Our interviews with great people from the boating industry continue on Daily Nautica’s podcast “Giro di Boa” For this episode, we are chatting with designer German “Mani” Frers, owner of Studio Frers in Milan.

His story is that of a family with boat design as part of their heritage, starting in Argentina, nearly 100 years ago. 2025 will mark this important occasion. It all started with German Frers Sr., Mani’s grandfather. He was the forefather of a dynasty closely tied to the wind and water.

Mani Frers: “Boating is a family passion”

“In the early 1900s – says Mani Frers – when he was still little, my grandfather lost his father during an epidemic. After that he was sent to Buenos Aires to live with his uncle, who had a beautiful library. He started reading books on sailing and adventure, until he decided to design and build his own boat.”

A strong passion that German Frers Sr passed on to his son, German Frers, Mani’s father. German Frers Sr was very good at what he did, and became friends with sailor and boat designer, Olin Stephens, famously connected to the America’s Cup. “One day – remembers the designer – my grandfather received a letter from him saying that my father German had become an excellent designer and was doing a great job. So, during one of his trips to Newport, my father was invited to Stephens’ studio. It was a great experience for him. My sister and I were born in America, in New York and we then moved back to Argentina.”

Mani Frers: “Since I was a child, I was building model boats”

Boats and passion, creativity and sailing. This was the environment in which Mani Frers lived as a child. It was nearly impossible not to be affected. “In our house – he explains to Daily Nautica – we had no television. My father was against it. But there was a big room with lots of tools we could use to build what we wanted, and I was, as a child, building model boats.”

In his professional and passion-filled life as a designer, he has had a number of interesting adventures, one of which was the America’s Cup, with the Moro di Venezia and Luna Rossa. “For me – notes Mani Frers – these were successful, even though, unfortunately, we didn’t win the America’s Cup. I learned that being at the top of the podium is gratifying, but it only lasts a second. Instead, both the Moro di Venezia and Luna Rossa, are still today example of a great challenge, skill, teamwork, technology and evolution.”

Mani Frers spoke about this and much more in this episode of Giro di Boa. Listen to the full interview on the podcast.

The “Giro di Boa” podcast is broadcast with the support of Pantaneius, a leading European yacht insurance company.