Conceived by Fabio Perini for his own personal use, S/Y Gitana was the first yacht he designed for himself after Felicità. Launched in 1989, she represented an intimate yet radical experiment: a sailing yacht conceived around open-air living, social interaction, and technical intuition well ahead of its time.
At 36 metres overall, Gitana embodied a personal vision translated into architecture, less a demonstration of status than a precise answer to a question Perini was asking himself about how a yacht should truly be lived.
Designed for life on deck
Gitana was designed explicitly for life on deck. Her exterior spaces were conceived to host up to fifty guests for a cocktail reception, or twelve seated at table, without compromising circulation, balance, or operational clarity.
Compared to earlier yachts of similar size, the semi-raised wheelhouse was deliberately extended, creating an additional lounge area and redefining the relationship between navigation and living space. This solution marked a clear evolution from the 25-metre platform, introducing a more generous and informal way of inhabiting the yacht.
The result was a deck plan that prioritised openness and conviviality, while remaining disciplined in proportion and function.
Thirty years ahead
Among Gitana’s most forward-thinking features was the pioneering adoption of a 24-volt battery system, introduced more than thirty years before it became standard practice in yachting. This choice reflected Fabio Perini’s instinctive understanding of onboard energy management and autonomy.