The market for sleek express cruisers is a crowded one. Perhaps few people know this better than Fausto Filippetti, founder of Filippetti Yachts, who cut his teeth as part of the team that built the first Pershing 45 back in 1985. In 2008—not a particularly good year to launch a new brand—Filippetti set out to create boats that would compete with the Italian giant.
Fast forward to 2016: Construction is currently underway at Filippetti’s futuristic Mondolfo, Italy, facility on its new S55. Projected to make its American debut at Yachts Miami Beach, the S55 will be going toe-to-toe with the highly anticipated Pershing 5X.
“We know we’re coming into a competitive market and that we’re going up against Pershing, but we’ve done the work,” says Filippetti’s U.S. rep, Darren Datson. “One way we’re going to make the 55 attractive to American buyers is by working directly with U.S. vendors like Kohler, Marine Exhaust, and many others to ensure ease of use.”
Filippetti fully expects the S55 to be able to compete with Pershing on performance, thanks to a resin-infused hull and twin 1,000-horsepower MANs paired to Arneson surface drives (Volvo Penta 900s paired to IPS is also an option). Top speed with the MANs configuration should be around 46 knots.
Accommodations feature an amidships master, a guest stateroom to starboard and a forward VIP. The saloon figures to be exceptionally bright, thanks to large windows.
Sleek lines, U.S. friendly systems, and performance to spare—we’ll have to wait until Miami, but Filippetti might just give this competitive segment a run for its money.
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Specifications
- Builder: Filippetti
- Model: Filippetti S55
- Boat Type: Cruiser
- Year: 2016
- LOA: 56’1″
- Draft: 4’11”
- Beam: 15’3″
- Displacement: 23 tons
- Fuel Capacity: 660 gal.
- Water Capacity: 132 gal.
- Optional Power: 2 x 1000 mHP MAN + ASD; 2 x Volvo Penta IPS900 + IPS
