PAOLUCCI is a classic Picchiotti of almost thirty metres, launched in 1970 and twice rebuilt in recent years, a timeless Italian motor yacht that offers something most of the charter fleet cannot: real provenance. Picchiotti was among the great names of twentieth century Italian yacht building, and PAOLUCCI carries that heritage into the present, her lines as graceful now as the day she first took to the water.
What sets her apart is the combination of old soul and modern mechanics. Successive refits in 2018 and 2022 brought new MAN engines, updated systems and a careful restoration of her interior, so she runs and looks after her guests like a current yacht while keeping the character that only an original 1970 hull can give. The result is a yacht with the warmth and the detail of a bygone era and none of the compromises.
Life aboard happens largely outside. Her decks are broad and teak laid, with a shaded sun and relaxation area for lazy afternoons and a generous exterior dining table set beneath cover for long lunches as the coast slips past. An upper helm station gives the captain a classic open bridge, and the deck spaces flow easily from one to the next, the kind of layout that encourages a party to spread out and settle in. There is room here to be social or to find a quiet corner, exactly as a yacht of this size should offer.
Inside, the restoration shows its quality. The main saloon is bright and welcoming, pale sofas and nautical blue cushions set against warm timber and polished detail, a calm and elegant living space. Forward, a formal dining room seats the full party beneath a row of portholes, and a traditional wheelhouse keeps the running of the yacht proudly on show. The finish throughout is considered and honest, a respectful nod to her age rather than a wholesale modernisation.
Five cabins accommodate ten guests. The master stateroom is a generous and light filled room with its own ensuite, while a guest suite and further cabins look after the rest of the party, each finished in warm wood and classic detail. The accommodation is comfortable and private, the sort of spaces that reward a long slow charter among the islands and historic ports of the Mediterranean.
Under way she holds a relaxed cruise with a useful turn of speed on tap, her new engines giving her the legs to move between anchorages without drama. Her natural stage is Italy and the West Mediterranean, the Riviera coast and the Tyrrhenian islands, waters that suit a yacht of her vintage and her unhurried character. She is as much a part of the scene as the places she visits.
PAOLUCCI suits those who value character and story over the gloss of a new build, a group who would rather charter something with a history than a yacht off the production line. Beautifully kept, properly rebuilt and quietly distinctive, she is a rare chance to spend a week aboard a true classic that still earns her keep.
