The recent launch, which took place on 14 September at the ISA Yachts shipyard in Ancona, of the ISA Custom 80M yacht Belita, built by ISA Yachts, a brand of Palumbo Superyachts, marks another important milestone for Hydro Tec in the large custom yacht segment.

The vessel represents the latest result of a programme that has seen Hydro Tec involved in the development of four one-off megayachts ranging from 66 to 80 metres, one of the most complex project portfolios undertaken by the company founded more than 30 years ago by Sergio Cutolo. The programme has required Hydro Tec to manage different naval platforms in parallel, each characterised by dedicated engineering solutions and a high level of design complexity.

The ability to develop four large custom megayachts simultaneously, each characterised by its own naval architecture, dedicated engineering solutions and collaborations with different international designers, represents an achievement that goes beyond simply increasing scale. It means managing independent naval platforms, dedicated teams, different stakeholders and project deadlines simultaneously, while maintaining the same level of technical control, integration and engineering quality for each vessel.

Thanks to the trust that Palumbo Superyachts has placed in our company since the construction of the first 80-metre superyacht, Columbus Classic M/Y Dragon, Hydro Tec had the opportunity to tackle a project scale that was unprecedented for the company at the time, embarking on a path of growth in the large custom yacht segment.

Over the years, Hydro Tec has therefore consolidated a distinctive capability: operating as an engineering and naval architecture firm able to develop projects simultaneously with completely different aesthetic identities, collaborating with a range of international designers.

As Hydro Tec President Sergio Cutolo explains: “We are not talking about an increase in scale, but rather a leap in industrial complexity. Managing completely different naval architectures simultaneously requires a level of technical control and integration that defines the very nature of our work.”

The new ISA Custom 80M yacht Belita, recently launched by ISA Yachts, a brand of Palumbo Superyachts, is the latest expression of this project approach.

Developed as a completely one-off and custom project, Hydro Tec was responsible for naval architecture and marine engineering in collaboration with the Palumbo Superyachts technical team, while the exterior design was created by Espen Øino International. This further confirms the company’s ability to work with different international designers and interpret different aesthetic languages while maintaining consistent engineering standards and naval performance.

The project also features interiors by Peter Marino Architect.

Built by ISA Yachts, a brand of Palumbo Superyachts, the Custom 80M yacht Belita is a displacement yacht with a round-bilge hull, featuring an overall length of 79.82 metres, a maximum beam of 12.50 metres and a gross tonnage of approximately 2,220 GT.

The steel hull and aluminium-alloy superstructure extend across five decks — Under Lower, Lower, Main, Owner and Bridge Deck — accommodating up to 14 owners and guests in seven suites, as well as a crew of 23.

Propulsion is provided by two MTU 16V4000 M65L engines, each delivering 2,240 kW, enabling a maximum speed of 18 knots and a range of 7,000 nautical miles at 10 knots, with unrestricted navigation.

Working on this project with one of the sector’s leading shipbuilders, Palumbo Superyachts, together with Espen Øino International for the exterior design and DNV for classification, represented a high-level technical challenge for Hydro Tec.

The integration of a distinctive aesthetic language with the stringent requirements of the classification society called for a particularly complex process of engineering synthesis, in line with the industrial complexity described by Sergio Cutolo.

From a sustainability perspective, the assigned class notation — DNV ✠ 1A YACHT MOTOR, ● MC, Unrestricted Navigation, Clean Tier III, Shore Power — confirms the attention devoted to reducing environmental impact, through compliance with IMO Tier III emissions regulations and provision for shore power connection.

The new launch follows that of Sea Raider X, a 67-metre ISA Gran Turismo also built by ISA Yachts, which represented the first tangible result of the programme.

For this vessel, Hydro Tec was responsible for naval architecture and marine engineering in collaboration with the Palumbo Superyachts technical team, while the exterior design was developed by Vallicelli Design Studio.

Designed for unrestricted ocean navigation, the yacht offers a range of approximately 5,100 nautical miles at 14 knots.

As Hydro Tec Chief Technical Officer Nicola Camuffo points out: “Each vessel originates from a specific project in which hydrodynamics, propulsion and naval architecture are optimised according to the vessel’s characteristics and objectives. This ability to develop dedicated solutions for each project is one of the distinctive elements of our approach.”

Managing several independent projects simultaneously also requires a highly integrated organisational structure and consolidated engineering processes.

As Chief Operating Officer Michele Lauriero explains: “The increase in project scale necessarily requires the development of our processes and organisation. Our challenge has been to build a structure capable of managing several complex programmes in parallel while maintaining control, continuity and project quality.”

This evolution further strengthens the company’s positioning, historically recognised internationally for its leadership in the explorer yacht segment and in vessels below 500 GT, but now increasingly active in the development of megayachts over 60 metres, where engineering complexity, systems integration and project scale require a structured industrial approach rather than an exclusively specialist one.

Hydro Tec’s megayacht development programme continues with two further one-off projects currently under development: a 66-metre vessel and an 80-metre vessel.

For these projects as well, Hydro Tec is responsible for naval architecture and marine engineering, further confirming the company’s ability to manage different platforms and project collaborations in parallel.

The programmes currently underway therefore represent not a change of direction, but a controlled expansion of Hydro Tec’s design and engineering capabilities into the large custom yacht segment, while maintaining its distinctive engineering and naval architecture identity.