The sea trial was pubblished on Superyacht 56 – Winter 2018
Azimut Yachts’s new flag ship boasts volumes usually found on much larger models thanks to cutting edge solutions.
Presented at Autumn’s yacht shows, Azimut Grande 35 Metri built at the Avigliana shipyard is the brand’s new flagship. It’s main feature, as the others of the Collezione Grande, is the notable volume of the interiors which are equal to those of much larger yachts, thanks to wide body configuration which has been designed perfectly for the superstructure by Stefano Righini.
It sports slender flowing lines enhanced by the presence of floor to ceiling window like ports. The wide body solution adopted requires advanced technology. This means deploying weight saving carbon fibre in the construction of this model’s wider superstructure without increasing weight. This is an evident advantage which not only affects liveability inside but also concerns stability of the yacht since the bulk of the weight is concentrated towards the hull which in this case is a D2P developed by Pierluigi Ausonio with Azimut Benetti’s research and development department which well blends the typical comfort of displacing hulls with the performance of planing ones.
Thanks to a “wave piercer” bulb the D2P hull can reach notable speeds with less powerful engines which translates into longer ranges. Talking with numbers, a pair of MTU 16V 2000 M93 2,400 HP engines installed on Azimut Grande 35 Metri can reach an estimated top speed of 25.5 knots with a maximum cruising speed of 21. At 12 knots it can cover 1,500 nautical miles. At this speed the yacht is highly comfortable as the hull shape has been optimized to offer the best compromise in the range of the most commonly used speeds by displacing and semi-displacing hulls.
Returning for a moment on Righini’s functional design, the superstructure in addition to being wide body also sports a Raised Pilot Saloon (RPH) configuration with the helm controls station installed higher up, which means guests can enjoy more room along the main deck which is completed by a hard top delivering a surface area of nearly 30 square metres which are ideal for another sun deck. It blends unobtrusively with the yachts lines and silhouette.
Much attention has been given to external spaces as well, for these comprise a 30 square metre lounge in the bow area furnished with sofas, sun pads galore, and a hydro-massage tub. A 12 square metre beach club area with a pivoting platform can be enjoyed by moving the 5 metre tender and jet ski to one side of the garage.
Achille Salvagni listed in AD Collector’s top 100 designers initialled the interiors which feature contemporary but not common place styling. The whole of the interior spaces convey serenity, calm and refined charm. The decor’s fil rouge is the play between dark and polished essences, opposing eggshell opaque ones interspersed by treated brass, bronze and polished steel inserts.
The layout of some of the furniture is original beginning with a large sofa situated at the centre of the main saloon which is contoured by self standing ornamental elements which do not interfere with bulkheads and floor to ceiling window like ports. The bow section along the main deck hosts the owner’s grand suite. The bed which is placed at centre conveys a sense of airy lightness to the whole ensemble while the private terrace captures some of the lion’s share, thanks to a refined mechanism, a portion of the floor to ceiling window like port descends vertically to the toe rail level, as the terrace floor slides out from under the suite’s flooring with pop up protective stanchions creating an instant balcony overlooking the sea.
Moving amidships we come to a large lobby featuring a helical shaped stairway enriched by slim backlit onyx steps flanked with lacquered white and mother of pearl sides which lead to the lower deck hosting two VIP suites and two guest cabins with bathroom while the crew’s quarters are clearly separated from the guests’ lodgings and are accessed via a separate entrance in the bow.
Every detail has been object of great attention. Azimut Yachts has also reduced engine noise levels with clever engineering deploying sophisticated decibel indicators capable of foreseeing, right from project phase, the intensity of possible vibration which may be encountered while cruising. This process derives from the field of aviation and has been modified accordingly.
For further information: Azimut
by Daniele Carnevali