2 New Ferretti Group Models (And Global CEO) Make American Debut At FLIBS 2026

The Ferretti Group’s press breakfast, held at the company’s ultra-elegant showroom (featuring numerous covered docks and comfortable spaces to relax) just before the opening of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, is always a must-attend event. And since the Ferretti Yachts 720 and the wallywhy100 were making their U.S. debuts, there was plenty of news to cover.

But those two models weren’t the only new releases on the U.S. market. In fact, Stassi Anastassov, the newly appointed global CEO, also made his debut on the American market. And, as I discovered in my interview with him, he has big plans.

“There’s a new wind in Ferretti’s sails,” he said with a broad smile as we sat down to talk. “We’ve just wrapped up the European boat show season, which went extremely well for us. In fact, we’ve managed to grow and even surpass last year’s boat show season.”

“What does that tell you? That our brands—Riva, Pershing, Wally, Itama, and the rest—have performed very well. It means our brands are stronger than ever.”

But, given that the U.S. market is so important to nearly all yacht brands around the world, I was also curious to know what he thought of the American market and how the Ferretti Group fits into it.

“Today, the Americas account for about 20% of our business. I’ve never worked in a business where the Americas and the U.S. didn’t account for at least 40%—and almost always 50%. The United States—whatever one may think about growth, the midterm elections, politics, or whatever—is the world’s center of power. And if we want to become much bigger in the U.S., that means we have to, at a minimum, double our market share, from 20% to 40%.

“To achieve this, I’m looking into ways to strengthen our local organization,” he explained. “I want to give it more commercial clout. I want to create more events to bring the strength of our brands to the U.S. in a much more visible way than we have so far.”

“We are also exploring new go-to-market partnerships. Of course, we will always continue to introduce new models, new brokerage firms, and new support systems for our clients and shipowners.”

“I’m also particularly excited to explore new ways to reach the new wealthy class in the U.S. who aren’t yet part of the yachting world. I want to increase the number of people who can appreciate yachting—the freedom and passion of being on the water—rather than just having another home, another summer house, or another mountain cabin, if only they knew how wonderful it is.

“I want people to see buying a yacht as an incredibly exciting and appealing way to spend their time. That’s why I believe our greatest opportunity is to grow the market rather than take market share away from others.”

“I also want to eliminate the concerns and uncertainties surrounding yacht ownership. We’ll take care of your crew. If there’s a problem, there will be an after-sales team to resolve it. And, by the way, if you only use the yacht six weeks a year and want to charter it out, we’ll help you with that, too. And I want all of this to be completely clear, straightforward, and explained flawlessly right from the moment you purchase the yacht. That’s how I’m going to attract more people to this segment.”

I was also curious to know how his transition had gone now that he has been CEO for about six months.

“There is an incredible level of enthusiasm, drive, and passion within the organization for what I call moving from good to excellent and building this great company,” he said. “Ferretti Group will have the best brands, backed by the best design and the best quality, and supported by the best sales team, committed to eliminating the worries of boat ownership. We’re going to continue to lead with technology. In fact, I want to bring much more innovation into the company and ensure that we keep innovating.”

We will continue to provide updates.