The Frers name has been behind some of the most beautiful, experimental yacht designs of the past century. The founder’s grandson, Mani, takes a break from building a record-breaking sloop to reveal what drives his studio.
The world’s largest sloop – a brand-new, 85-metre, single-masted Royal Huisman – is currently navigating gale-force winds reaching 60 knots with silky smooth finesse. Which is incredibly impressive… and will be even more so when the much anticipated “85m New World Sloop” * * heads out on the open water next year. For, right now, engineers and designers have gathered around computer screens in a Milan studio, to test how their latest creation will behave in extreme weather on the virtual seas.
New technology allows Frers Design – part of a four-generation “family tradition” (not simply a business) and one of the most respected leaders in yacht design – to get even bolder with their builds, pressure testing the yachts without putting the crew at risk. With tailor-made simulator software, they measure the loads, how the ship moves and how comfortable the 280-foot yacht will be in both smooth and choppy water. The Frers team has witnessed more sudden storms in the last few years, so “we need to test how quickly we can change modes,” says Germán “Mani” Frers, son of Germán Frers and head of Frers Design in Italy. “Though, historically, storms have divided good boats and crews from bad boats and crews. Good sailors will behave well in any storm.”
These are exciting times for Mani Frers’ office. TIDE can exclusively reveal that they are set to deliver the world’s largest sloop in 2026 – a custom commission that “provides motor yacht comfort with a sail, generating its own energy in absolute silence,” he says. Their naval design legacy goes back a century, to Buenos Aires, where Mani’s grandfather started his career in 1925 and his father then learned at his knee, making model sailboats. A love of sailing and racing is evident in their creations, equal parts elegant and efficient, and of course, fast. Today Frers Design, led by Mani, works on a full roster of almost entirely bespoke designs. “I think that’s what sets us apart,” he says. “We do everything that doesn’t exist. If a client comes with an idea, a question, we say yes, that’s possible. Our whole experience goes back to a clean sheet of paper.”
Of note, there was the 56-metre Vitters sailing yacht Alea, delivered in 2022, the 70-metre motor yacht Sapientia that cuts fuel consumption in half, and the forthcoming “Project Thunderball” (yes, it’s a nod to Bond), a shallow-hulled yacht set to sail in the Bahamas. “I like sailing in the Bahamas, it’s tricky to sail there,” says Mani. “It’s a fun challenge to move the post further toward better boats: boats that are easier to maintain, easier to build. Simpler, cheaper.”
It’s a game, a sport, a heritage, a way of life that continues to evolve with the world around it. Mani notes that artificial intelligence has had an impact on their tools and technology, but not a direct impact on design. “AI is an assistant… it’s not grabbing the pencil.” Which means that Frers designs still come with their trademark elements: speed, efficiency, elegance and modern comfort. “We design the yacht as a whole,” says Mani. “It’s a total, homogenous yacht, whether it’s classic-looking or vanguard. It represents the feelings and reflections of their owners. Only a few studios in the world design the whole yacht. These are special boats.”
