Living on Audace

CHRISTIAN CERULLI

Living on Audace

A famous yacht and a much-loved, very special owner. We talk to Christian Cerulli, captain of the most extravagant motoryacht of recent times, one that’s now ready for new adventures

When you’re born with the sea in your veins, it’s only natural that your childhood dream is to become captain of a ship. It’s a wish that’s likely to be fulfilled if your life is spent surrounded by cleats, rigging and compasses, as it was for Christian Cerulli, the young Captain at the helm one of the most extravagant yachts of recent years, the M/Y Audace, which has just been relaunched by the Lusben yard after a thorough refit. The yacht’s development had been enthusiastically followed by its owner, Andrea Merloni, former president of Fineldo and Indesit, who died suddenly this winter. After only one summer on his yacht he decided to carry out modifications on Audace to improve the on-board quality of life. Merloni had made the decision to live on board and commissioned this explorer from the Cantiere delle Marche in 2019. The full custom project was the result of a close collaboration between Merloni, Andrea Pezzini, CEO of Floating Life, and the architect Mauro Sculli. The yacht was launched in spring, as the Merloni family wanted the project to go ahead. An important role was also played by Cerulli, a long-standing Captain on Merloni’s yachts – together with the crew and Floating Life, he supervised all stages of the refit.

author: Désirée Sormani portrait photo: Federico Coscotto project photo: Federico Coscotto, courtesy of Lusben (refit), Scoobyart

Capt. Cerulli, what sparked your passion for yachts and when did you meet Andrea Merloni? I was born in Porto Santo Stefano, Argentario, in 1982. My father and grandfather were both captains. At the age of twelve I helped them by doing little jobs on board and when I was at university I’d spend the summers working. When I graduated I decided to take it up as a career. I spent a few years on a merchant ship, followed by a twenty-two year stint as an officer on a 20-metre pleasure craft. In 2012 I joined AB Normal, Mr Merloni’s first vessel, as an officer. Then came my first command, a 28-metre yacht. After this experience Merloni contacted me again in 2016 and I took command of AB Normal. In 2019 the Audace project came into being, and I remember it fulfilled all Mr Merloni’s dreams.

What kind of relationship existed between crew and owner? Merloni had a magnetic personality, it was hard not to have an excellent relationship with him. I met him when I was a young man, a sailor, and over time we developed a close rapport. He was more than just my employer. His death was a real shock. He always involved me closely in the Audace project. I would help control his enthusiasm, he was always looking for something different, something special – in a word, outside the box. He had many technical skills and put a lot of courage into creating this yacht. He often consulted the crew, we were like a family.

What’s special about the Audace project? Merloni had put everything into this project, he intended using it in winter in the Caribbean and in the Mediterranean in summer, so he wanted to create a home with all its comforts on board. That’s what made this yacht so different from other crafts – the solutions adopted had to be practical and comfortable, the technical elements painted in red to highlight their originality, like the two huge cranes, one forward and one aft. The aft one could lift almost 10 tonnes, which is rather excessive. We loaded and unloaded all sorts of things, even a 10-metre tender. He also wanted a kitchen with spaces and equipment that would suit a 5-star restaurant, with huge cold rooms. He also invested a great deal in the crew quarters, as he wanted us to be comfortable.

Were you able to make any requests during development? We followed the construction from time to time but AB Normal handled most of it. We expressed an opinion on the technical stations, the position of the mooring equipment. I chose the command console and instrument layout.

When did Andrea Merloni decide to modify Audace? What did he want to change? The same year, just about. The yacht was delivered in 2019, used in summer and by November was already with Lusben for the changes to be carried out. He said that things should be used and then perfected. He realised that some solutions just didn’t work right, like the change of level between the decks and the air conditioning system. He felt that his apartment (the owner deck was his private domain) was too closely connected to the rest of the yacht.

What changes were made? It went from a length of 43 metres to an LOA of 46.6 metres. The stern was lengthened by 1.80 metres and the bow was made more streamlined and extended by 1.80 metres. The interiors were given a total, detailed revamp. Two lifts were installed to make it easier for guests to move between decks, along with an emergency staircase fitted between the owner’s cabin and upper deck. The flooring was redesigned to enable underfloor heating to be installed for the entire owner’s deck. The electrical systems were redesigned and all the owner’s deck furnishings and dominant colour scheme were remodelled.

Why did you want to extend the stern deck? We had a long, cantilevered boarding gangway which created a trampoline effect, so walking across it didn’t feel very safe. We consulted with Andrea Pezzini, who handled the refit design alongside Floating Life’s technical section, and decided to lengthen the yacht by 1.60 to make room for a robotised telescoping gangway that can extend to 8 metres.

What role did captain and crew play in the refit? The crew played a crucial role. We were present throughout the executive design stage and took part in all the decisions, always advised and assisted by Floating Life. The owner managed to make frequent visits on board. Every time we sought to interpret what he wanted from the refit. We often tried to support his ideas, toning down some of his requests, which would have involved more demanding work. The entire crew followed the refit, even after Mr Merloni’s passing – I’m proud of them and thank them for the work they’ve done. It’s certainly what Mr merloni would have wanted. He always believed deeply in us.

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