1 CRN Yacht for Sale

Updated 7 October 2026 · By Hulls.io Editorial

About CRN

CRN is one of Italy's long-established superyacht builders, and its story begins on the Adriatic coast. The name stands for Costruzioni e Riparazioni Navali — naval construction and repair — and the yard was founded in Ancona in 1963 by Sanzio Nicolini, an entrepreneur from the Marche region. Nicolini started out in an old shed dating from the Second World War, and from the beginning he built in steel, an unusual choice at a time when wood was still the preferred material for yachts. Among its early boats was the first of an influential line of 23-metre yachts, the Super Conero.

The yard's reputation grew through collaboration. In 1970 Nicolini met Carlo Riva, founder of the Sarnico-based Riva yard, and over the following eight years CRN built eight yachts for Riva. Notable commissions followed: the 32.8-metre F100 of 1983, built for Gianni Agnelli, and the 61.2-metre Il Vagabondo of 1986. Over six decades CRN has worked with designers including Jon Bannenberg, Terence Disdale, Nuvolari Lenard and Zuccon International Project.

The turning point of the modern era came in 1999, when the yard was acquired by Ferretti Group. The first project of the new phase was Magnifica, a 43-metre yacht designed by Nuvolari Lenard and launched in 2001, which became the first of a successful line. CRN built its hulls exclusively in steel until 2004; from then on it broadened its output with two series-built composite lines, the 40-metre CRN 128 and the 43-metre Navetta 43, alongside its custom work. At the top end the yard moved into much larger yachts: the 72-metre Azteca in 2010, and in 2013 the 80-metre Chopi Chopi, designed by Zuccon International Project with interiors by Laura Sessa Design, built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure. The 74-metre Cloud 9 followed in 2017, again with exterior design by Zuccon International Project, here paired with an interior by Winch Design. More recent launches listed by the yard include the 62-metre Rio and 52-metre Ciao in 2022 and the 67.55-metre Amor à Vida in 2025.

Today Ferretti Group describes CRN as its brand for full-custom creations in steel and aluminium. The yard marked its 60th anniversary in 2023, when it was described as having launched, together with the neighbouring Mario Morini yard it acquired in 2002, more than 400 vessels, commercial ships among them. At that point the Ancona site was operating as the Ferretti Group Superyacht Yard, covering nearly 80,000 square metres, with 33,000 square metres of covered facilities and capacity for up to 24 superyachts under construction at the same time.

CRN's ownership runs through Ferretti Group, whose own shareholding has changed over time. Shandong Heavy Industry Group–Weichai acquired control of the group in 2012, after a period of financial difficulty. Ferretti listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2022 and added a listing on Euronext Milan on 27 June 2023, the first dual listing on Milan's main market of a company already listed in Hong Kong. Weichai, through Ferretti International Holding, remains the reference shareholder, holding about 39.5 per cent. The Czech investor KKCG Maritime raised its stake to 23.25 per cent through a partial tender offer settled in April 2026, and at the May 2026 annual meeting Weichai's board slate won about 52 per cent of the vote — an outcome KKCG has challenged.

Within Ferretti Group, CRN sits alongside Ferretti Yachts, Riva, Pershing, Itama, Custom Line and Wally. CRN occupies the full-custom superyacht end of that range.