MYS 2026: Tony Castro on Sail Assisted Propulsion & SAMY

During the Monaco Yacht Show 2026, Tony Castro joined Shari Liu at the Superyachts.com studio on site in Port Hercule for a conversation on yacht design, performance and the direction of the studio’s current work.

Recorded as the industry gathered in Monaco, much of the discussion centred on the Sail Assisted Motoryacht (SAMY), where the propulsion concept was defined before the yacht itself. Rather than starting with a layout and fitting a rig afterwards, the studio began with how the owner intends to use the boat and how it should move through the water. That led to wind-assisted propulsion and a telescopic sail system designed to retract out of sight when not in use.

The same way of working runs through the rest of the portfolio. From the Pelagic 77 Vinson of Antarctica, built for expedition sailing in polar conditions, to the studio’s long-standing collaboration with Galeon, each project starts with the owner’s intentions before any decisions on form or styling are made.

With the show once again bringing together owners, builders and designers in one place, it was a fitting setting to look at how the Tony Castro Group approaches projects of very different scales and environments, with performance and purpose leading the design.