Sergio Cerruti, DJ and music producer, is the owner of a Pirelli 35 one-off equipped with two Mercury Verado outboard engines providing 400 horsepower each and 16 sound speakers by JL Audio
by Annarita Mariani – photo by Federico Guberti
Fearless, fast, fleeting, ambitious. This is how Sergio Cerruti and his Pirelli 35 appear to us. More than ever, in this case, the boat truly resembles its owner. There is a deep connection between the man – the DJ, record producer, AFI President, Vice-President of Confindustria Cultura Italia, and President of Assolombarda’s Media, Communication and Entertainment Group since 2020 – Sergio Cerruti, and his boat, a Pirelli 35 One Off tyre boat, made by Gianni De Bonis’ TecnoRib, a licensee for the brands Pirelli and Pzero for the production of dinghies.
The Pirelli 35 in its classic version is an 11-meter walkaround built by TecnoRib in collaboration with the Swedish studio Mannerfelt Design Team, with the typical Pirelli T-Top that is not aesthetically invasive, but offers good visibility when navigating, despite its very generous size. The open space feature is extended by the spacious living area that contains the sofas mid-stern, including a small table, and, behind it, a sundeck overlooking the stern. It is easy to move around on board thanks to a stainless steel handrail that outlines the sides of the bow sundeck parallel to the handrail that is perfectly integrated around the perimeter of the bulwark. The interiors are characterised by a careful search for details and finishes that make it a functional boat for a weekend away.
The sound system is JL Audio with illuminated speakers and the new series of digitally controlled amplifiers, a wired interface in the aft compartment with amplifiers, and a completely separate power supply system for the signal.
The DJ’s boat, which, it is worth stressing, has no roof and is highly customised in Speedster all black, with leather rope-coloured cushions and contrasting red Pirelli logo, was exhibited during the Salone del Mobile 2022. On this occasion, we interviewed Sergio Cerruti who, after beginning as a novice with an 8.80 – also a Pirelli – switched to this 35 model and, he already anticipated, the next one will be the 42. «I am a passionate dinghy skipper and I experience the sea through this type of boat, which is a way of life for me. I am also very passionate about diving and the dinghy was the first type of boat I ever used. I fell in love with the seaworthiness of these vessels and therefore the choice of Pirelli came naturally. It had elements that were essential to me, such as functionality and performance. Since I am also an aesthete, I could not ignore the style and design that are highly peculiar in Pirelli and emerge in the shapes and details; combined with top-level construction choices. As I observed operations at the yard, I learned that in maxi-ribs, what you can’t see is what counts».
Sergio Cerruti and Gianni De Bonis during the Salone del Mobile 2022 where the Pirelli 35 was exhibited.
Aesthetic research, you told us, but also performance… I have just come back from a weekend where I tested my P35 and put it under stress. It is equipped with two 400 hp Mercury Verados reaching 55 knots.
How much of your temperament, of your personality is in your boat? My P35 represents me first and foremost because the shipyard allowed me to install 16 sound speakers that were placed on the deck. I was also able to bring entertainment, which is my field of expertise, on board. We made advanced technical and technological choices, only the compass is analogue. And then it’s fast and powerful the way I like it. It is no coincidence that I chose a pure speedboat and, in every sense, it is my big toy at sea.
I have to ask what sound system you chose for your P35. If the engineer of the yard had let me have my way, I would have drilled more holes, but 16 audio outputs were enough. The system is JL Audio with illuminated speakers and the entire new series of digitally controlled amplifiers, a wired interface in the aft compartment with amplifiers, and, of course, a completely separate power supply system for the signal: signals on one side, power supply on the other, so no buzz whatsoever.
This is a party boat, so… Yes! We are still on stage! My model is certainly no family boat! My vessel offers the possibility to install a Pioneer console that can be placed behind the drivers’ seats since the boat has no top. Moreover, a series of LED light sources provide a natural setting to recreate the atmosphere in a club, although the boat is not meant to be only that. These solutions are designed to involve the surrounding boats as well and allow me to create planned or unplanned entertainment events. I intended to recreate the world I come from, which is the world of nightlife.
Sergio Cerruti is a record producer and disc jockey. Since 2018, he has been President of AFI, Associazione Fonografici Italiani. Since 2019, he has been serving as Vice President of Confindustria Cultura Italia. Since 2020 he has been President of Assolombarda’s Gruppo Media, Comunicazione e Spettacolo.
Do you have any indispensable destinations to reach with your Pirelli 35? One mandatory destination in the middle of summer is undoubtedly Sardinia, offering a mix of audiences that can appreciate a project such as Delirious (Delirious Concept is Sergio Cerruti’s summer tour, it is a floating club started on the Pirelli Pzero 880 Sport Special Edition, ed.), which we hold in absolute respect for the sea. The purpose of these events is not to recreate a disco, but to trigger emotions. In this case, the boat becomes the instrument with which we provide a soundtrack for a moment of the day. It can be functional for planned commercial operations, but also for spontaneous experiences, which we can afford because the boat is fully autonomous in terms of energy. The P.A. is stored in the stern compartments, and the inverter system ensures power, so at a certain point of the day we can install the whole system and obtain a range of almost an hour with 2,000 Watt RMS power from the stereo system, in addition to the energy available for the boat.
We should remember, however, that the problem of marine acoustic pollution is very serious. What measures do you take to avoid the impact on marine fauna? First of all by choosing suitable locations, for example, we never work near protected or secured marine areas, and we should remember that our events, for obvious energy needs, never last too long. Just enough to conscientiously entertain those who join us, and enough to avoid harming the sea and its creatures. Also, we should keep in mind that an hour of music hardly impacts the balance of fauna, but we are careful anyway.
(Sergio Cerruti, at full blast – Barchemagazine.com – January 2023)
