Van Oossanen, a Dutch company working on naval architecture, fluid dynamics and hull vane design, announced they are expanding their activities for hydrodynamic hull and appendage optimisation into Italy. The new sales office is located near Bologna, and is opening its doors in September 2015.
During the process of designing, building or refitting a vessel, Van Oossanen Fluid Dynamics can analyze and improve vessels’ hydrodynamic performance using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Fuel economy, crew or passenger comfort (accelerations/wind hinder/green water) and increased speed are direct benefits.
CFD is most easily described as a virtual towing tank. With state-of-the-art hardware and software, the flow around the ship is simulated with great accuracy and visualized in detail. The software used by Van Oossanen (FINE/Marine) is specifically developed for the marine environment. In-developers further complement such package with quality controls, optimization algorithms responding to client-specific requests.
Compared to towing tank tests, CFD is just as accurate and often more cost effective, especially in the early design stages. Besides, CFD provides an almost unlimited amount of data flow details. Collected information can be used to improve the hull form, align appendages or as input for propeller design.
Michele Ansaloni, who has plenty of experience in the yachting industry as DNA engineer in Italian yacht design, has been announced as the new sales agent. He comments, “I was a member of the technical staff of some of the most renowned yachting design firms such as Victory and Nauta and I provided engineered structural parts to renowned superyacht shipyards like CNP, Benetti and ISA. I also worked as a skilled surveyor of pleasure boats for the Italian Naval Register and independently developed an innovative 45 metre ‘green’ motorsailer yacht. For Van Oossanen, my first priority will be offering the broad spectrum of hydrodynamic optimisation services to Italian yacht owner designers and builders.”
Starting with its new operating base, Van Oossanen Fluid Dynamics will become easily accessible for yacht designers, yards and owners both in Italy and the surrounding Mediterranean area, thus expanding its optimisation services to a new market area.
The state of the global yachting market presented at Borsa Italiana in Milan
Silvia Chiarito
May 27, 2026
The global yachting market may be slowing, but Italy’s boatbuilding industry continues to outperform, driven by the superyacht and premium segments. That was the key takeaway from the fourth edition of The State of the Art of the Global Yachting Market, the report produced by Deloitte and Edison Foundation in collaboration with Confindustria Nautica and presented in Milan at the headquarters of Borsa Italiana.
