11 January 2021 11:30 Business
Justin Ratcliffe
The historic Cantieri di Pisa shipyard is set to change hands yet again. After more than two months of negotiations, Tankoa Yachts is in the final stages of due diligence prior to acquiring the yard from Sea-Finance (a group of investors that includes Philippe Bacou, yacht owner and founder of the online charter service Yotha).
Photo: Merijn de Waard / SuperYacht Times“We had been looking elsewhere for opportunities as there is no possibility to expand our facility and build bigger in Genoa,” says Vincenzo Poerio, CEO of Tankoa Yachts. “Our attention centred on Cantieri di Pisa, which was at a standstill and close to collapse again. The acquisition represents a strategic investment by Tankoa of around €13 million to complement our current production from 45-50 metres in Genoa, but also compete in a wider market by reviving the Cantieri di Pisa brand and drawing on iconic designs from the past and comple