Italian shipyard Centouno Navi has arrived in Saudi Arabia, after signing an agreement with Saudi business house Durah al Fodah.

The agreement was signed by naval architect Marco Arnaboldi (co-founder of Centouno Navi) and by HRH Naif Bin Abdullah Bin Saus Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud — through his company Durah al Fodah — at the end of a presentation held in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh.

Durah al Fodah will promote the Italian shipyard’s range in Saudi Arabia, starting with the purchase of a demo boat for test drives in the Red Sea.

“This sea is at the centre of a major tourism launch through the development of hospitality facilities and new towns (The Line, Neom and more),” explains Marco Arnaboldi, highlighting these developments’ enthusiasm for promoting their ‘green’ credentials. “The participants attending the presentation were impressed not only by the unique aesthetic and performance characteristics of the Centouno Navi yachts but above all by the ‘green’ content aimed at having a smaller impact on their precious Red Sea.”

Arnaboldi says that the shipyard has a ‘green’ focus as it uses some recycled materials.

He adds: “Then, thanks to maximum weight containment and particularly efficient hull shapes, fuel consumption is considerably reduced, while waterjet propulsion does not harm marine animals, which are often hurt by propellers.”

The Saudi guests were also interested in the speed performance of the Centouno Navi range. Indeed, all the models in the range can achieve speeds close to 60 knots.

The meeting was also an opportunity to present Protea Srl’s Ozojet antifouling system, developed exclusively for Centouno Navi. This system is particularly effective in the warm waters of the Red Sea, where marine vegetation is fast-growing.

The region is cultivating a massive investment and build in its yachting and tourism economy. Neom is a $500bn planned city in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea, which is under construction. Sindalah is set to be Neom’s first luxury island and yacht club destination and is due to open in early 2024. Including Sindalah, Neom will eventually include 39 islands with around 5,000 yachting berths.

Superyacht concierge and maritime agency services specialist BWA Yachting is establishing an office at the new Saudi Arabian luxury island development Sindalah — part of the Neom smart city megaproject.

Centouno Navi yacht range

Centounonavi Vespro

Centouno Navi Vespro

At 16.70 metres in length, the Centouno Navi Vespro is a powerful fast cruiser that, powered by two 1,200 hp MAN 8V engines coupled to MJP 350X waterjets, reaches a top speed of 57 knots. At 30 knots, it uses only 6 l/nm and has a range of 350 nautical miles at maximum speed.

The 28-metre Forza model is equipped with three 2,000 hp MAN 12V engines coupled to three MJP 450 waterjets, reaching a maximum speed of 60 knots. The 7,000-litre fuel tank guarantees a range of 500 nm at a cruising speed of 50 knots.

The 39-metre Eterea is a three-deck superyacht built from hybrid carbon composite, powered by four MTU engines (2,600 hp each) coupled to MJP waterjets, achieving a top speed of 58 knots and a cruising speed of 50 knots.

Images courtesy of Centouno Navi.

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