APREAMARE GOZZO: REBIRTH STARTS FROM HISTORY. SEA TRIAL OF THE NEW SURPRISING CREATURE.

Apreamare Gozzo. The challenge is concrete but only the market and the audience’s response to the new Apreamare‘s creature will be able to determine whether it is a real rebirth or not. What is certain is that Cataldo Aprea has actually kept his promises: “We’re going to present a boat which could be able to reflect our history while proposing surprising innovations“.

The boat introduced on the evening of the 1st September in Capri to an audience consisting of a small group of nautical journalists and a crowd of friends and potential customers of the Italian shipyard indeed replicates the typical exterior design of the classical gozzo, now transformed into a more modern aesthetic resulting from a specific evolution process the Aprea family – over its 170-year history – has wanted to give to the production of this iconic boat.

Tradition and innovation merge together in this surprising creature that, christened with the simplest and most traditional of names – “Gozzo” – however encloses a wide set of strong innovations: the traditional drive shaft, for example, is now replaced by an innovative stern drive system. Designed by Cataldo Aprea in collaboration with Brunello Acampora, the new Gozzo Apreamare features a length of 9.99 metres and an overall length of 11 metres. Power comes from two Volvo Penta D3 200 engines that, during our sea trial, made the boat fly at over 30 knots.

The new boat certainly justifies the dignity of the news but what is really essential is that the historic Italian boat manufacturer has restarted its boat production after years of great difficulties. It is no coincidence that Cataldo Aprea has defined the launch of the boat as a historic moment: ” It’s an event that couldn’t fail to take place here, between our lands and seas, there where we have our roots, where it all started. The Gozzo is a unique product which represents the perfect synthesis of tradition, advanced technology and passion for new beautiful things. Over its rapid evolutions, the “Gozzo sorrentino” seemed to be doomed to extinction but we couldn’t resign ourselves to this death foretold only because we were afraid to experiment something new”.

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The boat

As already mentioned above, the main innovations of the new Gozzo Apreamare include two stern drives, a solution that Cataldo Apread had defined as a “heresy”. However, the real heart of the project lies in the hull. We realized this during our sea trial, experienced in a stormy day characterized by rough sea, rain and strong gusts. But the shipyard’s goal to provide the Gozzo with new stronger seaworthiness had already appeared evident during the first company’s press conference.

Although not streamlined, the bow is deep and sharp while waterlines run towards the stern by outlining a rather flat hull equipped with deep support strakes. The stern section, too, is not streamlined and waterline length finishes exactly just at the transom. This is a characteristic that, combined with two side spoilers, gives a majestic appearance to the stern section. According to the designer, these lines optimize all the essential sailing parametres, both at displacing and planing speed: comfort, stability, performances and fuel consumption. And indeed our sea trial has resulted into some data that actually seem to confirm these claims.

The deck

If you want to enjoy a complete insight of the deck and therefore of that portion that essentially defines the aesthetic value of the boat, we recommend you look at it closely and from above. This way, you can admire both the traditional exterior lines of the “Gozzo“ and the beautiful modernity of the deck which lets the eyes run free from the bow to the stern. Tradition is highly invoked by a low minimal deckhouse and a wide cockpit that, with a width of 2.90 metres, replicates the lines of the gozzi built by the Aprea family in 60’s.

However, the simple lines of the deckhouse propose a refined modern design while comfortable unencumbered relaxation areas alongside a large sun pad positioned just behind the pilot station and large side-decks (40 cm) represent a considerable innovation for the Italian shipyard.

Equally interesting is the solution used for the windscreen, adjustable according to weather conditions and storable when necessary. The deck as a whole is a very comfortable unencumbered area where the completely open transom gives instant access to the huge aft swimming platform by providing a chance for guest to enjoy a close contact with the sea.

If you travel with your kids, a baby gate can be easily installed on each side of the sun pad to prevent access to the stern opening.

Interiors

The new Gozzo officially falls under the category of small boats designed for daily trips. However, what opened in front our eyes when we went below deck was something completely different. Three elements, in particular, astonished us: the height of cabins, the sense of spaciousness ( facilitated by a clever use of clear colours) and the smart arrangement of spaces. The result is that nothing can stop a four-member crew from having a short-range cruise without coming back home by nightfall.

The first environment is a large dinette, furnished with a fully-equipped storable galley located on the left. Sleeping quarters include two cabins: a large master suite in the bow and a second guest cabin furnished with a large double bed.

Equipped with a separated shower box, the bathroom is surprising in its remarkable spaciousness.

Sea Trial

If the night dedicated to Gozzo’s official presentation was warm and clear, the same cannot be said for our sea trial on the following day. Capri was traversed by a storm system accompanied by rain, strong wind, gusts and rough sea. In short, nothing better for sailing off and testing the hull of the new Apreamare’s project. We left our berth without using the joystick since we preferred to use only engine levers. The two stern drives worked very well and ensured great handling in the restricted waters of the Marina di Capri, between large and small yachts.

Once we were out of the port, we started testing the real qualities of the hull. The first tight turn bore the typical Aprea’s signature: gradual and soft, with the stern always stable and an insignificant deceleration. The two spoilers and, above all, the very open deadrise ensured an excellent lift. The only question was how such an open hull could ensure great performances on a rough sea. The answer to our question arrived when we had another turn towards West and launched the Gozzo at different speeds to detect her speed and fuel consumption. Thanks to the particular shape of the bow, the boat managed to face waves in a very soft gradual manner. With negative trim, we throttled up and the two Volvo engines started to develop power and speed. At this point, the Gozzo was really fast. At 23 knots and 3,500 rpm we started to slow down: the minimum planing speed reached 12.5 knots, which is absolutely great. But what astonished us the most was fuel consumption: at 3,500 rpm, the two engines used just 56 liters per hour! Finally, we reached a maximum speed of 30.5 knots at 4,150 rpm (significantly greater than the top speed stated by the shipyard). In this case, engines used 83.2 liters per hour.

Technical Specifications

The sea trial was carried out in 15-knot wind, rough sea and with 8 passengers on board. Water tank level: 30%. Fuel tank level: 40%.

Motorization: 2 x Volvo Penta D3 200 Dps engines