Renato Sonny Levi 1926 - 2016

Certainly one of the pioneering boat designers ever to exist Renato "Sonny" Levi has died on Saturday 12 November 2016 at his home in the Isle of Wight.  Born in 1926 in Karachi, India, it is hard to find the right way to describe Renato Sonny Levi: designer, brilliant mind, certainly the father of modern fast boats. During the course of his long and prolific career, he has developed a wide range of innovations for the world of nautical engineering and naval architecture.  Among the most important are his planning deep Vee hulls, the "Delta" variable Vee hulls, surface drive propulsion, and tunnel for the propellers.  From the point of view of design, his boats are recognised as a functional elegance, innovation and sophistication. Levi is in this sense a figure able to manage the project as a whole, from its engineering aspects to the stylistic and aesthetic.  After more than sixty years since his early work, his contribution is a reference point from which all the boating industry continually draws inspiration for innovation and design. Important is also the publication of his two books; Dhows To Deltas and Milestones In My Design, and through numerous articles that have appeared in the most important industry publications.  The University of Genoa had recently awarded Renato Sonny Levi the Honorary Degree in Yacht Design Class LM34.  His known works are still as at today considered as a reference points in nautical design for comfort and rough sea conditions handling at high speeds. Among his production boats is the Italcraft where he developed a lot of his most extreme innovations in production and semi-production as the Drago series, Riva and the 2000 model which is possibly the most innovative model every made by the Sarnico boat builder where he developed the propulsion, the Alfamarine 40 Bronte what is a co-development with his friend Franco Harrauer, and a lot of the models for the boat builders of Fiumicino in Rome; Delta, and Canav.  His latest work is the Levi Boat 30'6 Corsair Classic, for the newly founded company of his son Martin Levi and Antonello Villa.  Obviously there is a long list of competing winning boats in Renato Levi's career and also some special custom projects for special clients as the Count of Agusta, Giovanni Agnelli, Roberto Olivetti, and last but not least the Virgin Atlantic Challenger for Richard Branson. 

Project: Levi 9.10m Corsair Sport

After presenting its first model the Corsair more or less about three years ago, the North Italy Venice located Levi Boat Company moves on to its next project which is the Corsair Sport project.  This new model from Levi Boat is based on the same very famous Renato Sonny Levi designed deep Vee Delta shape hull, as used on the more cabin orientated standard Corsair model.  As has been shown in the standard Corsair a quality detail and high technology construction is to be found also in this Sport version.  Being very much a center console the Corsair Sport continues the innovation as found in a recent US built similar sized project, offering also a center cabin.  The Corsair Sport can indeed sleep two in a cabin located under the center console which features an entrance on the forward part.  A head under one of the two settees in the cabin is also to be found.  Power is a wide variety of choices from 340 up to 630hp engines, with a top speed target of up to fifty knots with the largest engine choices.  

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