Exclusive sailing experiences in Italy

ARCA Sailing

Discovering Italy by sea, with heart and style

ARCA is a boutique yacht charter company offering exclusive private sailing experiences on the latest generation of catamarans in Italy. We navigate around the most exclusive locations in Italy: Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, the Amalfi Coast, Capri and Ponza. Our catamarans offer fantastic stability for a relaxed navigation and with interiors designed by the talented Caroline Andreoni, guests enjoy a 5-star hotel experience at sea.

I’m a problem solver, not a problem maker

A motto to assure every guest that they’re in the right hands

I started using that phrase when I was a corporate lawyer in London and it still applies, is in fact even more relevant, now: I’m here to make our clients’ journey as smooth as possible and problem free. On our boats, guests get to visit places away from the crowds and in the comfort of their own floating villa. They have complete freedom and spontaneity – something that has become more and more difficult to find in luxury travel. If you end up loving one place, you get to spend more time there. If you like a spot less, you move on, without the stress of new hotel bookings, etc…

Every private sailing experience is made to measure

Guests live the ‘dolce vita’ on board every day

Guests have the opportunity to enjoy secluded and confidential destinations only accessible by boat and moor in some of the most sought-after destinations in Italy. We have an experienced crew on each boat – captain, private chef and stewardess, dedicated to the guests’ needs and comfort 24/7, with a special touch of Italian “savoir-faire”. All our sailing trips are made to measure to satisfy the guests’ needs from the choice of itinerary to every detail of the cruise with personal assistance from booking to check out. The best way to experience the Italian dolce vita is from a private suite on the open sea.

Sonia Larsen - Founder

ARCA is a true love story from the beginning

Now let me tell you the real story behind ARCA; a true love story. When I was a lawyer, I chartered a boat with my girlfriends for my birthday in the Aeolian islands in Sicily. I had visited before and dreamt of returning to them by sea. The captain of the boat was this charming Italian man, Stefano, who is now my husband… He grew up in a family of sailors in the South of Italy, then worked for some shipyards before becoming a captain. Long story short, after a few years, I quit law and we decided to start our company, with our own boats and share our passion for authentic luxury travel, the sea and Italy. We named our first boat and the company ‘ARCA’, meaning ‘Arch’ in Italian after our son Noah. In 2019, I literally gave birth to two babies: our son and our first boat!

This is not a job for us, this is sharing our passion

It’s not just sailing; it’s not staying at one of the best hotels: it’s a combination of both

ARCA is the perfect way to discover the most beautiful destinations in Italy. This is not a job for us, this is sharing our passion and experience for each of our favourite places that we have explored from every angle. This is all about the journey and a 100% Italian experience: the destination, the culinary experience, the design, the tableware, the slow paced dolce farniente.

Our superpower is our partnership

There’s nothing better for us than having guests come back to their floating home and family

Stefano and I are the perfect match – we oversee everything and make magic happen. Stefano is the most competent captain I know. I always say that I fall in love with him again every time he sets foot onboard. I have a love for planning and coming up with the perfect itinerary for everyone that comes on our boats. I’m always reinventing us, making us better and more unique than traditional yachting. There’s nothing better for us than having guests come back to their floating home and family, where the crew already know their favourite drink, what time they wake up with their favourite coffee waiting, in which kind of water they prefer to swim… We create, and deliver, a complete experience.

Read more about sailing around the Aeolian Islands