In 1873, motivated by his passion for the sea, Giuseppe Abbate dedicated himself to the construction of fishing and transport vessels in order to meet the need for the distribution of goods in the region of Lake Como. The resulting product was an impressive, unique yacht named "Lucia".

His son, Guido (Bruno's father), inherited his father's keen interest and in late 1930 whilst still a teenager, he was the first to use a motor engine in a flat bottom hull craft. This was a revolutionary attempt for the time.

This was how the family's love of speed yachts was born.

Upon his return from the 2nd World War, then established a shipyard in Portezza, in cooperation with Somaini, an engineer.

Two years later, with the aid of engineer Alfieri and technician Giovanardi, he created Runabout ?Pablo?, the first yacht ever to be built with a V-shaped hull and surface propellers. Guido piloted ?Pablo? and won the golden medal in Formula 1 (F.I.M.). Thanks to the BPM engines, the new models manage to exceed the already exceptional speed of 250km/h. Up until 1953, the so-called ?comet vessels?, including Mario Verga's ?Laura?, had defined new world speed records. In the following 20 years, the shipyard produced the ?Ribot?, a series consisting exclusively of tourist vessels.

The Abbate brand name became well-known for its multiple victories in Centomiglia del Lario, as well as for breaking innumerable speed records.

The period 1965 ? 1977 is renowned for the evolution of significant innovations, such as the development of the deep-V hull which grasped the attention of high speed worshippers. In 1977, fibreglass replaced wood, thus marking a significant turning point. The Bruno Abbate brand name set the scene for the production of new models using this material. The production line was named Primatist. At the Nautical Salon in Genoa, Primatist 23 was the centrepiece for enthusiasts, who purchased more than 750 pieces.

In 1982 a shipyard was set up in Grandola ed Uniti.

Need for speed!

Bruno Abbate, already an acclaimed pilot, started to make a name for himself in the field of yacht construction.

Offshore class 1 became the most note-worthy glass window. Winning yachts Pinot di Pinot and Gancia del Gancia became the dream of every passionate admirer of vessels of this kind. They completely dominated European S5. At the same time, the company's participation in the races was combined with the Shipyard's overall dynamic presence. Models such as 38' and 42', which were popular with the public thanks to their individuality and unrivalled performance, could be found among the class of major and more comfortable yachts designated for long and safe journeys. In 1995, series ?G? was created in tribute to Guidino Abbate. G25' was highly acclaimed and G29' and G33' laid the foundations for future models.

In 1996, with the use of Maserati engines, Primatist managed to dramatically increase world speed records, thus hitting the headlines at the time.

The technology initially applied to the racing yachts was further used for the tourist crafts, which meant an unchallengeable advantage.

Meanwhile, a modern shipyard was established. The Primatist - Pininfarina - DAC Racing cooperation was an indication of the way in which the Abbate family visualised the future.

Gancia del Gancia

According to the historical evidence, in 1987, "Gancia del Gancia" won the Off Shore Class 1 European Championship. Cuv-Primatist was powered by three Isotta Fraschini engines each 900 hp. Bruno Abbate, Tony Gambiner, Angelo Borlini and Lamberto Gancia formed an unbeatable crew. They were invincible. Twenty years later history would repeat itself, only this time with a yacht that participated in the Off Shore P1 Championship.

Guido Cappellini

Primatist participated in the F1 Inshore world championship with the attendance of its best agent, the 10 -time world champion Guido Cappellini- a pilot highly valued by the entire maritime community. The Capellini golden rule is: Training, Passion and Courage.

Two of Capellini's strongest attributes when reaching a speed of 250km/h in water are sensitivity when driving and attention to detail. Sharing a strong friendship, Cappellini and Primatist have a particular way of cooperating on a technical level. Cappellini's estimations on the design and development tests for hulls, as well as his contribution to the ergonomic design of the driving seat, are of great importance.

Recently, DAC Racing, the company that constructs the majority of the catamarans competing in F1 Boat, has been specialising in the construction of compartments made from synthetic materials, which are handed over to Primatist.

Primatist and its new pilots

Primatist supports young drivers and Bruno Abbate has always taken a great interest in them. In 2005, Samuele Novi, an upcoming, talented pilot and winner of the F1000 world championship was granted the opportunity to take a chance in F1 by Guido Cappellini and Dac Racing. Samuele is still part of the Primatist family and it would seem to have a very bright future ahead of him; he shall participate in the P1 Championship with Marco Abbate.

Another young pilot is Ivan Brigada, who represented Primatist at the F1 Inshore world championship. The 26-year-old from Pavia had the opportunity to work with Guido Cappellini on the Tamoil Team.

G41' Aerotop Evolution

During a special event that took place in Villa d' Este in 2002, Primatist presented G41', a yacht that is unique in its category as it is the first boat in the history of Italian navigation to use the revolutionary Aerοtop Evolution, a progressive element that became a trend later followed by other shipyards. It broke all sales records and contributed to the reconstruction of the shipyard after a fire in February 2004.

January 21st 2003

Bruno and Marco Abbate concluded an agreement with Sergio Pininfarina. A project was developed upon the instruction of Paolo Pininfarina and with the aid of the Primatist technicians and Pininfarina Extra studio. This cooperation marked the beginning of a joint venture for Primatist shipyard and Pininfarina studio.

June 2005

In the magical region of Rapallo, worshippers of high speed yachts can admire the new star of the Primatist series, Pininfarina G70', which is the best yacht ever built in the history of Primatist. There are no words to describe this veritable gem, a result of the company's cooperation with Pininfarina. It is a unique creation that reflects the shipyard's promising future. G70' is the quintessential haven of luxury and magnificence, promoting the successful Primatist-Pininfarina cooperation and guaranteeing an enchanting future ahead.

2006-2009

At the Nautical Club in the cosmopolitan town of Rapallo, a special event was organised for the company's friends and ship-owners, where Primatist presented the Pininfarina G53' model ?a yacht designed to steal their hearts.

The public's interest was once again monopolised by the splendid G46', a culmination of the successful cooperation between Bruno and Marco Abbate and Paolo Pininfarina. In 2010 the new, promising B62' model will appear to star in a thrilling story that has no end!