New Boats - Azimut’s Big Fly
With a whole bunch of Euro yards vying for the top 42-foot flybridge crown, Italian builder Azimut has done a bit of a sneaky one and launched a 45-footer (45ft3in to be exact).
Getting it’s world debut against the glamorous backdrop of Venice (as a surefire way to encourage us hacks to deliver positive press, it’s right up there with brown envelopes full of cash and scantily clad models feeding you champagne by the bucket), Azimut’s new 45 marries the marque’s own brand of Italian style with a huge, flexible flybridge area.
One of a clutch of “unique” yachts to emerge from Europe recently (forgive me while I trip over my own irony), the 45 also takes an innovative look at the interior layout, pushing the galley down and to port, and raising the interior helm to starboard. If I sound a little cynical, you should ignore me — I am actually a big fan of the Azimut range, and this new addition to the fleet looks like it could make a very interesting proposition.
The flybridge covers more than 12m² and features a modular design that allows for a variety of arrangements including a C- or L-shaped sofa with dining table to a full sunworshiper’s paradise, all designed around the idea of carrying 10 people up top between sunpads, seating and the flybridge helm. A skylight forward allows for communication with anyone down below, while the main deck aft cockpit, entirely covered as it is by the flybridge, becomes a shaded outside area for those wanting to avoid the sun, or a sheltered al fresco area when the heavens open. This cockpit even features a foldaway table incorporated into the sofa, and a fridge or icemaker can also be housed down here.
The main saloon area features twin sofas that become an additional double berth, when your friends refuse to get off, and the raised helm forward means that the big midships cabin below gets extra volume — not to mention large, panoramic hull windows.
The master cabin is set in the bows, and a three-cabin option means a total of eight guests could stay onboard. The location of the galley allows for a long worktop — a whopping 3.2m long since you’re asking — yet it is not so tucked away that you can’t continue to interact with people sitting at the dinette or the helm.
Power comes from twin 480hp Cummins engines, and while drive is conventional shafts, the yacht comes with a joystick control system allowing for easy manoeuvring in tight spots. A sporty hull means a top speed of around 32kts with a cruise speed at a respectable 27kts, and she will also look quite quick even when you’re going nowhere, thanks to her Stefano Righini-style profile. Hmmm. Perhaps I don’t need the models or the brown envelopes after all. — Tim Thomas
Photos: Azimut trumps other Euro yards, releasing a new 45-foot Flybridge.