COMITTI BREVA 35

Is there more to this eye-poppingly beautiful Italian sportscruiser than just good looks? We find out with a blustery test in the Solent

- Hugo Andreae

Owning a boat as beautiful as this Comitti Breva 35 must be a bit of a double-edged sword; on the one hand it’s very flattering that so many passers-by stop to admire it, on the other hand it’s rather frustrating that the first question they’re likely to ask is whether it’s a Riva. The short answer is no, Comitti is a completely different yard that has been building boats on the shores of Lake Como since 1956. The long answer is that Comitti is an even more exclusive brand, building a limited range of elegant open sportsboats from 25-35ft, including a handful of classic wooden craft that can trace their origins back to the 1950s and 1960s.

HIDDEN GEM

That tends to shut up most casual passers-by but the more inquisitive among them might still go on to ask whether it’s as good as a Riva. And that is the question which we are hoping to answer today. The good news is that we have the perfect opportunity to find out, not on a mirror-smooth lake or a sun-soaked Mediterranean bay with a limited amount of time behind the wheel and an anxious PR representative watching our every move, but here in the Solent, on a blustery autumn day with just the UK and Caribbean’s new dealer James Hart to help us get the best out of it. Backed by wealthy entrepreneur Dr Karen Dickens, who owns two Comittis (this Breva 35 in the UK and a Venezia 34 in the Caribbean), their aim is to grow awareness and sales of what they both believe to be one of Italy’s best kept secrets.