08/2010 –

There’s no need to introduce Gianni Zuccon. However, this Italian designer heading the Zuccon International Project based in Roma, prefers to stay in the shade. You can talk with him about his spouse, Paola Galeazzi, about the uncompromising Norberto Ferretti, about design, yachts, the crisis, the ecology, the future… anything you want, except Gianni Zuccon!

NauticNews.com publishes a gripping portrait of someone who modestly wants to exceed himself.

NauticNews.com: Where does your passion for  yachting come from ?
Gianni Zuccon: I was born in Roma in 1944, and when I was a little boy I liked a lot drawing ships, any ships (passenger ships as well as the Colombo caravels). Also, I was in love with every object that floats. Later my passion moved towards the design. The meeting of the passion for design and the chance to work in the business in mid 70’s gave the start to my career.

NauticNews.com: You were graduated as an architect at the University of Roma in the 60’s. Is there as difference between naval architecture studies in the sixties and today ?
Gianni Zuccon: There are many differences. In the sixties we studied to embrace the wider range of projects (the mot was: from spoon to cities), now it is much more important to be specialized in some specific field. My experience says it is important to be able to design a spoon as well as a boat as well as a city. I am not very attracted by specialization.

NauticNews.com: When and where have you established yourself as pleasure boats designer and architect ?
Gianni Zuccon: In 1976 my wife and I won a concurse called by Posillipo shipyard to design a pleasure craft. We entered in the business and went directly in the olympus. The future efforts have been focused on maintain the right to stay in the olympus.

NauticNews.com: You have created your brand with your wife. What are the advantages and the inconvenience working with spouse ?
Gianni Zuccon: The fact that we know each other perfectly helps us in the daily work. Some problems, but this is not our case, may occur if it surges a competence conflict.

NauticNews.com: Which of your yachts do you consider as the most successful in your career and why ?
Gianni Zuccon: The most successful is always the next one because it will be better than the previous.

NauticNews.com: Do you have a favorite one?
Gianni Zuccon: Not really. I appreciate the ones that have a long life and among these I would say the Custom Line 94 which exists since 1995.

NauticNews.com: How did you meet with Norberto Ferretti ? What kind of man is he at work ?
Gianni Zuccon: I met him and his brother in 1990 when they asked me to design a new range of boats and modify the quality of their products. He is the hardest client because he is very demanding, very competent, he is a designer too. But after having worked with him I cannot imagine to work with different people.

NauticNews.com: As any designer you may have had difficult times in you career. How did you manage to pass through ?
Gianni Zuccon: Of course I had hard times. The secret, in my opinion, to pass these problems, is to always look at the future and mainly keep loving the work, which is in general the only way I know to solve any problem at work.

NauticNews.com: What do you think about today’s financial and economical crisis ?
Gianni Zuccon: It can be positive if we live it as an opportunity to improve ourselves.

NauticNews.com: Are you involved in “green attitude” ?
Gianni Zuccon: Very involved! I had the chance to design the Mochi Craft Long Range 23 which is, for what I know, the only yacht that can enter in a natural sea park forbiden to the poweryachts.

NauticNews.com: Have you been, or are you, involved in the design or architecture projects different from yachting ?
Gianni Zuccon: Since 1971 I do projects in the civil architecture. I had done and still doing many. As an example, I designed many office buildings for the Italian branch of the European Space Agency.

NauticNews.com: Today yachts are getting bigger and bigger. What do you think about that tendency ?
Gianni Zuccon: From my side it is useful because it allows the constant experimentation and innovation.

NauticNews.com: On June the 8th, you have received the boating Pioneer 2010 award (see our article). What does it mean for you ?
Gianni Zuccon: I was happy of course. But it also let me think too much at my age…

NauticNews.com: This year in Cannes Boat Show Ferretti Group will present at least two of your boats, the Ferretti 800 and the Custom Line 124 What could you say about these yachts ?
Gianni Zuccon: I designed these 2 projects as two real design objects because they are the result of a real innovation process.

NauticNews.com: What new projects are you working on ?
Gianni Zuccon: I am working on both series and semi-series boats but mainly on custom yachts among the other a 110 m m/y.

NauticNews.com: What will be the future of yachting according to you ?
Gianni Zuccon: I think that in future the market will ask for slow, silent, ecofriendly and more and more comfortable yachts.

Photo Credit : Zuccon International Project

Tags on NauticNews.com: Gianni Zuccon – Zuccon International Project – Ferretti Group – Norberto Ferretti – Mochi Craft Long Range 23 – Custom Line 124 – Ferretti 800 – Posilippo

– KL –