Born as an innovative start-up and now evolved into an innovative SME, SailADV has specialized in testing, measurement, data collection, and analysis. Its know-how has led to the development of an intelligent platform capable of monitoring and visualizing the functional status of any type of yacht — supporting effective prevention and mitigating system malfunctions.
by Alberto Mariotti SuperYacht24 Journalist | February 2025
Founded in 2015 from the extensive maritime experience of its founder Giovanni Palamà, SailADV grew from a powerful intuition into a company specialized in providing cross-functional services aimed at solving the technical challenges that can arise for shipyards, yacht owners, captains, or fleet management companies. Today, the company operates from three strategic locations — Senigallia, Livorno, and La Spezia, service abroad and a team in Palo Alto dedicated to the design thinking, to maximize the user experience.
Super Yacht 24 met with its CEO and founder to discuss the company’s platform, D.gree, which an increasing number of yachts are now adopting on board.
SailADV has been active for several years, but what’s new is the technology developed with D.gree. What are its key features?
“The main feature of our approach is the ability to analyze and understand how a yacht is actually used.
This information is crucial in light of how the market has evolved.
Every product — not just yachts — is designed and optimized based on an in-depth analysis of real-world usage. Only recently shipyards started to truly adopt this approach.
Through applied research projects, we realized that measuring a yacht’s behavior only at specific moments wasn’t enough. To gain a complete and representative picture, we needed a continuous monitoring methodology. To use a medical analogy: a single electrocardiogram gives you a snapshot in time, whereas a Holter monitor provides a continuous, comprehensive view of heart function.
That’s exactly what our technology does — it’s a Holter for yachts.”
At what stage in a yacht’s lifecycle is your technology implemented?
“Our solution can be integrated at any stage of a yacht’s life.
With Sanlorenzo, for instance, we collaborate from the earliest project stages to define the systems to be connected, working closely with their R&D department and supplying the product for installation.
The technology can also be implemented during refit operations, making existing yachts ‘smart.’
Thanks to its modularity and ease of installation, it can also be used as an onboard device for temporary data acquisition.”
SailADV received RINA’s “Type Approval” certification.
“That’s right, but it’s not the only one.
Thanks to our technology, Sanlorenzo obtained the ‘Digital Yacht’ certification from RINA for its SP110 yacht. The entire process required over a year of testing and close collaboration between our engineers and those of RINA.”
Do you mainly work with shipyards or also with yacht owners?
“We work with anyone who builds, manages or owns yachts.
Currently, most of the demand comes from shipyards, accounting for about 80% of installations.
Our first clients, however, were private owners who wanted to monitor their assets over time in terms of consumption, aging, and maintenance — often through subscription-based solutions.”
What kind of data do you collect, and what do you mean by ‘aging’?
“In our industry, we often talk about predictive maintenance, machine learning, and trend analysis.
Each of these requires high-quality data to be effective — and it’s equally important to define operational usage patterns beforehand.
As for aging: by creating a time-indexed ‘snapshot,’ we can identify whether behavioral trends are drifting, affecting the efficiency of a given system within the yacht.
And as we know, even a single malfunctioning subsystem can compromise the entire vessel, over time.”
Can you give us a practical example?
“Under normal conditions, reaching a speed of 12 knots might require the engines to run at 1,350 RPM.
If, after some time, the same speed requires 1,450 RPM, something has changed — perhaps reduced propeller efficiency or propulsion system degradation.
By analyzing operational parameters, we can isolate the root cause and define the right corrective actions.”
Another example?
“Once, we quite literally ‘saved’ an owner’s vacation.
About four years ago, we started working with the owner of a Benetti Tradition, who wanted to preserve the yacht’s value through proper maintenance.
By periodically sampling the generator oil, we established baseline contamination levels for lead and other metals.
At the end of one season, we detected a sudden spike — indicating a potential issue.
Cross-referencing data, we suspected abnormal wear of a crankshaft bearing.
Monitoring the trend, we determined that immediate intervention wasn’t necessary but increased the sampling frequency.
This allowed the owner to finish the season and schedule maintenance later, with spare parts already in place. A simple periodic check prevented what could have been a major disruption.
This is what we mean by condition-based maintenance.”
Quite a shift from the past.
“Exactly. In the past, technicians would often come aboard with partial information, forced to diagnose issues ‘blind.’
With our technology, diagnostics and problem-solving become proactive.
Issues are identified earlier, spare parts and interventions are organized in advance — saving both time and costs, while maximizing efficiency.”
How many parameters can your system manage?
“There’s no fixed limit — our system is dynamic.
The amount of information depends on the data available from connected onboard systems, and we can capture it all. Naturally, the more detailed the desired output, the greater the data volume to be integrated, and potentially the more complex the connections.
With our onboard technology, there are no limits to data acquisition.
The platform is designed to make the yachting experience as smart, integrated, and efficient as possible.”
A platform for visualization?
“Whether it’s the owner, captain, or shipyard, the user is at the center and must access information easily and intuitively. That’s why we developed a web platform and a ‘super app’ to facilitate communication between all parties, sending alerts and notifications remotely — almost in real time.”
Could owners or captains feel ‘monitored’?
“Not at all. It’s not about control — it’s about support.
Every stakeholder benefits, and data privacy is paramount.
The captain decides what to share and when, and the entire project complies with GDPR regulations.
The system helps prevent situations that no one wants — like being left without a generator during peak season.”
How is data managed and communication handled?
“The owner is always informed and remains the data owner, defining sharing policies.
The rest depends on how they want to use our modular services.
Once data is collected and analyzed, it can serve simply as a digital passport for the yacht — or it can enable higher-level, on-demand services like 24/7 alerts via email or instant messaging.”
Which shipyards do you work with?
“Over the past decade, we’ve worked on yachts produced by most of Europe’s leading builders:
Azimut | Benetti, Sanlorenzo, Ferretti Group, Palumbo, Baglietto, Princess, Nautor Swan, and Perini, among others.”
Are shipyard demands changing over time?
“Absolutely. Shipyards now recognize how important our SailADV services and D.gree technologies are for managing after-sales support.
Within three hours of arriving on board, we can perform advanced analyses far beyond standard sea trials. Demand for continuous monitoring — that ‘Holter’ analogy again — has grown significantly.
Data collected during a single sea trial can’t fully represent real-world yacht use.
In other words, the shipyard’s test is different from the owner’s experience.”
What sets you apart from competitors?
“We’ve worked extensively with our international development team, applying design thinking and innovative data management logic.
We like to describe ourselves as a kind of advanced Rosetta Stone — able to translate countless ‘dialects’ of data into a common ISO-like standard.”
What size yachts do you work on?
“We’ve worked on yachts ranging from 18 to 110 meters, both motor and sail.
By implementing the most widely used protocols, we’re ready to integrate with major electronics manufacturers. We don’t aim to compete with these giants — instead, we offer something different: a solution that enhances and connects their systems.”
Any major developments ahead?
“We are working on Deterministic AI to empower Captains, Shipyards, Fleet Managers and owners.
Thanks to collaborations with our extended Silicon Valley team, we’re also developing innovative tools.”
And on the logistics side?
“We’ve opened a service point in Palma de Mallorca, with Hong Kong next, as the fleet continues to expand around these key hubs.
Our goal is to establish a presence in Florida by 2026.
Our main offices in La Spezia, Livorno, and Senigallia keep us close to Italy’s primary yacht-building centers.”
Read the full article in the original language: https://www.superyacht24.it/2025/02/10/palama-sailadv-se-lo-puoi-misurare-lo-puoi-migliorare/
