Pardo Yachts, the Italian Walkaround Brand That Started With One Boat

A Grand Soleil yard that turned to power

Giuseppe Giuliani Ricci started Cantiere del Pardo in 1973 in Forli, a short drive inland from the Adriatic, and for four decades the yard was known for one thing: Grand Soleil sailboats, more than 4,000 of them. In 2017 the yard launched its first powerboat, the Pardo 43, and with it a new brand. Today Cantiere del Pardo runs three labels from the same yard, Pardo Yachts, Grand Soleil Yachts and VanDutch Yachts.

Decades of building racing and cruising sailboats show up in how the powerboats are made. Hulls are resin-infused with vinylester, cored with foam in the upper structure and stiffened with carbon where loads concentrate, and the lines are drawn by the Bologna studio Zuccheri Yacht Design, with Nauta Design brought in for the 2025 refresh. US shoppers sometimes search for prado yachts or prado boats; it is the same brand.

From one walkaround to three ranges

The Pardo 43, which has its own page here, is the boat that gave the brand its look: plumb reverse bow, low side decks you can walk around, and a social layout built for long lunches at anchor, pushed by Volvo Penta IPS pods. The yard counts 333 of the original version delivered over seven years, a remarkable figure for a day boat of this size. A redesigned second generation appeared in Cannes in 2025 and in Fort Lauderdale later that year, and an outboard-powered 43R was added in Miami in 2026. Engine options, speeds and layouts are covered on the model page.

Around it Pardo has built three families. The Walkaround line runs from the P38 and P38R through the 43, 43R and 50. The Endurance line, the E60 and E72, aims at longer cruising in displacement and planing modes. The GT line, GT52, GT65 and GT75, adds enclosed living space and the largest boats Pardo makes.

Resale, dealers and what to check on a used Pardo

With more than 330 first-generation 43s built, Pardo has something many European day-boat brands lack in the US: a real used market. Used 43s typically ask about $450,000 to $1 million, and new boats run roughly $1.1 to $1.5 million, so a well-kept early boat is the value play. Pardo exhibits at Fort Lauderdale and Miami and sells through a dealer network that it continues to expand, while after-sales support runs through the factory and its appointed service points.

Because these boats are built for sociable day use, wear tends to concentrate on moving parts and drivetrains.

• Pod maintenance history on the IPS drives, including seals, bellows and anodes
• The early bow anchor mechanism and its camera
• Hydraulic swim platform, tender garage and fold-out terraces
• Mounting points of the carbon hardtop and the seals around its opening roof
• Natural or synthetic teak and its condition
• Whether a 43 is first or second generation, IPS or 43R outboard