On July 14, 1944, a very special child was born in Portezza. His name was Tullio Abbate.
Guido Abbate, the father of the “Three Italian Points,” built “Laura1” for the pilot Mario Verga, powered by an Alfa Romeo F1 engine. It set the speed record over a kilometer at an average of 226.190 km/h.
Tullio built his first boat, far from the eyes of his father Guido. At the time, it was revolutionary: a red, marine plywood boat named “Il Cinque.” His father nicknamed it “the carnation box,” and it went on to win the Centomiglia race that year, beating everyone.
During the 6 Hours of Paris race, Tullio saw a small English boat. It was love at first sight—not for the boat, but for the material it was made of: fiberglass. He returned to his father Guido, but when Guido realized Tullio wanted to build boats out of “plastic,” he threw him out of the house. Thus, Tullio Abbate’s Nautical Shipyard was born, along with his first model, the SEA STAR.
Tullio Abbate’s racing hulls, paired with surface propellers, started winning races and championships around the Mediterranean.
Tullio won his fifth Centomiglia. A Tullio Abbate boat was crowned offshore Class 2 Champion.
Tullio began chasing the diesel-powered world speed record. The Abbate-Aifo Fiat team set and repeatedly improved the record, with a wind-tunnel-built boat reaching 200 km/h. (Tremezzo, May 23, 1979, photos on page 26, 3 photos on page 58)
At the Tremezzo and Lenno shipyards, the Offshore 36 was born. Formula 1 drivers and sports enthusiasts flocked to Tullio Abbate to get their hands on this masterpiece of technique and design. (page 22, 1978, left photo; photo of Niki Lauda and Tullio Abbate on page 28, 1983)
The shipshipyards in Schignano, Lenno, and Tremezzo produced boats ranging from 4 to 15 meters. TA boats were sold all over Europe and even beyond its borders. High-profile clients like Gilles Villeneuve, Bernie Ecclestone, Björn Borg, Matteo de Nora, Jacky Ickx, and Gianni Versace became Tullio Abbate’s customers and friends.
On the beach in Saint Tropez, the wild idea was born to have Formula 1 drivers race Sea Star Tullio Abbate boats at Villa d’Este on Lake Como, before the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Tullio set out to build the most beautiful offshore powerboat ever seen, with innovative lines that defined the style of the era. Tullio Abbate had the honor and permission from Enzo Ferrari to install two V12 engines on board. This was the most emblematic project of the shipyard, thanks to the help of Didier Pironi and in memory of Gilles Villeneuve.
Tullio split his time between offshore Class 1 races and the increasing demand for larger boats. He met Giorgetto Giugiaro and began collaborating on the design of Tullio Abbate yachts. The first 21-meter yacht, Exception 70, was described by the press as a spaceship landing on Earth. Tullio Abbate Engineering tested and developed hulls, engines, and transmission solutions across the entire range. His racing boats competed worldwide with clients and international jet-set figures.
At the new shipyard in Azzano, designed for yachts over 15 meters, the new Exception 90 was built—28 meters, 6,000 hp, 4 engines, 75 tons. To this day, it remains the largest yacht ever built on inland waters, a beast capable of flying on water at 50 knots, with interiors and finishes fit for royalty. Even Diego Maradona chose a Tullio Abbate boat. The racing department participated in the Venice-Monte Carlo race with the Cagiva Group twin-engine prototype.
Tullio Abbate created the Offshore Senna 42 for the Ayrton Senna Foundation.
The shipyard produced new models in the Exception series and introduced the Mito series. Tullio Senior hung up his racing helmet but claimed his 11th Centomiglia del Lario victory with his new Lamborghini V12-powered catamaran, named Folgore!
Tullio Jr. joined the company, helping Tullio Sr. The dynamic duo worked closely together in both leisure and racing projects. The shipyard celebrated 35 years of activity, and Tullio Sr. paid tribute to his father Guido by creating the Villa D’Este Special from scratch. The shipyard collaborated with Volkswagen on the launch of new TDI engines.
As the market evolved, Tullio Abbate remained loyal to offshore boats, with research and development becoming key to success. The focus shifted to semi- or fully-custom boats, while the racing team became even more dynamic and younger. Tullio Jr. became a two-time world champion.
COVID took away our founder, a charismatic and innovative figure, always ahead of his time in technique and timeless design. His three founding principles were beauty, reliability, and speed.