80-meter Chopi Chopi launched

The launch of a new yacht is always a big event. But the launch of Chopi Chopi at CRN in Ancona, Italy, on January 12, 2013 was bigger than most. At 262 feet 3 inches and 2,400 tons, Chopi Chopi is very big, but she also is the largest yacht yet to be built by CRN, the largest yacht to be built on Italy’s Adriatic coast and one of the largest yachts launched in Italy to date.

Before her, the CRN flagship was the spectacular Azteca, a 236-foot (72-meter) beauty ranked in our Top 100. Like her, Chopi Chopi has a steel hull with bulbous bow and aluminum superstructure.

The Italian superyacht builder, which is also well known for its semi-custom composite boats, marked the launch of the new flagship in grand style. While the press is usually not part of these events, this is a momentous occasion, and CRN invited the boating media to join an international crowd of 3,000 to watch the yacht get her first taste of water.

In late 2012, the yacht left the 330-foot-long construction hall, where we saw her in advanced stages of construction and got a feel for her enormous decks. Missing, of course, was her mast, which was installed outside. Craftsmen carefully moved Chopi Chopi to her slipway mid-December as work continued on the interior.

Zuccon International Project, which also designed the 191-foot (58.2-meter) yacht J’Ade launched in November 2012, styled CRN’s new flagship. She has a classic profile, attractive wraparound windows opening up views on the bridge and upper decks and large concealed garages for tenders and toys.

The interior is by Laura Sessa Stromboli and CRN Centro Stile. You will see more of her in these pages very soon.

For more information, visit crn-yacht.com

For more on the design and the family-run Zuccon International Project, click here.