebino’s Sophie Lanza.

Who Are Bellini?

There is such a story to tell. Entwined in the beautiful lines of the latest creation from Bellini Yacht lies a rich history and passion for boat building. A know-how developed across generations of experience of working on all kinds of boats, from mahogany through to fibre glass and modern composites. A story of family tragedy which sparked a change in direction for the brand, ultimately serving to only strengthen and inspire the latest creation, the Astor 36.

A Bellini Yacht is like no other craft, the Italian design, attention to detail and exquisite engineering come together to create a world-class yachting experience. If a beautifully designed and built yacht with sector-leading use of space is on your list, then look no further.

Inspiring La Dolce Vita Since 1960 – A Company Founded in History

The Bellini name is not new to the yacht building scene. In fact, Bellini Nautica was founded in 1960 as a shipyard producing its own design of beautiful Bellini motorboats from mahogany and ceder, under the watchful eye of its founder Battista Bellini. The roots of the stunning Astor 36, as revealed at Cannes Yachting Festival in September 2024, can be drawn all the way back to the original Astor model produced by the Bellini factory during the 1960s.

The first Bellini shipyard was established a short distance from where current Bellini Yacht production takes place, on the shores of Lake Iseo. The Italian lake has a rich heritage in boatbuilding, becoming the stage for some of the most famous industry names such as Arcangeli, Piantoni, Rio and Riva. Bellini enjoyed great success as a brand, producing around 700 boats from its factory in the small village of Clusane. The name was regularly seen at major international boat shows where iconic models such as Condor, Atlantic, Atlantic Super, Iseo, Iseo Super and Astor were all displayed. The original Astor of the 1960s perfectly embodies the values of the Bellini shipyard. At 6.65 metres in length and 2.17 metres in width, the model featured a Chris Craft 283 V8 engine producing a healthy 185 HP. The Astor was designed to offer high performance without compromising comfort, reaching a maximum speed of 72km/h.

The name Astor comes from Latin and means “hawk”. It was immediately clear that the first model of the reborn Bellini Yacht brand would inherit this nomenclature and adopt the original boat’s balance of high performance and comfort.

Creating, Curating & Crafting – The Years That Followed

Although production of new models at Bellini ceased in 1982 with the sad passing of the founder Battista Bellini, the skills and know-how accumulated over that time were put to good use by Battista’s son, Romano. At that time, the trend had moved away from wooden boats and towards fibreglass. Romano’s passion for the mahogany crafts built by his father and other boat yards around the lake, led to a new chapter for Bellini. Romano moved the business focus towards restoration and sales of these exquisite timber boats as well as storage and servicing. He also began to acquire a small private collection of examples from his neighbouring shipyard Riva and this inspirational collection is now 23 boats strong and available to view at the company’s headquarters.

Bellini Nautica subsequently expanded with the addition of 4 new warehouses, a water testing pool and a state-of-the-art paint spraying department which served to provide industry leading painting services to local marine businesses.

In 2011, the third generation of the Bellini family began their involvement in the business. Battista Bellini (Jnr) initiated a path of digitisation, opening new opportunities for growth and development. His sister, Martina Bellini, began the company’s journey into the art world with industry-first collaborations with international artists such as Bitto, Mr Brainwash, Xavier Casalta and Fabian Oefner, expressing the family’s true love for their work and boating in a creative and innovative way.

These skills, facilities and passion are now the backbone of Bellini Yacht, and what sets this extraordinary brand apart from any other new boat builder. Many lay claim to having a passion and story but only a few are fortunate enough to possess this kind of heritage.

Expanding Outside of The Family – Ingredients for Global Success

With the rebirth of Bellini Yacht, a new ingredient in with the family’s understanding of boat building, passion and creativity has been added, that of global yacht building expertise. Working alongside the talented Bellini team is yachting royalty, Norberto Ferretti and Brunello Acampora.

Norberto’s experience in yacht design, building and marketing brings a whole new element of pedigree to the Bellini Yacht project. Famous for founding the iconic Ferretti Group, a nautical giant which counts Ferretti Yachts, Riva, Itama, Wally and many other industry leading names as its brands, Norberto has assumed the role of Product Leader at Bellini Yacht. His extensive knowledge of small and large yachts and their specific characteristics come together in a deep understanding of what yacht owners are looking for. The result of this, a meticulous execution of Bellini Yacht’s core brand principles: functionality, style and performance.

In addition to Norberto’s involvement in the brand, Bellini Yacht has chosen to work with the award-winning team at Brunello Acampora’s Victory Design for the design of the Bellini Yacht new models. The Astor 36 is the first in a series of craft penned by the man behind the graceful Solaris Power Lobster craft, jaw-dropping Bolide 80 and sensational Technomar for Lamborghini. This design knowledge and DNA is evident as soon as you step aboard the Astor 36, positioning the craft in a different league to its competition.

Sebino Yachts – An Anglo-Italian Approach

Sebino Yachts was founded exclusively for the sale and customer service of Bellini Yachts to UK clients. Although a new brand in the sector of yacht sales, the company is driven by a team of passionate and knowledgeable individuals with vast marine experience. Sebino Yachts embodies the spirit of the original Sebino Boats brand founded by Battista Bellini, bringing together experts who share a deep love for the sea and a commitment to delivering exceptional quality.

In order to provide the best possible quality of service, Sebino Yachts established a partnership with Avon Marina in the picturesque town of Christchurch. The marina boasts excellent berthing, servicing, skilled engineering and more. Avon Marina will play host to the ‘Casa Bellini’ showroom lounge, designed to provide customers with an inspiring space to begin their Bellini journey. Samples of the various finishes are available to explore styles and options in our B-Atelier, combined with the latest VR technology for a truly immersive experience.

Buying a luxury yacht should be an experience you never forget. From the moment you first visit Sebino Yachts to discuss the purchase of a yacht, we aim to make you feel warmly welcomed and invited into the Sebino Yachts family. Choosing a Bellini Yacht is to choose to be part of the history of this iconic brand and a statement of great taste. The yachts are an expression of the shipyard’s core principles of elegance and practicality, combining them together to craft a yacht of timeless, sophisticated luxury.

Keep a close eye on the SY social media channels and website for details on new model launches and other events during the year. Let the show begin!

Don’t miss the chance to explore this exciting debut at the British Motor Yacht Show, 15 – 18 May 2025. Register now to attend and secure an appointment to discover more about the Bellini Astor 36 and the rich history of this remarkable brand, making waves in the UK for the very first time.

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