The partnership between FPT Industrial and the Fishing Division of the Porto Rotondo Yacht Club, in Sardinia, was officially inaugurated on July 9, 2020. The event was commemorated with the installation of a permanent plaque next to the main entrance of the clubhouse.
Founded in 1985 by a group of sea enthusiasts, the Porto Rotondo Yacht Club counts alliances with important Italian and international Yacht Clubs and is currently chaired by Roberto Azzi and Sandro Onofaro for the fishing division. This technical partnership between the global powertrain brand of CNH Industrial and the Fishing Division of one of the most prestigious Italian Yacht Clubs inaugurates the first ”Powered by FPT” Marina. The project’s objective is to promote the Brand and, above all, its division dedicated to marine engines for both commercial and pleasure powerboating pursuits. Through this collaboration, FPT Industrial is reaching out to its end customers, nurturing firsthand experiences and customer centricity.
Currently, FPT Industrial produces seven types of commercial marine engines and eight variants dedicated to pleasure crafts. Among the main models are: the 735 kW C16 1000 which is capable of generating high levels of power density and torque, combined with reduced fuel consumption and a low environmental impact; the 578 kW C16 600 which is able to provide the power of an 18-liter engine in the from a 13-liter version; the 478 kW C90 650 EVO which guarantees high injection pressures and timing accuracy in any operating condition with consequent greater efficiency and responsiveness at each speed; and the lightweight 331 kW N67 570 EVO, which is compact and with low operating costs to provide high specific power with minimum consumption.
Yacht Club marina in Porto Rotondo
All of these engines can be paired with the Red Horizon integrated marine control system, developed by FPT Industrial in collaboration with ZF, a technology supplier of systems for the next generation of mobility, and Navico (Simrad), a manufacturer of marine electronics. Red Horizon is the integration of the most advanced marine technologies in terms of engine, monitoring and control systems. By combining state-of-the-art technologies from all partners, Red Horizon guarantees full navigation control and safety, best piloting comfort, easy handling and mooring.
The inaugural event – by invitation only and limited in number in compliance with the current social distancing rules – was attended by representatives of the Board of the Porto Rotondo Yacht Club and FPT Industrial.
“Our goal is to promote high-level fishing events in the Porto Rotondo area that can meet the requests of demanding professionals and their boats,” commented Sandro Onofaro, IGFA Captain (International Game Fishing Association), Federal Guide of sport fishing, a European Record holder for sea fishing with a watercraft, and Director of the YCPR Fishing Division, the fishing division of the Porto Rotondo Yacht Club. “The partnership with FPT Industrial – the leader in the field of marine engines – unites us in developing not only the focus on marine conservation, but also a passion for challenges and for fair competition of the very best caliber. Furthermore, it will enable us to make a further qualitative leap that will allow Porto Rotondo to become a new favorite hot spot for sporting fishermen from all over the world.”
“The collaboration agreement with FPT Industrial that we are celebrating today,” said Roberto Azzi, President of the Porto Rotondo Yacht Club, “is the ideal continuation and completion of the twinning policy with other prestigious clubs around the world, from Cape Town to Punta del Este, from Plymouth to Cuba – just to name a few – which our partnership has been promoting for several years. The fact that we can rely upon the collaboration and experience of a partner who, in the marine engine sector alone, has an impressive number of victories and world records to its credit, will contribute to further amplifying the reputation of Porto Rotondo as a go-to destination for tourism, pursuing 360 degrees of all-round excellence. As such, our Yacht Club becomes a meeting and reference point for those who want to experience the sea for active and dynamic sporting pursuits.”
“On behalf of FPT Industrial, we are delighted and proud of this agreement that entrusts us with the prestigious role of Technical Partner for this top-class Yacht Club,” declared Carlo Moroni, Head of Brand Communication at FPT Industrial, at the end of the inauguration ceremony. “In our vision, the agreement represents the first step in a strategy aimed at exporting the concept of tangibility to our brand, as well as highlighting our commitment to sporting initiatives that focus on protecting and studying the sea. The latter is of the utmost importance to us, as we’ve demonstrated in the past, also with the implementation of our ‘Fishing for Plastic’ project.”
Yacht Club Pier in Porto Rotondo
The partnership between FPT Industrial and the Porto Rotondo Yacht Club includes the Brand acting as a sponsor of important sporting events linked to the Big Game Fishing world, the first of which will take place on 21-22 August: The O’ Offshore Trolling – “Powered by FPT”, a sport fishing competition with the “catch & release” formula, dedicated to the imperial needlefish. A scientific project on deep sea fishing and satellite monitoring of the imperial needlefish has been active since 2019; deriving from the collaboration between the Maguro-San Foundation, IGFA and Stanford University. The goal is to learn the migratory and behavioral habits of the imperial needlefish by means of the most refined and modern technology available today.
