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Inside the 38m Azimut Grande Trideck flagship

Related articles, superyacht directory.

Azimut’s new flagship pushes the builder into the domain of superyachts with style and grace

Frisson is the scientific term for a psychophysiological response to an aesthetic stimulus, otherwise known as “chills”. For some, it happens when listening to Andrea Bocelli leave a part of his soul in a verse of Con Te Partiró . For designer Alberto Mancini , that frisson came unexpectedly, as it does, while he sat in the beach club of the Azimut Grande Trideck in Monaco harbour.

“I was invited on board by one of the owners,” the Italian yacht designer says, “and I was looking around at other similar-sized yachts and they were 20 or 30 years behind the Azimut with their design. Honestly, it gave me chills.”

The latest boat to derive from the builder’s constant innovation is the 38-metre flagship of Azimut’s Grande line, and the brand’s first tri-deck yacht. It’s a superyacht, yes, but still a fast boat as Azimuts are meant to be. Naval architect Pierluigi Ausonio designed the yacht’s D2P (displacement-to-planing) hull. The bottom has three major features that make it special: a double chine that increases stability at slow speeds and reduces drag at higher ones; a wavepiercer bow that extends the length at waterline to increase fuel efficiency and minimise pitch; and a central skeg for course integrity, particularly in aft quartering seas. Even with the skeg, the Azimut Trideck draws just over two metres, making her able to navigate all but the skinniest waters.

With the hammer down, this Azimut can get up and go to the tune of 24 knots, more than fast enough to outrun any unexpected foul weather. It can hit these speeds thanks to two 2,600hp straight-shaft MTUs. The much-sought-after wind-in-your-hair feeling that these speeds engender can be enjoyed on multiple exterior decks. The crux of the Trideck’s design and appeal is in these areas, so much so that Azimut describes the yacht as “three decks plus one”.

“We worked with Alberto Mancini to make an additional deck on the aft end of the main deck,” explains Marco Valle, CEO of the Azimut Benetti Group , which creates a cascading effect from the sundeck down to the beach club. This yacht has more spaces from which to enjoy the sea, he says, from the more traditional foredeck, sundeck, upper deck and the beach club, to a split-level main deck aft.

Mancini, who applied similar thinking to his previous collaborations with Azimut, says the cascading exterior was the product of a deliberate goal to come up with a distinctive characteristic. “We created a proper raised aft deck. We call it a ‘sea view aft terrace’, and it’s a lovely place to enjoy the water and the breeze with your guests, and it complements that beach club so well.”

This “terrace” has about 30 square metres of space, outfitted with a sweeping, U-shaped sofa that should be a hotspot whether underway or standing still. It leaves plenty of room below for a full-height beach club.

Azimut also wanted the beach club to be as closely connected to the marine environment as possible. “The biggest problem with a beach club is that the deck is closed off on all sides, and the owners are stuck in the shadows,” says Mancini. “No one wants that. We created openings on either side of the boat, so you never feel oppressed like you’re in a cave. Instead, you  can feel the wind and the water on your skin. We think it’s a great achievement. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before on a yacht this size.”

The owner of the first Azimut Trideck, a repeat client who splits his onboard time between South Florida and the Med, buttresses Mancini’s take. “The beach club is well furnished and open to the sea air,” he says. “You don’t feel like you’re in something enclosed. It’s just an open look and feel and it’s almost flush with the water. So my wife can lie on the bed and watch everyone in the water. It’s like having another saloon, except it’s open to the environment. We love it.”

The foredeck lounge also makes for an excellent place to relax on massive sunpads and in the spa pool. Another space on the aft section of the upper deck offers impressive views and serves as the setting for al fresco meals, thanks to a dining table that can easily sit eight guests.  A “skydeck” with chaises longues sits above all, bringing sun worshippers closer to their god.

Of course, with all these outdoor spaces, it would have been easy for the yacht’s lines to become somewhat askew and top-heavy. But Azimut and Mancini understand that with any beautiful thing, proportion is key. They took great pains to ensure that the vessel’s aesthetic elements work in harmony.

For his part in this endeavour, Mancini points to his automotive design pedigree. “When one works with automobiles, the main goal is always to get the proportion right, and so that is always my goal with the yachts as well,” he says. “I’m inspired by sports cars and that industry. Even a car that’s only maybe five metres long directly informs what I will do with a yacht like this one, that is 38 metres.”

The Azimut Trideck has an undeniable je ne sais quois to its outward appearance. Perhaps it’s the way the upper deck parallels the relatively straight sheer line, or the proportion of the bow to the superstructure, which seems to mimic the mix of gravitas and extravagance seen in a Bentley or Rolls-Royce.

Mancini points out that not a drop of seaworthiness was sacrificed for aesthetics.  “I have a good partnership with Azimut’s technical department,” he says. “We have daily emails and meetings on the construction and design process. They let me draw what I want to start. You can call this part ‘the romantic step’. I sketch what I feel and they don’t tell me ‘Oh you can’t do this, you can’t do that.’ They allow me to brainstorm, and then the design team works with my vision step by step to approach the technical and practical things and make sure that everything works perfectly.”

A technical decision that paid dividends for Azimut was to use as much carbon fibre as possible, particularly in the superstructure, which is entirely laminated in the material.  A driving factor of the yacht’s design was to keep her as light as possible without sacrificing structural integrity, and the carbon fibre helped achieve that. She tips the scales at a relatively feathery 190 tonnes at full displacement. And the decision to use carbon fibre paid off in spades in her interior volume, another key area of the Trideck’s development. There’s so much space that Azimut offers an option for a sixth guest cabin on the upper deck. Valle says that five of  the six hulls the company has sold have  taken advantage of the six-cabin layout, which is the only major layout customisation available.

The yacht’s interior designer, Achille Salvagni , who pens the interiors for all the models in the Grande series, entered the project with a simple yet ambitious concept in his mind. “The true disruptive force behind this project is its desire to define an alternative use for the settings, by opening them up, and in doing so, presenting new ways to experience the boat,” he says. “When the function of a given space is not strictly defined, it becomes more fluid and changeable, shaped around the need for conviviality and socialisation.” In other words, an open mind leads to open space.

This fluidity shows in the absence of a formal dining area on the main deck. Instead, meals can be hosted at tables on the upper deck, sundeck or the al fresco section of the main deck. This choice opens up the saloon for more casual entertaining and makes it a voluminous party space as well. The goal is to embody a loose and flexible atmosphere.

The interior lines – perhaps best exemplified by the furniture that eschews corners – were designed by Salvagni to be “smooth and sinuous”. Light creams and greys play gently off one another on the fabrics by the Milanese brand Dedar, the veneers, and in the marbles and other stones found throughout.

Salvagni’s work has Azimut’s clients abuzz.  “If you look at the ceiling, the floor, everywhere, there is a lot of Italian style, which I like,” the owner says. “The fit and finish has a real megayacht feel to it. And the quality as well. It starts in the railings, and it goes into the hallways and the interior spaces. And another, slightly different aspect I love about it is the isolation you can feel in the boat. They did a wonderful job with the sound insulation. For me, it’s important that when you walk in one section of the boat, you can’t hear it in another section. And this Azimut is almost totally silent inside. It’s amazing.”

The lush and thoughtful interior combines with a heavy emphasis on outdoor living to create a yacht that can do it all. As the owner puts it, “When I’m in the Med, I like to go to Monaco and the fancier places and go out to the parties and restaurants, and the [Trideck’s] lines and high style make her perfect for that,” he says. “But I also travel with my family and want to go to the more isolated islands and really get a chance to enjoy the natural environment in peace and quiet, and she can do that as well.  I really don’t know of any other boat that can go to either kind of place quite as expertly as this one. My family and I expect to create many good memories on board.” It’s enough to give anyone the chills.

First published in the October 2021 edition of BOAT International. 

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• Azimut’s New 72-Foot Yacht Has One of the Largest Flybridges in Its Class. We Hopped Onboard.

The new Fly 72 is a weekend cruiser with a fashion-forward sensibility.

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Mancini’s counterpart on the 72 is the Turin-based interior designer Fabio Fantolino, who has inherited the Fly interiors away from noted architect Achille Salvagni. What Fantolino created in the yacht’s salon feels very much like an apartment in Rome, both elegant and functional. Details like leather satchel straps on the sofa set the boat apart, but in a functional way. The cushions slide to make the seating larger or more intimate. A portside galley amidships probably doesn’t have the food stowage you’d want for longer trips, but its central location makes it the hub of a chic onboard cocktail party.

One of my favorite features of this yacht’s design was a detail on the outer edge of the galley bar where lacquered, aquamarine slats call to mind the louvers common on La Dolce Vita –era runabouts. They share the same veneer as the alfresco dining table supports in the cockpit. That material, in fact, shows up across the boat, helping Fantolino create a vibe that is equal parts fun and sumptuous.

The U-shaped dining settee with a teak table to port is positioned opposite an amply sized wetbar, while other lounge seating options are both forward and aft. The hardtop overhead has glass sections to let in sunlight as well as electrically actuated shades for when the rays becomes too strong.

A plush flybridge might be something you’ve come to expect from Azimut, but a pleasant surprise on these boats is the improved work space. Historically, Azimut has not been known for functional details, but the 72 has a third steering station with joystick controls in the cockpit for easier docking, as well as a work area at the bow for crew members working the anchor. That foredeck, by the way, has a large social area with lounges and sunbeds.

Under the cockpit, the twin 1,400 hp MAN V12s were housed in an engine room that offered good access to all work points. Reported speed numbers are 31 knots at the top end, with a 26-knot cruise. Range at 26 knots is 310 nautical miles, enough to make it from New York City to Nantucket, or Miami to Nassau without refueling.

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All-New Azimut Fly 53 Review (2022 Edition)

Azimut’s new 53 is an important yacht, an entry-level model that might be a buyer’s first taste of this Italian builder, it also goes head to head with some notable rivals

Azimut and designer Alberto Mancini have been creating a quiet revolution with a new generation of flybridge designs that are bold and elegant in equal measure while delivering some beguiling interior luxury, as spectacularly demonstrated on the new 37m Grande Trideck flagship. Can they pull off the same mix of wonders on a 50-footer?

Azimut Fly 53 Key Facts

• LOA 55.052ft
• Model Year 2022
• Max Speed 31 knots
• Status In Production
• Generations 2
• Yacht Type Flybridge
• Use Type Cruising

Test & Review Video

YachtBuyer Score

In this article:

Our Verdict

Rivals to consider.

• Specification

Our Scores Explained

Performance & Handling

Around the Marina

The 53 Fly is only available with Volvo Penta's IPS950 and that, of course, means joystick control. The boat responds well to inputs from the joystick even if you do feel the boat's height with the hard top fitted as it rolls a touch during sideways manoeuvres. The handling of the boat isn't an issue it's the view from the helms that makes life a little tricky.

You can't see the aft end of the boat from the flybridge and it's hard to communicate with the crew from the lower helm so it would make sense to, at the very least, add some cameras around the boat so you can use the MFDs to check position or tick the optional cockpit docking station for a better view aft. If you moor with the stern to the dock on a regular basis I would say this is a must-have. 

Moving around the boat is easy enough and there's a healthy amount of deck storage for fenders and lines but the lack of a side door into the saloon means crewing isn't as easy as it could be. 

The challenge with only providing one engine option is that it has to suit the boat perfectly and, thankfully, the D11 725hp motors of the IPS950 installation are a great match to the 53's refined, soft-riding hull shape. We topped out at a comfortable 31 knots (even touching 34 knots at one point with a bit of Solent tide beneath us) and cruised at 26 knots where the range is in the region of 300nm. The fuel burn curve is pretty flat once up to planing speeds, though, so even if you want to get a bit of a lick on the range doesn't drop too sharply. 

The handling is light but has a good amount of feel and the boat turns nicely for a weighty flybridge cruiser. The best handling boat I've driven in this category is the shaft-drive Princess F55 and though the Azimut may not be quite as sharp in the turns or feel quite as well balanced it's not far off. It's very quiet, too. IPS helps with this but the well-engineered engine room and its layers of sound insulation improve the sound levels even more. 

We didn't have much chop to play with during the test but on a busy day in the Solent, the wash from other craft did little to put the Azimut off its stride. The boat feels solid through the waves with no bangs, squeaks or rattles emanating from the hull or interior. It's an easy boat to drive at all speeds and, from the comfort of the upper helm especially, feels like a boat you could comfortably cover some decent ground on. 

Builder Speed & Range Data

• 100nm 100nm 200nm 200nm 300nm 300nm 400nm 400nm 500nm 500nm 600nm 600nm
• 568 nm @ 8.8 knots eco
• 296 nm @ 26.0 knots cruise
• 261 nm @ 31.0 knots max

Azimut Fly 53 version 2022. *Data supplied by the manufacturer. View Full Test Results

Design & Build

Yes, style is subjective, but can anyone argue against the idea that this Azimut 53 is one of the most beautiful 50ft flys ever made? Mancini’s hand is obvious from the angular bow and clean sharp lines that run aft, metallic topsides and black style lines stretching the yacht out further, delivering an impressive sleekness. Of course, the demands of the market mean that an unsightly hard top is never too far away and even the aesthetically conscious Azimut has had to concede. If it were my boat, I'd be opting for the canvas bimini every day of the week. 

Keeping the profile low while delivering good interior volume is incredibly hard to do at this length. And deliver it they have. A quick look at the layout suggests all the right component parts are held within this sleek yacht. Three cabins, including a full-beam owner’s stateroom, are found below decks with an open, spacious saloon above, the galley aft design connecting the interior to the aft deck while also delivering a very practical galley that runs across the beam.

But then, nothing short of excellent would cut it in a market that includes several award-winning yachts from the likes of Absolute, Sunseeker, Princess and Ferretti.   

Form and Function

Azimut is, it seems, not only aware of the competition but also how much use yachts of this size get put to by their owner-operators. The interior reflects the serious cruising requirements of a 16m flybridge with masses of stowage and easy-going nature that you just know will be a joy to use. 

This being an Azimut, the practicalities of yachting life run alongside plenty of style. The new interiors we saw on the Grande Tri-Deck and 68 find a subtle home here, with dreamy, pastel soft furnishings, not a hard edge to be found and a choice of clean cool finishes or warmer oak cabinetry, detailed with copper inlays.

Interior Accommodation

The 53’s interior design is wonderfully relaxing, there are marshmallows less sumptuous than the saloon’s inviting facing sofas. To the main port seating, an electric pedestal allows the dining table to drop into an occasion berth, a useful feature on a cruising yacht. 

We are now so used to builders working in massive glass sections that they can almost be overlooked, as opposed to gratefully looked through. Here, the saloon guests will enjoy unbroken views across the water from single-piece side screens, or perhaps watch the pop-up TV to starboard. 

That said, the low window line means that taller people won't have a great view out when standing in the saloon. The window line is undeniably sleek but the views out aren't as good as board the likes of the Absolute 52 Fly and Princess F55. There's also an odd lack of ventilation. There's a small window above the galley, aft, but there is no way of getting any natural ventilation into the helm station - not even a manual sliding window - so it gets pretty uncomfortable on hot days. 

The 53’s galley design spreads across the aft of the main deck, creating not only a space you can actually cook in, but also lots of practicality, from a proper cabinet refrigerator and dishwasher to designated drawers for glassware and crockery. The beauty of this galley is how everything is so neatly concealed behind the oak panels of the cabinetry, many with satisfying push catches that reveal things like the microwave and storage for the boat's crockery. It's a very clean look.  The design doesn’t allow that complete inside-outside flow into the cockpit, that large fridge winning out over an adjoining window and bar, but it does connect up the saloon and deck easily enough.

Tri-cab triumph

The three cabins are all excellent, the light, relaxed feel of the saloon continuing with a neat twin guest cabin forward VIP that shares a toilet and shower compartment. The owner’s stateroom is full beam with the ensuite lying forward at the cabin entrance. There is also space for a washing machine across the way. 

The layout is interesting. Instead of having the central doorway into the VIP cabin with the day head to port, the day head/VIP ensuite is centrally located, leaving the entrance to the VIP cabin to port. This arrangement creates a more spacious bathroom and provides a separate passageway into the VIP through the head compartment. It also puts the day head closer to the twin cabin, which without its own ensuite will use the day head as its bathroom. Some boats at this size have bunks in the third cabin so it's nice to see side-by-side berths aboard the 53 Fly. 

The owner’s cabin is luxurious and clever in equal measure. Two smart strips of glass line the walls, with mirrors positioned to visually extend the window design and create a sense of even more space. The yacht’s sleek profile is perhaps felt a little in this cabin, with slightly less volume than say the Sunseeker Manhattan 55, but there is still full headroom around the double berth and space for a sofa, dressing area and, most impressively, a full-height walk-in wardrobe. 

Helm Station

The low brow of the windscreen means the view is a little restricted when standing at the lower helm but the adjustable seat makes it easy to get comfortable with a decent view forward thanks to thin windscreen mullions and the position of the wheel towards the centreline. The dash itself is stylish and attractive, dominated as it is upstairs by the comically large and thick steering wheel. 

Our boat had the Gold electronics package which provides 12in Garmin MFDs over the standard 9in ones and this is an investment worth making. It's good to see a remote keypad to control the screens on the dash as well as the touchscreen functionality which can be a bit tricky to use if the boat is bouncing around.  

The lack of ventilation is one issue at the lower helm but having no window to be able to communicate with crew limits the scenarios where you would want to moor the boat from here. When some rivals have full side doors it's not really good enough to have no windows around the helm at all. 

Upstairs there are few complaints. The seated position is excellent and the layout of the dash works very well indeed. Having the major controls on a long moulding to port means the skipper can sit back in their seat and reach the joystick, throttles and the remote for the twin MFDs really easily. The dash is clearly laid out and nice to look at, though it could do with a bit more storage for loose items.

Deck lifestyle

The flybridge is pretty clear on its focus, it’s not the biggest but it is very welcoming with a circular design that is perfect for loafing, lounging and generally enjoying the good life. A large sun pad forward is joined by a wraparound aft seat and fold-out bar-dining table that will also convert to a massive pad. In between, a useful wet bar will keep guests supplied with cold drinks. The optional electro-hydraulic bimini is the more pleasing option for the eye but many will fall for the versatility and ease of the hardtop, which has built-in lighting and a sliding canvas roof operated by a one-touch control on the upper helm. 

Down the flybridge stairs, the aft cockpit keeps things simple with an L-shaped bench and dining area, fender and warp storage below the seats. Even though there is no through window to the galley, it’s great that Azimut has chosen to still deliver a neat bar area, sat beneath the flybridge overhang, making the aft deck feel more sociable and sophisticated. The entire area can be enclosed with canopy covers to extend the living space in poor weather, too. 

At this length, a forward lounge is far from guaranteed and so it should be fully appreciated. This one has a separate seating area, the sunpad running down to the bow. The backrest mechanism is particularly smart and uses hinges and gas rams so you can quickly switch between the two positions. There is also the option for a shade sitting on carbon poles, a useful addition when in port or at anchor. 

At the stern, the hydraulic bathing platform will easily launch the tender (up to 500kg) or serve as a fun swim platform when the boat's at anchor. The transom also gives access to the crew cabin with a single bed and toilet, it could easily make up another occasional guest berth but is probably destined to be a high-end storage area. 

Value For Money

The Azimut 53 must rank as one of the smartest and most cohesive 50ft yachts on the market. In the 10m-15m market, we are seeing a move away from luxurious detail and craft, with builders employing clever if often blandly homogeneous production finishes. Here, the level of thought, design and finish on offer gets the luxury balance right and separates this yacht from what is a crowded market. So while there might be larger yachts in this sector, and some that can match the Azimut on the finish, few mix style, speed and space so effortlessly.

It feels like a quality product, too, not only in the obvious stuff like brightwork and interior finish but the engine room is one of the best in the sector with plenty of space to work on the engines, a very neat installation and some useful extras like a freshwater hose and a pair of wandering lights that attach to the ceiling for easy illumination of the darker corners. 

The base price for a 53 is €1.1 million ex VAT (at the time of writing) but our test boat had around €500,000 of extras including the hard top, Seakeeper, Gold navigation package, crew cabin fit-out, uprated generator and air-conditioning meaning the price as tested was €1.72 million ex VAT (at the time of writing). 

To use a boxing analogy, a 50ft flybridge might well be the best pound-for-pound cruiser out there. Big and heavy enough to be comfortable in most seas, it is still agile and rewarding to drive, offers three good cabins over a 40-footer’s two but is just as easy to self-pilot. The Azimut 53 does all of this and adds some breathtaking design that will look good forever, but, importantly, never forgets that while it is a luxury yacht it is also one that is destined to be used, and you will definitely enjoy using this boat. It's a shame about the lack of ventilation in the saloon and the view aft from the flybridge but there's still a lot to like about this fabulously stylish flybridge cruiser. 

Reasons to Buy

• Handsome design
• Handling and performance
• Well proportioned cabins
• Excellent engine room

Things to Consider

• Lack of ventilation in the saloon
• Poor view aft from upper helm

There is no lack of fast, spacious 50ft flybridge yachts, with all the big players involved, which is why any new boat coming to market needs to go hard or go home. You can demand and win 30knots, three cabins, bright glass-clad salons and spacious decks from any number of builders and with a good deal of variation on price. What you won't always enjoy is the style and beauty on offer here, but we shall leave that subjective point to the beholder. 

The award-winning Sunseeker Manhattan 55 is an obvious rival, big on space and luxury it is arguably the class leader. Azimut’s old adversity, Ferretti , has the clean and serene 550, a larger yacht with crisp Italian style and inside and a very similar layout to the 53.     

The Princess F55 is another close rival, and notably longer yacht, with the same layout on and below decks and a similarly light and welcoming style. The British boat has a big flybridge with masses of seating.

The Absolute 52 Fly and Galeon 530 Fly offer clever deck and interior spaces and more bombastic styling but they are unlikely to be as dynamically sweet as the Azimut. 

It is to the Azimut 53’s credit that all of its main three-cabin rivals are longer boats. Half a meter might not sound much but it counts for a lot on interior volume, so Azimut and its design team are to be congratulated for delivering this amount of easy-living yacht under 17m (55ft).    

Specifications & Performance

• Builder Azimut
• Range Fly Collection
• Model Azimut Fly 53
• Length Overall 55.052ft
• Beam 16.24ft
• Draft 4.626ft
• Yacht Type (Primary) Flybridge
• Use Type (Primary) Cruising
• Cruising Speed Max Speed
• Fuel Capacity 634 Gallons
• Fresh Water Capacity 156 Gallons
• Engine Model 2x Volvo Penta D11-IPS950

Performance Data

Azimut Fly 53 version 2022. *Data supplied by the manufacturer.

Test Engines Twin Volvo Penta D11-IPS950

• Liters Per Hour
• Liters Per Mile
•   CRUISE

Azimut Fly 53 Layout

A simple, social, circular design wraps around the flybridge with a forward sunpad and an aft lounge and dining area that will convert to another pad 

The salon has a galley aft design, with a slightly raised lounge forward. On deck, an L-shaped seating area is joined by a neat bar in the cockpit, while forward another lounge area will be a great spot in port     

The full-beam Owner's stateroom and forward VIP will get the headlines but the fact the third cabin has twin berths, rather than bunks, is a key point. An optional aft crew or occasional cabin can also be specified

Jack Haines

Jack is YachtBuyer's Reviews Director. He is a writer, editor and presenter with 15 years’ experience testing over 350 motorboats of all shapes and sizes, from 20ft RIBs to 120ft yachts (and even the Royal Navy Frigate HMS Sutherland ). 

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Azimut Yachts 55 Reviewed

• By Yachting Staff
• Updated: December 10, 2018

I was in a trance gazing out the portside window of the Azimut 55’s full-beam master stateroom. As I stared at a turquoise sea off Savona, Italy, it was easy to understand why the builder had included the rectangular-shaped glass. Rain fell in earnest from an ominous sky, with an army of droplets landing on the yacht, but the gray-carpeted stateroom made the space feel cozy. Gray zebrawood veneers contrasted with dark oak, brass and steel accents, and fabric-covered walls, creating a contemporary ambience. Soft white LEDs instilled a warm feeling. The only thing missing was a cappuccino and a good book. That I felt so relaxed and happy on such a lousy weather day is a testament to Azimut’s skill in building boats with smart living spaces. The Azimut 55 is the latest example of the builder’s ability to use nuanced design decisions to great effect. The 55’s master is outfitted with a double berth offset at a 45-degree angle, increasing the sense of volume and floor space. There’s a four-drawer dresser under the portside window, but given the view and the fact that there are a couple of hanging lockers and underberth stowage, I would forgo the dresser for an optional settee here to take full advantage of the serene scene. The en suite head has a Tecma toilet, a stall shower, and a sink with a rosewood marble countertop.

Two more staterooms include a forepeak VIP with a double berth, also kept bright with hullside glass and an overhead hatch. The VIP has an en suite head that serves as the day-head via a companionway door. Abaft and to starboard of the VIP is the third stateroom, with twin berths. Should an owner have a captain, there’s an optional cabin with a single berth abaft the engine room. Owner-operators can use the crew space for stowage.

The contemporary feel of the belowdecks area carries into the salon, which has a dark oak sole contrasting dramatically with lighter-tone gray zebrawood on the cabinetry. Indirect lighting and brass strips accent the cabinetry and soften the look. Again, I felt welcomed on such a gray day.

Her salon is set up for social gatherings with a sofa for two directly abaft the starboard-side helm station, which itself has two seats. Across is C-shaped seating with a fixed table, keeping everyone in the conversation. With seven people on board during my sea trial, I could see that the seating arrangement worked well.

While sunshine was nonexistent, the main-deck interior was bright thanks to nearly 360 degrees of glass: two forward windows, eyebrow-shaped side windows that stretch the length of the superstructure, and a glass door that, when open, connects the covered aft deck and salon. All that glass, from the outside, enhances the 55’s relatively low profile too. (The yacht’s air draft is 17 feet 3 inches to the top of the radar arch.)

The Azimut 55’s L-shaped galley aft is geared for serious meal prep with a four-burner Miele electric cooktop, Miele microwave/convection oven, Dometic stand-up refrigerator and freezer, and two sinks. When the cockpit glass doors are open, the galley becomes the social hub at cocktail hour.

Out on the water, the wicked weather created a quick, short chop, but the 55 dispatched the sea with malice. She has a sabrelike bow for slicing through a seaway. Her planing hull form’s deadrise transitions to a moderate 21 degrees amidships and then to 12 degrees at the transom, creating a stable ride.

It’s a ride made even more stable thanks to the standard Zipwake trim system, which uses interceptor tabs to adjust automatically for pitch and roll. The setup is plug-and-play, and the interceptors mount flat to the hull, adjusting up or down as needed. The system also minimizes performance-sapping drag. To make it all work, an owner plugs the boat’s specifications (length overall, beam, displacement) into the Zipwake system. The software does the rest. I’ve run several boats with Zipwake in a variety of sea conditions and found it intuitive and effective.

Combine the 55’s steady ride with smooth handling from the standard SeaStar electric steering, and you get confidence-inspiring wheel time. It’s sporty wheel time too, with the 55’s 800 hp i6 MAN diesels. These diesels, the only engine option, gave my test yacht an average top hop of 30.5 knots at 2,350 rpm, which is within 50 rpm of the engines’ top-end rating. At a 2,000 rpm cruise, the 55 jogged along the brine at about 23.5 knots with 25 percent fuel and 75 percent water in the tanks.

Running at cruise speed, the MANs burned 56.8 gph. Considering a 10 percent reserve on the yacht’s 673-gallon fuel tank, the yacht has an effective range of around 251 nautical miles. At wide-open throttle, fuel burn climbs to 81 gph and range drops to 228 nautical miles.

The relentless rain prevented me from running the 55 from the flybridge, where there is a second helm station beneath a sunroof-equipped hardtop. I suspect it would be a fun place to be at speed on a sunny day.

Six teak-covered steps provide access to the flybridge, which is also a party spot with C-shaped seating and a teak table to starboard, and a sun pad forward of it. Across is the single-seat helm. The flybridge overhang extends over the cockpit, increasing deck space aft for a table and a couple of settees for sundowners with friends.

There would be no top-deck sundowners on this day, but the Azimut 55 performed solidly in the slop, always felt sturdy underfoot, boasted an impressive array of new technologies and had a next-generation aesthetic for the builder’s seven-model flybridge line. It’s a combination that should shine in any weather.

The 55’s teak-covered, hydraulic swim platform measures about 49 square feet and accommodates a Williams 285 Turbojet tender. There’s a retractable swim ladder, and a passerelle is available for boarding when Med-moored.

Broad Range

Azimut’s flybridge fleet consists of seven models ranging from 42 to 80 feet length overall. The builder also has the three-model S collection from 60 to 77 feet. The S collection has a similar hull form to the Azimut 55, but in an express-cruiser layout. Azimut calls its smaller express-cruiser series the Atlantis collection, from 34 to 51 feet. For explorers, there’s the four-model, trawler-looking Magellano fleet from 43 to 76 feet. And then there’s the five-model Grande range from 87 feet to 144 feet for those looking to make the mega-yacht move.

Outdoor Matters

Azimut says the idea behind the 55’s foredeck sun-pad space was to create a cocoon feeling. It’s an idea that is best illustrated when the retractable Bimini top is up for some shade from the rays. The sun pad’s backrest is adjustable to form a chaise lounge too.

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AZIMUT City Hotel Smolenskaya Moscow is a 23-store business-class hotel in the center of Moscow. The hotel is located in the historical building of the former Belgrade Hotel of Soviet era on Smolenskaya Square, near the Arbat and the Red Square. After a large-scale reconstruction, the building retained the style of Soviet modernism, but at the same time it looks ultramodern and fashionable.

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