Ducati Takes Its Performance DNA to the Water with the PIRELLI 44 | Ducati Edition
Ducati has taken its performance-focused philosophy beyond two wheels and into the world of high-performance boating with the launch of the new PIRELLI 44 | Ducati Edition.
Developed in collaboration with Pirelli and SACS Marine, the exclusive maxi-RIB brings Ducati’s unmistakable design language, racing heritage and pursuit of performance to the water for the first time.
Unveiled as a world première at the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival, the PIRELLI 44 | Ducati Edition will be produced in a strictly limited run of just 26 units, a symbolic number chosen to celebrate Ducati’s origins in 1926.
The special edition combines an unmistakable Ducati-inspired design with an exclusive triple-engine configuration featuring three 500 hp Mercury Racing engines, delivering the kind of performance expected from a project bearing the Ducati name.
A New Chapter for Three Italian Icons
The PIRELLI 44 | Ducati Edition is the latest chapter in the long-standing relationship between Pirelli and SACS Marine, which has spanned more than two decades through the development of the Pirelli Speedboats range.
For this project, the partnership expands to include Ducati, bringing together three iconic Italian names with a shared focus on design, technology, innovation and performance.
The world première took place on September 10 at Zuma Cannes during the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival, Europe’s leading in-water boat show. The unveiling was attended by Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali and SACS Marine Chief Growth Officer Nicola Antonelli.
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali highlighted the natural connection between the three brands, particularly their shared approach to design, innovation and performance.
The result, he explained, is more than simply a boat carrying the Ducati name. The project combines Ducati’s racing DNA, the work of Centro Stile Ducati and a livery inspired by one of the company’s most exclusive motorcycles.
Inspired by the Superleggera V4 Centenario
The PIRELLI 44 | Ducati Edition has been created specifically to celebrate Ducati’s centenary, with its design drawing direct inspiration from the Superleggera V4 Centenario.
The livery was developed in collaboration with Centro Stile Ducati and takes inspiration from the most extreme and technologically advanced road-legal motorcycle created to mark Ducati’s 100th anniversary.
The result is an instantly recognisable design that transfers Ducati’s visual identity from the road to the water without losing the character of the Pirelli Speedboats platform.
Adding to its racing-inspired appearance are aerodynamic appendages mounted around the engines. These elements draw inspiration from the tail sections and extreme aerodynamic solutions used on Ducati’s MotoGP racing machines.
Ducati Details Throughout
The Ducati influence extends well beyond the livery.
The distinctive pattern incorporated into the RIB’s tubes is traditionally inspired by the tread design of the Pirelli Cinturato Blue Wet tyre. For the Ducati Edition, however, the pattern has been reinterpreted using the Diablo Supercorsa SP as its reference – the road-legal hypersport tyre fitted to the Superleggera V4 Centenario.
The design was sculpted and hand-carved by artisans at Pirelli’s R&D Centre, adding another layer of craftsmanship to the limited-edition boat.
Other details include a sporty double-step hull designed by the Mannerfelt Design Team, a carbon-fibre hardtop, black steel pack and a dashboard and pilot seats finished in Alcantara.
A commemorative plaque identifies the special edition, while a customisable number plate provides another direct link to Ducati’s most exclusive motorcycles, where personalised numbering has long been associated with the marque’s prestigious creations.
Three Mercury Racing Engines
While the design immediately catches the eye, performance remains at the heart of the project.
The PIRELLI 44 | Ducati Edition is powered by three 500 hp Mercury Racing engines, creating a unique configuration reserved specifically for this project.
With a combined output of 1,500 hp, the powertrain is designed to deliver exceptional performance while maintaining the seakeeping ability, safety and onboard comfort expected from a high-performance maxi-RIB.
The combination of the triple-engine setup, sporty hull and carefully developed design gives the PIRELLI 44 | Ducati Edition a strong focus on speed and driving involvement – characteristics that closely mirror Ducati’s approach to performance on two wheels.
A Limited-Edition Italian Collaboration
Only 26 examples of the PIRELLI 44 | Ducati Edition will be produced, making the boat an exclusive collector’s proposition as well as a high-performance machine.
The number 26 pays tribute to 1926, the year Ducati was founded, while the overall project celebrates the company’s journey into its second century.
For Pirelli, the collaboration also represents another expression of its long relationship with Ducati. Pirelli has supplied tyres for Ducati motorcycles for many years, and the PIRELLI 44 | Ducati Edition extends that partnership into an entirely new environment.
SACS Marine, meanwhile, brings its experience in high-performance maxi-RIBs to a project designed around the owner’s sense of involvement and driving pleasure.
Performance Beyond Two Wheels
The PIRELLI 44 | Ducati Edition represents an unusual but natural extension of Ducati’s performance philosophy.
By combining Ducati’s racing-inspired design and engineering culture with Pirelli’s tyre expertise and SACS Marine’s experience in high-performance boats, the three Italian brands have created a maxi-RIB that aims to deliver the same emotional connection between machine and driver that has long been central to Ducati motorcycles.
And with just 26 examples planned, this unique Ducati-inspired vessel is set to remain a particularly rare expression of the brand’s centenary celebrations.
The project will continue to feature in a series of dedicated events and initiatives in the coming months, offering further opportunities to explore the story behind the collaboration and the shared Italian approach to design, performance and innovation.
Picture Credits – Ducati Corse