MYS 19: Maggi on Wider’s Forward-Thinking Innovation

Maggi had been looking at Wider since the company begun, and was drawn to the interesting projects the Ancona-based shipyard has been developing. The innovation on Wider’s Cecilia 165 eventually made the decision for Maggi, and he made his approach to the company. “After 35 years in the business,” says Maggi, “this was the first time I have been surprised looking at a yacht, and that made me say ‘that’s it, we are going to go for the company’. This is the future. The knowledge the company has acquired over the 10 years cannot be lost.”

Cecilia 165 stands out for its ground-breaking green technology, powered by a hybrid propulsion system. “Wider perhaps paid for being almost too innovative, 10 years ago you wouldn’t really think about a hybrid megayacht, but today yes. It took 10 years to make it perfect, and we are going to continue pushing for innovation and greener yachting.”

Cecilia is at the Monaco Yacht Show again this year, anchored out in the bay, and Maggi intends to use this as a basis upon which to build. “Two boats that Wider made have won more awards than I have in a lifetime, so I had to buy the company! The concept of the boat is astonishing, and we are going to push the forward-thinking manner that Wider had.”

Maggi, however, does not intend to turn Wider into a mass production shipyard. The new CEO instead would rather focus on delivering one or two yachts of incomparable quality, focusing on developing the propulsion and hybrid systems that make Wider stand out from others in the market. The vision is “not to become a very big shipyard but we want to become leader in diesel and electric propulsion. The aim of our company is to go totally zero emission in five years.” An ambitious objective, but there are signs that Wider is already making great progress under Maggi’s reins.

During this year’s show, Wider has presented for the first time the new Wider 180 - a 54 metre project due for delivery in February 2022. Wider 180 embracing the philosophy at the core of the company, with the yacht able to run without any generators while in a bay, saving considerable pollution. Asked whether his aims are achievable, Maggi said “We think it is going to happen in the next 5 years. We won’t be pioneers but we will be the first in the yachting industry.”