The Group, which closed the last yachting year with an order book standing at over €900 million, up 10% on the previous season, is ending 2019 with two more important events: the delivery of the second Giga yacht over 100 meters long launched during the year and the distribution, to the 2,500 employees of Azimut|Benetti Group and the two brands’ customers and friends, of the book written by the Vitelli family on the history of the Italian yachting industry and the Company’s place in it, as part of a particularly heartfelt and touching ceremony.

For the 20th time, leading luxury motor yacht builder Azimut|Benetti Group confirms its place on the top step of the Global Order Book 2020 podium, the official ranking drawn up each year by highly-reputed UK magazine Boat International to report on industry trends for yachts over 80 feet in length based on actual order data.

With its Azimut Yachts and Benetti brands, the Italian Group has outranked shipyards from around the world, with 101 yachts under construction totalling 3,535 meters in length, and celebrates the milestone of 50 years in business with this prestigious win.

But the happy surprises don’t end here: in the last few days the second Giga yacht over 100 meters long launched this year was handed over to the owner, crowning the first “Benetti Giga Season”. This endorses  Benetti’s excellence in this segment as the only shipyard in the southern Mediterranean to compete in this niche market.

Finally, the last initiative to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary puts the spotlight on the company’s employees and their families, after the customer-oriented celebrations in Dubai, the exciting experience in Times Square and the magical evening in Cap d’Antibes.

Employees were given a copy of the book written by the Vitelli family about the history of the Italian yachting industry and the company’s place in it. It describes the founder’s entrepreneurial vision and tells the story of how Azimut|Benetti’s success is built on the consistency and continuity of management ensured by the family. There were some particularly touching moments during the evening, such as the award ceremony for long service employees (25, 30 and over 30 years) and the presentation to Paolo Vitelli of an unexpected plaque with which everyone in the company wanted to express their esteem for the Man and the entrepreneur.

The Group President commented: “I created this company 50 years ago and for almost half our long history we have topped the world ranking, a record of which I am deeply proud. Our longstanding success stems from ongoing efforts to develop and improve our products and production processes, in which attention to design, innovation and technology, but also the quality of the work of our employees - our most valuable asset - are imprinted in the company’s DNA. This business culture combined with the financial solidity that is essential when yachts this size are involved and our managers’ expertise, have once again shown that they represent the value added by the Group. It is with great joy and equally great confidence in the future that I close this unrepeatable year: both Benetti and Azimut Yachts already have very healthy order books and will soon be launching some extraordinary product novelties”.