Since its foundation in 1825 by Giovanni Battista Codecasa, the eponymous family-owned firm has lived through every iteration of its hometown of Viareggio. As the local industry turned its attention to non-military vessels following the Second World War, Codecasa garnered a reputation for outstanding sailing and fishing boats. When Fulvio Codecasa took the helm in 1973, he began implementing the strategic investments that would take the company to the next level, bringing it to the international market with top-of-the-line steel motor yachts. As aluminium gained popularity in the 2000s, Codecasa rode the wave with a string of large, fast motor yachts.

Today, Viareggio is a well-established point of reference for high-end shipbuilding, and Codecasa is one of its key players. The yard now operates out of four different facilities: Codecasa, Codecasa Due, Codecasa Tre in Viareggio’s Darsena, and four sheds in the Navicelli area of nearby Pisa for large builds. Among its loyal clients, it can list such eminent figures as Giorgio Armani, Paolo Bulgari, Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce, although naturally, Codecasa would never engage in such name-dropping. Its unmatched construction quality is what convinces buyers to become repeat customers.

Through every evolution, Codecasa has stayed true to a few principles: Italian style, sleek lines, and never doing too much. It has also remained a family business – Fulvio’s daughter Fulvia entered the company in 1985, followed by her younger sister Elena, and later their husbands, Ennio Buonomo and Fabio Lofrese. More recently, they were joined by Fulvia and Ennio’s children, Matteo, Niccolò and Chiara.

Every drop of that bicentennial history has been poured into the motor yacht Gioia, the sixth release in its Codecasa Vintage Series, which was delivered in October 2024 to its proud new owners. Also known as Hull C124, the 43m fully custom displacement yacht with a steel hull and an aluminium superstructure features a glassy exterior and vertical bow designed by the in-house team. The refined sundeck area is perfect for relaxing and enjoying far-reaching sea vistas.

Inside, the main deck hosts an owners’ suite and one saloon, with an additional upper-deck saloon ensuring ample space to socialise. On the lower deck, two double and two twin cabins with additional pullman bunks are ready to host up to ten more passengers. The interiors, created in collaboration with US firm Zepeda Design, stick largely to a neutral palette, with touches of whites, ebony and soft greys. The pale wood of the built-in furniture contrasts against the dark loose furniture. Two black armchairs and a specially made coffee table in glossy brown marble draw the eye in the main-deck saloon, while the upper-deck saloon hosts another marble coffee table. In the dining room, the dark wooden dining table seats up to ten guests.

In terms of performance, the motor yacht’s twin Caterpillar engines offer a sprightly top speed of 16 knots, a cruising speed of 11 knots, and a range of 4,000 nautical miles. In short, Gioia more than lives up to her jovial name.