The origins and foundation of Cantiere del Pardo

In the heart of Emilia-Romagna, in an Italy still far from digital globalisation but already teeming with ideas and passion for industry, one of the companies that today represents Italian excellence in the nautical world was founded in 1973: Cantieri del Pardo. It was founded by Giuseppe Giuliani Ricci, a young entrepreneur with a keen vision: to bring Italian design and sporting competition to recreational boating.

The first boat, the Grand Soleil 34, was designed by Groupe Finot, renowned for its modern, high-performance racing boats. The GS34 was not just a boat; it was a manifesto. Elegant, manoeuvrable, but also incredibly fast, it won the Mediterranean Championship in 1974. This result immediately convinced the market, and the first models were mass-produced, marking a key transition: the union between industrial production and artisan quality.

In the following years, the Grand Soleil range was enriched with models such as the GS 41 (1978) and others designed by Alain Jézéquel, a French designer who introduced a new formal grammar to hull design: clean lines, bright interiors and ergonomics designed for fast cruising. The shipyard thus acquired an international reputation, positioning itself among the premium brands in Europe.

During this period, Cantiere del Pardo distinguished itself through a number of innovative structural choices: the central importance of wood quality and the constant pursuit of strength without sacrificing lightness. At a time when many boats were still dominated by compromises between aesthetics and functionality, Grand Soleil represented a coherent vision, capable of combining beauty, engineering and sportiness.