I wish Ducati's centenario celebrations would never end because we've never been hit with such a wave of limited-edition motorcycles from the Italian exotica brand. Recently, we discovered the manufacturer was giving special treatment not just to two-wheeled modes of transport, but to boats too.
Ducati teamed up with Pirelli and SACS Marine, two giants of Italian manufacturing, to collaborate on a speedboat, and the juicy details were just released at the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival. The Pirelli 44 Ducati Edition is based on Pirelli's new maxi-RIB (rigid inflatable boat), the 44, but receives some welcome additions that make it worthy of wearing Ducati's moniker.
The star of the show, or rather stars, are the three 500 hp Mercury Racing engines planted on the rear, producing a total of 1,500 hp—notably more than the 1,274 hp base model 44. The performance has been significantly raised to meet the top-tier standards we expect from Ducati, but of course, there's more.
The Pirelli 44 Ducati Edition features Alcantara upholstery, a carbon-fibre hardtop roof among other carbon-fibre components, and blacked-out steel parts. The Mercury Racing engines also get hit with some Ducati engineering and feature aero that looks like it has been taken straight off a Ducati GP26 MotoGP bike. The inflatable tube around the RIB features a hand-carved pattern based on the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tire that the Superleggera V4 Centenario wears.
The crossover between the Superleggera V4 Centenario and the Pirelli 44 Ducati Edition doesn't end at the tread pattern on the tube. The boat's livery was inspired by the Superleggera V4 Centenario and developed alongside Ducati's Centro Stile design department. There will only be 26 Pirelli 44 Ducati Edition boats made, which is a nod to the year 1926—the year Ducati was founded. There's no information about their price tag; however, I'd expect it to feature seven figures.
Don't think, as I admittedly did, that this is a one-off venture into the nautical world, as Ducati, Pirelli and SACS Marine have stated that this is the beginning of a longer project. But we'll have to wait to find out more about what other vessels are in the works.
