330-hp Wetcati: Ducati Corza Personal Watercraft (PWC)

Ducati unveils “world’s most powerful personal watercraft”… 

Ducati has been expanding in heady fashion from its age-old base of performance street bikes, moving farther and farther from the tarmac. First came the Ducati Scrambler in 2015 — more a stylistic exercise than a true scrambler, though the Desert Sled version proved highly capable in the dirt. The DesertX adventure bike debuted in 2022, incorporating stylistic features of the Cagiva Elefant of the 80s and 90s — a kind of modern Paris-Dakar racer.

Then, in October 2023, the Bologna brand announced it would begin producing full-on motocross bikes.

“I am proud to announce Ducati’s entry into motocross, a totally new world for Ducati in which we want to bring our talent in designing lightweight motorcycles with excellent components and high performance that, above all, can excite more and more motorcyclists. The project is possible thanks to the company’s excellent results in recent years and confirms our desire to extend our presence into new worlds, speak to new motorcyclists, and therefore grow the Ducati community.” -Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO 

Now the Ducati Factory MX team is set to enter the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship with the new Desmo450 MX — the production version of which is slated to arrive in European and North American dealerships this summer.

But the boys in Bologna haven’t stopped there. When CEO Claudio Domenicali spoke of “our desire to extend our presence into new worlds,” he may have been hinting at an expansion into personal watercraft. Yes, that’s right, Ducati has now announced plans to produce their own PWC.

Apparently, the Ducati bigwigs see it as a logical step, given the factory’s close proximity (~50 miles) to one of the world’s most esteemed powerboat builders, Riva Yachts, located on Lake Iseo. Riva, as you may know, is world renowned for their boats, including the legendary Riva Aquarama — “the Ferrari of the boating world.” (We recently featured an Aquarama-inspired Moto Guzzi.)

Ducati has a long history of partnering with other companies to co-brand a wide range of products marketed to diehard Ducatisti: bicycles, shoes, wine, kitchenware, luggage, even children’s apparel have been graced with the Ducati badge. However, the partnership with Riva promises to be a much deeper, more enriching collaboration.

“We are extremely pleased to announce Ducati’s partnership with Riva Yachts to produce a series of limited-edition personal watercraft. Riva is one of the most esteemed names in the boating world. Our R&D teams have been closely collaborating for some time, combining their respective expertise in nautical engineering, hull design, engine performance, and lightweight composite architecture to create the world’s most powerful production personal watercraft. The Wetcati will offer the world-class performance of a Ducati superbike…on the water.” -Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO 

We have to say the “Wetcati” name sounds a bit cheesy, but it’s sure to catch attention. The design seems inspired by the company’s Diavel muscle cruiser. And while our own expertise ends at the shoreline, the specs on this aquatic Ducati does get our blood racing. Why? Because it will be powered but not one but two 1098cc Testastretta V-twins, giving a theoretical output of 330 horsepower. That’s five ponies more than the 325-hp Sea-Doo RXP-X and RXT-X 325, currently the world’s most powerful production personal watercraft (PWC).

The Sea-Doo boasts a supercharged Rotax 1630cc ACE engine and is reportedly capable of 0-62 mph in just 3.4 seconds. It sounds like the 2196cc Wetcati will remain naturally-aspirated. While no performance statistics are yet available, we’re sure the Ducati will out-accelerate the Sea-Doo…the Bologna bods wouldn’t have it any other way.

While it may seem a strange step for the Italian manufacturer, consider all of the megayachts anchored in places like Capri, Monaco, and Saint-Tropez. It seems only fitting they’d carry a bevy of Ducati watercraft rather than more pedestrian brands like Kawasaki and Sea-Doo. We wonder if any of the other manufacturers will follow suit?