The art of diplomacy at sea has a name and that name is Giorgio Mussini. To prove it, the Ligurian shipyard chooses the Cannes Yachting Festival (September 7-12) and the 61st Genoa Boat Show from September. 16-21 This persuasion cannot be denied, specially when you realize that the Corvetta 24 and the Paraggina 10 features the characteristic silver wing cord decorating the American mahogany. Intense, the result offers a wooden sculpture resting on the water ready to set sail. And the scented wood gives ephemeral pleasure along with a sense of touch.
Beautiful in their craftsmanship, Mussini boats are a perfect match for a fiberglass hull. Why? Because it’s natural when you’re not looking for the demanding maintenance of an ultra-resistant material. And it’s normal because the slightly flattened hull greatly attenuates the rolling to which gozzi in these seas are usually subject.
Mussini’s diplomacy is also perceivable in the architecture of the boats, where the British style meets the talent of Italian nautical art, which, by its very nature, dialogues well with the marine charm of the Côte d’Azur.
Mussini‘s headquarters are located not too far away in the Bay of Dolphins in Portofino and just three nautical miles from Rapallo, the historic seat of international diplomacy. These are craft that offer a unique style, at times almost resurgent. They invite the owner to a taste for easy, short or simply inshore sailing; but alienation from metropolitan reality is guaranteed even if only for a dreamy night.
The shipyard’s legacy
This tradition of dialogue with the sea was born, we can say, during the post-war democratic “Restoration”. It was 1949, and Mussini boats were carved by the fishermen of a small port that had yet to experience the great prestige of its future. The setting was Portofino and there was the father Giorgio Mussini. Then his son Gaetano joined him in the roaring eighties. A first boat was born that would mark the future of recreational boating: the Utility Portofino.
Corvetta 24 at Cannes and Genoa boat shows
Tradition goes on and improves with Corvetta 24, a modern gozzo with central mahogany rudder, an overall length of 7.50 meters and a maximum beam of 2.64 meters. With a displacement of just 2,500 kg, the boat is powered by a diesel Yanmar 110HP engine. Standard equipment also includes a bow thruster for easier mooring and stern flaps. Cruising speed is 16 knots, while top speed reaches 18 knots.
The logo imprinted on the hull features the M grafted onto an anchor surrounded by a crown of leaves and returns in an aluminium oval decorating the bridge. The logo is almost presidential.
Below deck, Corvetta 24 offers an ample space deep towards the bow, with remarkable headroom. Two separate berths anticipate the porthole forward where there is room to freshen up in the toilet.
The cockpit has two opposing sofas, and eight people can get on board. The heels sway in the water from the small aft deck made of wood and stainless steel. The stars and Jupiter can be seen from the intriguing sundeck in the bow. Wood, always the protagonist, is offered in a choice of mahogany or solid teak. A white linen shirt is the recommended sailing attire. At the Genoa Boat Show, Corvetta 24 can be visited at quay BA126A, berths A149 and A147 together with the Paraggina 10. If you like champagne, you should head to the Cannes Yachting Festival, where Corvetta 24 will be put on display at booth QML367.
The flagship Paraggina 10
Paraggina 10 will be exhibited at the Genoa Boat Show but not in Cannes. Issued from a joint collaboration between architect Edoardo Miola and Gaetano Mussini, the shipyard’s flagship is a fiberglass boat where woods alternate between mahogany and solid teak. It also features a reinforcement cage and a forward collision shield. Ten meters in length are marked at the bow by the winch. The draft is just under one meter, which helps a lot in certain island ports.
Agile and consistent, Paraggina 10 has good seaworthiness and is the perfect option even for longer crossing cruises.
Characteristic is the glass windscreen set into its steel frame, and the dashboard’s native instrumentation is strictly analog. The bollards are also available as retractable.
Below deck, the furniture is typical of maritime art, but characterized by the modernity of the shiny wood, reddened by light and dark streaks. Going down the steps from the cockpit, the bed is on the right, or on the bow in an alternative configuration. The chest of drawers is very luxurious. There’s a large head with a glass-encased shower. The space is in keeping with multi-day cruising. And the refined details enliven the taste of the view when the sea becomes monotonous.
Mussini Giorgio Srl’s flagship is also equipped with a bow thruster for easier mooring. Twin electric Yanmar engines deliver up to 220 or 240 HP, assisted by two stern flaps.
The dream coming true is that of founder Giorgio Mussini: “I dreamt of my boats as a child just as I created them and. When I grew up, I made many of these dreams come true”. Rêverie, in the words of Claude Debussy, is obviously also reserved for the owner who chooses them. Suspension points.