116 Azimut 2007

Source: Simona, Topspeed.com

While the size of 116 Azimut will amaze you, what will win you over completely are the elegance of line and the harmony of design of this mega luxury yacht. Experience the excitement of a planning hull, with all the privileges only an admiral can grants.

Although they shared a common hull, superstructure, and mechanical system design, the two versions of the Azimut 116 that we toured in May were as different as could be. While one was traditional, the other was ultramodern minimalist, with a gray leather interior and exposed industrial style lighting, designed by architect Mauicio Gomez de Tuddo.

That is the point with this largest of the Azimut yachts: you can have it your way, while still benefiting from the sound underlying engineering that is standard with Azimut . As examples, both yachts carried a sensible combined fire and bilge system with two pumps and crossover valves, both had numerous electrical sub-panels throughout for convenience and efficiency, and both had heavy safety collars around their V-drive stub shafts.

And what a facility this is with yachts on the scale of the 116-footer virtually rolling off a production line. Working at that scale, you have to get things right from the start and this 116 has all the right credentials. For the main design work Azimut has used their long-term partner, Stefano Righini; for the interior, Carlo Galeazzi has masterminded the style. The result reflects Italian super yacht elegance at its very best. There is nothing here that will change the world as far as yacht design is concerned but then there is nothing that will go out of fashion quickly. This design is timeless, it is elegant, it is Azimut.

From the outside this design is more super yacht than production yacht. The confident sweep of the profile is emphasized by the teak-capping on the low bulwarks and the imperious super yacht style of the rails.

The long run of the flybridge caters to every relaxing need. Toss your prawns on the barbecue, handy to the bar counter. Toss yourself on one of the sun beds surrounding a Jacuzzi pool. Fling yourself overboard – at the appropriate time and place, that is via the diving board fastened to the rails for those who want to take to the sea in style. Settees and teak tables offer options for alfresco dining. The top helm tucked into the port corner puts the captain within sociable reach, and has all the equipment required for the control of this yacht.

The angled wheel is flanked by an extensive array of screens that provide all the information for monitoring, control and navigation, run through a central touch screen. Putting all a yacht’s systems on one screen is a growing trend, one that the jury will be out on for awhile yet, but it is development on which Azimut is way out in front.

The master stateroom is a delight. Its triple large oval ports on both sides give natural light; these opening ports are large enough to provide an airy atmosphere.

On the run up the coast, the land was a misty blue in the early morning Mediterranean light. Traveling in considerable comfort, we passed Carrara, source of the beautiful marble found on board. Then it was on past La Spezia and Cinque Terre before Portofino and St. Marguerita loomed up. It was a voyage past some of the most beautiful parts of the Italian coastline and we were in a yacht that seemed in complete harmony with the scenery and the history of the region, a yacht that featured the shipbuilding craftsmanship that has existed here for centuries.

This was sea travel in real style with the 116 providing all the luxury and comfort you could desire. It is a motoryacht that feels reassuringly saft in the Mediterranean environment and it looks like one that will transfer well to U.S. waters.

At 116 feet, Azimut’s new flagship represents a major leap forward for the yacht builder – and not just in size.
Italy’s Azimut’s yachts leads the world in volume production of series motor yachts, from a relatively diminutive 39 footer to its most recent debut, a refreshingly new design of 116 feet.

Typically Azimut’s designs are the product of the successful stylist/design team of Stefano Righini and Carlo Galeazzi. However, hull numbr one of Azimut’s new 116 foot series breaks this long standing collaboration by incorporating interior styling by Mauricio Gomez de Tuddo of Mexico City. In doing so, the builder forged a new dimension for customized decor that is well beyond the options the company typically offers for its product lines. This came about in part because the yacht’s four Mexican owners commissioned architect de Tuddo to produce a uniquely styled accommodations plan.

The yacht’s owners wanted the reliability and marketability of a series-production boat, but they also wanted one with an entirely unique appearance. They were attracted to Azimut in part because the company offers broad options for its accommodations, offering even to move the engines farther aft and connect propeller shafts through V-drives to increase cabin space. These owners took advantage of the company’s flexibility, resulting in a collaborative product that has a big custom yacht feel.

While it is unusual for Azimut to launch a new model with such a customized interior, it was a step the semi-production builder was willing to take to make a statement, both about customization and the capabilities of its craftsmen. Hulls two and three, already well under construction in the yard’s new Viareggio shed, will feature Galeazzi’s typical cherry interiors with more traditional ambiance…”