On July 11th of 2014, the sale of house appliance giant Indesit to America’s Whirlpool was viewed as yet another grim omen of Italian manufacturing’s demise. Founded by Aristide Merloni back in 1930, his son Vittorio was given control in 1970, who eventually chose his own son Andrea to succeed him in 2010 (though not before causing a mighty family rift). Despite initially being opposed to Whirlpool’s €768 million acquisition, Andrea and the Merloni family would emerge with a net worth of €1.4 billion.
A passionate yachtsman, in 2009, Andrea Merloni purchased a Brazilian-built trawler that he’d live on for periods after the sale of his family’s company. Years later around 2017, Merloni commissioned a brand new vessel from Italian shipbuilder Cantiere delle Marche – the first fully custom build by CdM (codenamed: K42) – designed by friend Andrea Pezzini of Floating Life and Studio Sculli.
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The unconventional 140.5-foot (42.8-metre) explorer yacht named AUDACE was officially launched in 2019 with a private owner’s penthouse apartment on the top deck, a 55-square-metre soundproof nightclub that converts to a cinema room, as well as a commercial kitchen, teppanyaki bar, wine cellar, plus storage + launching capabilities for a 33-foot RIB, Andrea’s custom Land Rover Defender, and BMW R 1200 GS motorcycle stored in the bow.
“A profound knower of how to ‘live’ a yacht,” Andrea Merloni was described by friend and designer Andrea Pezzini.
MY AUDACE was a merger of technique and knowledge to conceive the perfect yacht in order to realise Andrea’s dream – one that didn’t include a wife or children. A yacht that could have been a home, an office, a fun environment, and a secure place for long navigations, in a masculine profile that fully represents it.
During its first season in Ibiza, Merloni gained an enviable reputation for hosting the world’s top DJs to entertain upwards of 200 guests with sit-down dinners for 60. He also used the time to reflect on the yacht’s capabilities, ordering a substantial refit last year that saw her extended by four metres, and the owner’s deck rebuilt to incorporate a private elevator – a vision he was unable to see unveiled.
Unfortunately, Andrea’s dream was short-lived, succumbing to a heart attack in November 2020 at the age of 53. As a result, the Merloni family has decided to list AUDACE for sale, which will be on display at the Monaco Yacht Show 2022 alongside the likes of AHPO, CARINTHIA VII, Come Together, Twizzle, and more with an asking price of €26 million.
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The now 46.80-metre yacht AUDACE is offered for sale via Edmiston and can accommodate 10 + 2 guests across five cabins.
There are two double cabins on the main deck with opening doors to the deck. The lower deck comprises a double cabin and a convertible twin cabin with fold-down balconies. Above the bridge deck is the owner’s deck, which comes with his ‘n’ her bathrooms, a large lounge that can be converted to an extra double bed, as well as access to an open aft deck with its private Jacuzzi and walkaround decks.
On the main deck, there’s a huge aft terrace that includes a bar, two dining tables that can seat large parties, a very generous lounge area, and plenty of sun pads when the tender isn’t stored. On the lower deck aft, there’s an unconventionally large beach club half enclosed, half open. The enclosed beach club can convert into a disco, gym, or cinema room.
With a range of 4,700 nautical miles, AUDACE is as capable as explorer yachts come, and she’s ready for a new owner to do Andrea’s dream of a life lived to the fullest proud.
Check it out below.
