Ferrari wants to sail into open waters
From the Milano Design Week comes Hypersail, Ferrari’s experimental laboratory that transfers motorsport-derived aerodynamic principles into the demanding world of offshore sailing.
During the Milano Design Week, Ferrari officially unveiled the livery of Hypersail, a 100-foot flying ocean monohull that represents a bold intersection between the automotive universe and offshore sailing. This ambitious project blends design, engineering, and advanced research with a clear objective: to redefine the benchmarks of high-performance navigation.
Hypersail has been conceived as an open innovation platform—an integrated development ecosystem where different areas of expertise converge. The Ferrari Tech Team, led by Matteo Lanzavecchia and Marco Guglielmo Ribigini, worked in close collaboration with the Ferrari Design Studio headed by Flavio Manzoni, alongside renowned naval architect Guillaume Verdier. The result is a vessel that successfully translates the technical and stylistic language of Maranello’s cars into a cutting-edge nautical context.
The guiding principle behind the project is clear: form does not precede function, but rather emerges as its direct consequence. Design, therefore, becomes the visual expression of extremely strict aerodynamic and hydrodynamic constraints, mirroring the same philosophy applied in Ferrari’s Formula 1 and endurance racing programs.
Ferrari Hypersail – An aesthetic shaped by performance
The silhouette of Hypersail echoes proportions seen in models such as the Monza SP1 and SP2, while the coachroof integrated into the deck draws inspiration from the architecture of the 499P, Ferrari’s Le Mans-winning hypercar. As with high-performance race cars, nothing is purely decorative: every surface is meticulously engineered to optimize efficiency and maximize technical output.
The Ferrari Design Studio’s work evolved in continuous synergy with engineers and designers, turning technical constraints into creative opportunities. Flavio Manzoni highlighted this approach: “Hypersail represented an unexpected opportunity for the Ferrari Design Studio; a challenging objective, due to its complexity, which allowed us to extend our creative research into a context different from our usual one”.
A concrete example of this philosophy is the integration of solar panels into both the deck and the hull sides. Their positioning results from an in-depth analysis of exposure during navigation, ensuring maximum energy efficiency without compromising usability. These panels are fully walkable, feature grip surfaces, and are seamlessly incorporated into the overall structure.
From a strictly technical standpoint, the entire project revolves around the concept of “flight.” As Matteo Lanzavecchia explained, “Hypersail is a unique boat in terms of size and technology, developed to ensure maximum performance in an environment as unique and unpredictable as the ocean”. The system relies on a sophisticated control architecture powered entirely by renewable energy sources—wind, solar, and kinetic energy—while the monohull configuration represents the optimal balance between aerodynamic and hydrodynamic efficiency.
Ferrari Hypersail: the language of colors – identity and function
The livery adds another layer to the synthesis between tradition and innovation. The Ferrari Design Studio selected Giallo Fly, a historic color of the brand, as a defining visual element. Originally introduced in the racing world and first applied to the 275 GTB, this shade finds a renewed interpretation on Hypersail, also symbolically referencing the very concept of “flight.”
Alongside the yellow, Grigio Hypersail dominates the composition—a tone derived directly from exposed carbon fiber, the core material of the project. This is not merely an aesthetic decision, but a visual representation of the structural and performance characteristics of the composite material.
The contrast between these two colors creates a coherent and functional visual identity, evoking iconic models such as the 512 BB while reinforcing Ferrari’s unmistakable DNA. From the foils to the cockpit, and even the logo on the sail, every detail contributes to a strong and instantly recognizable presence.
Hypersail is therefore far more than an experimental vessel—it is a technological manifesto. Also presented through a dedicated installation in Milan, it represents a further step in the cross-pollination between different disciplines. With this project, Ferrari is not simply exporting its design philosophy; it is testing it in a radically different environment, where performance remains the only true benchmark.
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