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PIRELLI 44 Ducati Edition, when racing character takes to the water

The PIRELLI 44 Ducati Edition brings Borgo Panigale’s sporting language to the water with three 500 hp Mercury Racing engines, carbon fibre and a production run limited to 26 boats

Ducati, Pirelli and SACS Marine transform the PIRELLI 44 into an even sportier maxi-RIB inspired by the Superleggera V4 Centenario

The PIRELLI 44 Ducati Edition is not simply the result of adding Ducati graphics to an existing maxi-RIB. Developed by SACS Marine, Ducati and Pirelli, the project attempts to transfer some of Borgo Panigale’s defining elements to the water: visual lightness, materials, aerodynamics, racing details and, inevitably, a considerable amount of power.

The starting point is the new PIRELLI 44, but the Ducati Edition changes its personality through a dedicated configuration and will be produced in only 26 examples. The number is deliberate, referring to 1926, the year Ducati was founded and whose centenary is celebrated in 2026.

Three engines and 1,500 horsepower aft

The most striking figure is difficult to ignore. The Ducati Edition uses an exclusive configuration of three 500 hp Mercury Racing engines, giving a combined output of 1,500 hp.

The standard PIRELLI 44 has a stated maximum installable power of 1,350 hp, so the Ducati Edition introduces a powertrain developed specifically for this project. The sporty double-stepped hull designed by the Mannerfelt Design Team provides the technical foundation for this more extreme interpretation of the model.

Rather than treating horsepower as a spectacular figure in isolation, the more interesting aspect is the relationship between power, hull design and the helm environment. This is where the connection with motorcycles becomes more convincing: not simply through appearance, but through an intention to make driving a central part of the experience.

From the Superleggera V4 Centenario to the sea

The livery was developed together with the Centro Stile Ducati and takes inspiration from the Superleggera V4 Centenario. Colours and geometric elements are therefore not merely decorative but establish an immediate visual connection with Ducati’s centenary motorcycle.

That relationship continues on the tubes. The familiar tread-inspired pattern used on Pirelli Speedboats has been reinterpreted with a design based on the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tyre fitted to the Superleggera V4 Centenario.

What makes the detail particularly interesting is that the pattern is hand-sculpted and hand-carved by craftsmen from the Pirelli R&D Centre. It is therefore not simply a graphic applied to the surface, but a physical part of the tube itself.

A touch of MotoGP behind the engines

The racing reference continues aft. The three Mercury Racing engines feature aerodynamic appendages inspired by those seen on the tails of Ducati’s MotoGP machines.

Naturally, water and asphalt involve completely different aerodynamic and dynamic requirements. The value of these details lies primarily in the way they reinforce the project’s visual identity and make the connection with Ducati racing immediately recognisable.

It is one of the clearest examples of how the collaboration attempts to move beyond logos and colours: formal elements from the motorcycle world are reinterpreted on a nautical product while retaining the functions and proportions required by a maxi-RIB.

Carbon fibre, Alcantara and black details

The hard-top is made from carbon fibre, while several stainless-steel elements receive a black finish. Alcantara is used on the dashboard and pilot seats, strengthening the link with the high-performance automotive and motorcycle world.

A Ducati Edition commemorative plaque and a customisable racing number plate complete the specification, directly recalling some of Ducati’s most exclusive motorcycles and its competition heritage.

These details gain additional meaning because of the limited production run. On a series of just 26 boats, personalisation does not merely distinguish one example from another; it becomes part of the identity of the special edition itself.

13.10 metres built around performance

The platform remains that of the PIRELLI 44: 13.10 metres in length, 4.30 metres in beam and approximately 8.5 tonnes with engines. Fuel capacity is 950 litres, fresh water capacity is 200 litres and the boat carries CE Category B certification, with a declared maximum capacity of 18 people.

These dimensions still provide the space required to enjoy a full day on the water, but the Ducati Edition clearly shifts the emphasis towards a more sporting experience.

It is not simply about speed. The helm station, carbon fibre, triple-engine configuration and overall visual approach move the PIRELLI 44 towards an experience in which driving the boat becomes almost as significant as enjoying its spaces once at anchor.

Three Italian names, three different areas of expertise

The collaboration brings together companies with very different roles. SACS Marine, licensee of the Pirelli brand for boats, provides the nautical expertise and develops the project; Pirelli contributes an identity shaped in part by decades of motorsport; Ducati brings its design language into the boating world for the first time.

This makes the Ducati Edition more interesting than many conventional co-branding exercises. The three brands are not simply placing their names on the same product: each contributes recognisable elements.

The challenge was to avoid creating either a motorcycle transformed into a boat or a PIRELLI 44 with a special colour scheme. Instead, the project looks for a middle ground, preserving the boat’s identity while using Ducati to make its character more extreme.

From the circuit to the anchorage, without confusing the two worlds

The Ducati Edition made its world première during the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival, which concluded on 13 September.

It is an appropriate debut for a model built around image, performance and identity. Yet its most interesting setting will probably be away from the boat shows.

At anchor along a Mediterranean coastline, it remains a 13-metre maxi-RIB designed for spending a day at sea. Back at the helm, however, the three Mercury Racing engines, double-stepped hull and driver-focused environment provide a reminder that this particular version was created with another dimension in mind.

The transition from asphalt to water can never be literal. The PIRELLI 44 Ducati Edition appears to understand this: it takes mainly the character of the Ducati world and leaves boating to translate it.

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Pirelli Speedboats, PIRELLI 44 Ducati Edition

14 September 2026
© MED Yachting Editorial Team
PIRELLI 44 Ducati Edition, when racing character takes to the water
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The information in this article has been sourced from and adapted from official sources and/or press releases, in accordance with our editorial code of ethics.