One of the perks of having written about yachts for more than 30 years is getting to know many of the world’s most talented designers and builders—the people behind the largest and most expensive superyachts on the planet.
And that’s exactly how I felt when I met Giuseppe Capobianco of MMG. In fact, he and his team build many of the world’s largest yachts at their state-of-the-art facility in Italy. In fact, they build some of the largest, most detailed, most accurate, and most inspiring scale models in the world of the largest and most expensive superyachts in existence.
MMG stands for Model Maker Group, the company Capobianco founded 20 years ago to fuel his passion for building scale models of yachts. “I’ve been obsessed with building models my whole life,” he says. “I had my little CNC milling machine in the living room, but my mom hated the dust! So I immediately moved it to the garage. I got my first commission from a nearby shipyard. And I haven’t stopped building models since.”
Although the company that began in his parents’ home has grown into a true giant in the field of high-quality model making—under the leadership of his wife (and CEO) Elisabetta Fantasia—it is clear that Capobianco still has the same love and passion for this craft that he felt from the very beginning.
What’s so special about a scale model yacht with hyper-realistic lights, doors that open, swimming pools, helipads, and human figures that look just like their life-size counterparts? In addition to being works of art in their own right capable of capturing the attention of any yacht and sea lover, MMG’s ultra-detailed models are in high demand among shipyards and designers so that prospective clients can see in 3D what a yacht will look like before construction begins (and yes, possibly to encourage them to make a substantial down payment).
Due to this growing demand, the MMG team consists of 35 experts who combine meticulous craftsmanship with state-of-the-art technology. Each year, they build more than 400 museum-quality models, featuring realistic details and materials such as teak decks, lifelike pool water, and special fabrics and furnishings.
And, as I’ve seen for myself, MMG’s large, meticulously crafted models are on display at all the major boat shows around the world. In fact, more than 100 MMG models were displayed at the Monaco Yacht Show last year. And, in true superyacht style, Giuseppe and his team build custom-made trunks to transport each model, and they personally deliver and install nearly all of the ones they produce.
But I can also see in Giuseppe’s eyes that his models have much more soul than mere marketing material. As far as I’ve been able to gather, many of his clients—owners of very large yachts—want an MMG model of their vessel for their homes on land, as a tribute to the joy and memories they’ve gained from designing, building, and owning that particular yacht.
“I prefer to call what we do ‘mini-superyachts,'” he says with a remarkable blend of humility and pride. “Each one is 100% custom-built. Each one is crafted with the exact materials and details of the real yacht. Our challenge is always to find an exact replica of every detail. We obtain the specifications from the shipyard so we can match everything—colors, materials, and proportions—with precision. Our mini-superyachts are realistic sculptures. And every model has a story.”
His clients from all over the world agree. “I have a client in Germany,” he says. “The first model we made was of his 27-meter yacht. Then we made one of his 50-meter yacht. He has a whole collection of special models that represent the good times he’s spent with his family.”
But few stories top the one Giuseppe told me about a particular VIP client. “He loved our yacht models so much that he wanted to come to Italy to see how we made them. Of course, we were thrilled to welcome him when he arrived in a van with his bodyguards. We had a wonderful visit. He asked us to build several large models for him. But as he was leaving, the client said, ‘There’s just one problem. The next time I come, I want to arrive directly from the yacht. We need a place to land the helicopter.’”
It turns out that MMG has outgrown its current facilities and will be moving to a nearby location with much more space to build models. And yes, there’s also room to land a helicopter.
