Usain Bolt takes on a top athlete, the new Azimut 64

Dynasty. That’s the word one might use to describe Azimut’s flybridge line. For one special quality: that of profiting from an outstanding history and transforming each success into the basis for a new challenge. Today that dynasty is enriched with a new model: the Azimut 64. A yacht over 20 meters long, the natural heir to the Azimut 62, a model rewarded with unprecedented sales success: 200 units sold worldwide. Stylistic innovation, an exceptional level of safety, and excellent navigability: the Azimut 64 reinterprets and updates the strong points that made the 62’s commercial feat possible.

The originality and sportiness of the design are apparent at the very first glance. The lines of the deckhouse exude elegance and harmony, with bold windows made more aggressive by the fin of the flybridge that emerges at the level of the saloon. The mirror-finish glass placed on the roll bar further refines what is already perfect.

Safety is certified by homologation in Class A: or to put it differently, Azimut 64 can tackle any sea and weather conditions. The hull and structures have been designed striving for the best balance between traditional and innovative composite materials (like carbon fibre) and then realized through the infusion process to ensure greater sturdiness in the points of greatest stress. At the same time, they reduce the hull’s weight, allowing the two 1150 hp Caterpillar engines to achieve better performances and savings on consumption.

The access door to the crew cabin is watertight, with a sideways opening and electrically controlled unlocking. The furnishings have been designed in their ergonomics and shapes to afford maximum comfort during moments of relaxation and to facilitate the movement of guests and crew through the inclusion of handrails in all rooms, along walkways and stairs and on overhead surfaces.

The boat’s manoeuvrability and seaworthiness have been enhanced as well to make sailing even more pleasurable. The Azimut 64 is equipped with an Easy Docking system and Seakeeper gyrostabilizers that reduce roll by up to 80%, both with the boat at anchor and underway. The helm station features excellent ergonomics, with a double seat and power-assisted back, a height-adjustable steering wheel placed in the middle of the instrument panel to provide full control of the onboard instrumentation, a spacious windscreen and electrically operated side windows for maximum visibility.

The Azimut 64 is also a new reference standard in terms of space organization and the systematic search for style and comfort, with expanded volumes and enhanced luminosity. The flybridge is the most complete in the category and every competitive edge translates into benefits for the owner. Unique in the segment is the new-generation hardtop with a bimini that can be kept closed during navigation up to top speed. The elegant structure is open aft and on the sides, ensuring extensive protection against the sun’s rays but remaining airy and without barriers: this turns the upper deck into a space that can be enjoyed throughout the day, even during the warmest hours.

For its dimensions and amenities, the flybridge of the Azimut 64 lays claim to being the boat’s heart, the centre of gravity for the passions of the owner and his guests, and an area devoted to relaxation and socializing. Merit here also goes to the forward sunbathing area and the table served by a comfortable sofa and a well-equipped barbecue unit. And finally, the aft area can be customized to hold either two chaise longues or the tender (to allow installation of a jet-ski on the lift swim platform).

The cockpit shows itself to be extremely spacious and functional. The saloon is at the centre of a crossroads of light streaming in from the large windows and the three-leaf folding glass door. The galley, richly equipped with a marble countertop, electrical appliances, cooktop and sink, can be completely hidden from view by a leather-covered retractable top that folds like a compass and offers an additional support point in the living area. The eight-place dining table is surrounded on three sides by the dinette. The sofa section facing the two-seat helm station shares with it the power-assisted back with controls on the instrument console, which is designed to slide back and forth to serve either the saloon area or the pilot.

The stairway that descends to the accommodation area, positioned immediately beneath the windscreen, offers generous dimensions for easy passage between the two decks in addition to the bright lighting of the rooms below. Framed by the light, the extraordinary interior spaces offered by the Azimut 64 display the full level of comfort for which they were designed.

On the lower deck, each centimetre gained thanks to the optimization of the structures and to the innovative design of the passageways dedicated to the technical connections is transformed into pure comfort. The area devoted to the owner is a temple of relaxation and functionality.

Four large windows illuminate a room that also finds space for a dinette and two comfortable sofas. The storage spaces are maximized, as testified by the lift-up double bed offering space for voluminous luggage. The bathroom is placed so as to provide insulation from the engine compartment for greater acoustic comfort in the owner’s suite and has a shower stall that is separate from the rest of the room.

The VPI cabin, located in the bow, has been studied in the smallest detail to achieve maximum storage space and a top-of-the-category bath with a shower stall. The volume design also made it possible to have a large, comfortable crew cabin, which on the Azimut 64 is particularly spacious to afford well-deserved repose to reward the effort that goes into making the owner’s vacation as agreeable as possible.

The sober elegance that characterizes every piece of furniture and surface on board is the result of a stylistic choice that favours pickled oak and matches it with brown lacquered finishes. Natural leather covers the surfaces of shelves, tables, writing desks and furniture.

The bed frames, sofas and seats throughout the yacht are completed by a covering at shoulder height which has an ergonomic function and increases the effect of softness and roundness of the furnishings, to which an original lighting design also contributes. The illumination dispenses with direct lights for a softer diffused effect produced by longitudinal lighting strips.

Azimut Yachts