This important event for captains and chief engineers of Ferretti Group yachts was held against the stunning backdrop of Courmayeur.
Courmayeur, March 24th, 2023 – They say that when men and mountains meet, great things happen. Which is why Courmayeur, at the foot of Mont Blanc, was the spectacular location chosen to host the 2023 edition of Convergence, the long-running professional training event organized by Ferretti Group for over 100 captains and chief engineers of ships and yachts in its fleet.
Held from March 14 to 17, Convergence 2023 proved to be an extremely productive opportunity to meet and get up to speed on various subjects, from the performance of the industry as a whole to possible future scenarios in the field of environmental sustainability and energy transition.
The first day’s activities kicked off with welcomes and presentations from Ferretti Group CEO Alberto Galassi and Chief Commercial Officer Stefano de Vivo, who outlined the latest financial results, the new models and projects under construction at the Group’s yards, and the most innovative technologies installed on board. There were presentations about the innovation-related work of the individual brands, with a special focus on Ferretti's commitment to sustainability, which is a core value underpinning all the Group’s activities, from emissions reduction to the energy transition. There was also a focus on research into sustainable materials and innovative technologies, such as those that can be found on the new Ferretti Yachts INFYNITO 90, the yacht for navigating the future. Ferretti Group is strongly committed to R&D work to identify cutting-edge products and tools.
Much of the second day, Wednesday March 15, was devoted to training, with panel discussions led by management together with world-class partners and experts.
The first session, “Propulsion systems and alternative fuels, with a view to environmental sustainability and compliance with new regulations”, was held by Danilo Giunchi and Gianluca Ciniero (respectively Engineering Director and CRN Engineering Director, Ferretti Group), Matteo Mangherini (LATERAL), Tobias Kohl (MTU - Main Sponsor), Andrea Piccione (Volvo - Main Sponsor), Francesco Monti (CEO of Podium - a leading player in the automotive lithium battery industry) and Giuseppe Zagaria (RINA. - certification body and Main Sponsor).
The second session, “Prevention of and response to onboard accidents, with a special focus on managing accidents caused by lithium batteries and new alternatives to hydrocarbon-derived fuels”, was held by Paul Fuller (insurance company Howden Sturge), Tom Walters (legal firm Holman Fenwick Willan), Massimo Farnesi (MarineFire), Francesco Monti (Podium CEO) and Andrea Venturelli (certification body RINA). The discussion was thought-provoking, useful and educational, with many questions raised and interesting comments made by the captains and chief engineers. In both sessions, the audience used an interactive app to give feedback and ask questions in real time, anonymously if they wished, which proved invaluable in encouraging participation in the panel discussions.
Main partners MTU, RINA, Simrad, Sleipner and Volvo made a huge contribution to the event, along with technical sponsors Amare Group, Asea Power System and F.lli Canalicchio.
They were joined by an exclusive selection of partners, including Porto Mirabello marina, Range Rover and the Yacht Club de Monaco.
With Range Rover, guests had the opportunity to visit the Range Rover House, a distillation of lifestyle and design that tells the story of the brand and its values, with spaces featuring elements of modernism and eco-sustainable materials blended together into a masterful whole. Guided by the Land Rover Experience team, they were also given the chance to discover the adrenaline-inducing features of the New Range Rover Sport on a snow-covered track, and to fully experience the Defender’s spirit of off-road adventure at the Defender Snow Park. There was also a competition in which participants had to pilot drones over an adventurous timed course while avoiding numerous obstacles.
“The first in-person Convergence after two years online demonstrated the absolute importance of this event as a generator of know-how and team spirit. The discussion among more than one hundred captains and chief engineers was both interesting and satisfying, because the ability of yachting professionals to work as a team and exchange insights is a core driver of the success of both Ferretti Group and its yachts. Convergence is an event that leaves us better informed, better motivated and better able to offer our owners an even safer and more rewarding yachting experience” said Ferretti Group Chief Commercial Officer Stefano de Vivo.