116 Grande
The Azimut 50 Flybridge is a 53-foot flybridge yacht first launched by the Viareggio, Italy-based brand in 2014. The yacht became an instant classic on its debut, thanks to a sleek exterior designed by Stefano Righini, high-speed performance out on the water, and the exceptional amount of space on offer relative to the yacht’s size. The 50 Flybridge was awarded the title of “European Power Boat of the Year” at the 2015 International Boat Show held in Dusseldorf, a prize handed out by the editors of the most revered nautical magazines in Europe.
The 188-square-foot flybridge is said to be the largest in its class, and packs plenty of al fresco relaxation and entertaining room up top. The starboard side of the bridge is given over to a modular seating space that includes a U-shaped sofa surrounding a coffee table as well as a generously proportioned fold-out sunpad. To port there is a comfortable helm chair and a complete helm station including navigational equipment from Raymarine. The open rear half of the flybridge is given over to your imagination, and can be fitted with further seating, a spa pool jacuzzi or perhaps a wetbar setting. Azimut Yachts does an excellent job with its social areas on board every model.
Main deck living space is comprised of a foredeck with a Portuguese bridge-style sofa and a sunpad, while a sheltered aft-deck with a U-shaped transom sofa and steps down to an extending swimming platform. There is also access on the aft deck to a rear crew quarters with a private head for those who require it. Carlo Galeazzi-designed interiors await you as you step inside through sliding tempered-glass doors into an aft salon of restrained and muted tones. A pair of sofas hug the sides of the salon, leaving room for a centre-piece coffee table, before a couple of steps up lead you to the port kitchen galley, stocked with Miele appliances and topped with laminated work surfaces. To starboard there are a pair of handstitched leather helm seats that benefit from supreme visibility out of side windows and a sloping panoramic windscreen.
The lower deck arrangement makes the most of out of the yacht’s limited dimensions to provide three bedrooms, including a master stateroom to the bow and an amidship owner’s stateroom that is a full-beam masterpiece. Here you will slowly fall asleep on a king-sized island bed, wake up to the sunlight streaming through the mullioned side windows and refresh yourself in a spacious en-suite bathroom. The Azimut 50 Flybridge can also be customized to place the kitchen galley on the lower deck to open up the main deck to more seating, though this is at the expense of lower deck closet room.
A pair of Volvo Penta D11 engines with 725 horsepower can propel the Azimut 50 Flybridge to top speeds of 32 knots, with comfortable cruising speeds in the range of 26 knots. The yacht features a hard-chine planing hull with a variable deadrise designed by Pierluigi Ausonio for increased lift and reduced roll whatever the conditions you encounter.
