The Azimut 56 is a 56-foot luxury flybridge motoryacht that was launched by the Italian boat builder in 2015. Built by the Azimut Brazil team at the firm’s new shipyard in Itajai, Santa Catarina, this yacht is designed to appeal to the firm’s rapidly growing Latin American customer base who prize outdoor living space, a contemporary, laid-back style and the ability for owner-operators to pilot in a range of coastal conditions.
A sleek Stefano Righini exterior boasts plenty of curves, geometric windows and signature glazed fins for an eye-catching look. The flybridge is supported at the rear by stainless steel pillars to allow it to extend all the way to stern. This creates an extensive living space large enough for a U-shaped, hand-stitched leather dining sofa, a teak breakfast table, a cocoon-style sunpad lounge, an upper helm station and space at the back for dinghy storage or more seating. There is also room up here for a wet-bar console with an icemaker and a Teflon grill, sheltered from the elements thanks to a hard-top with a retractable sunroof.
One level down and it appears that not an inch of space has gone to waste aboard the Azimut 56. Out on the foredeck there is a low-slung Portuguese bridge-style sofa with room for up to five guests, as well as a sunpad with marina-facing views. Side decks enclosed by stainless steel guardrails lead back towards a spacious, teak-lined aft deck with a transom sofa, space for an outdoor dining table and side steps towards an extending hydraulic bathing platform. There is also a timber passarelle down here, and a transom door to a rear crew quarters that can also be used to store water tenders.
Carlo Galeazzi interiors, meanwhile, pair dark-toned oak and walnut with light leather and cream carpeting for a contemporary and minimalist atmosphere. The aft salon boasts plenty of cabinet space and a U-shaped sofa, while a step or two leads up towards a port-side dining sofa with a teak table and the starboard helm station. The helm is fitted with a bespoke leather-clad steering wheel, thruster controls and Raymarine electronics, while plenty of glazing on the sides and on the sloping windshield offer superb visibility.
In line with Brazilian tastes, the kitchen galley is located on the lower deck, and features Avonite or marble worktops, Miele appliances and an American style fridge-freezer. Though compact in size, it sits across from a starboard dinette where one can enjoy leisurely breakfasts, though many owners choose to turn this into a twin bunk berth. At the bow there is a double stateroom with its own en suite and knife-insert windows, while positioned amidship is a full-beam owner’s stateroom with three-pane mullions, a king-sized bed, a loveseat and plenty of storage. Azimut Yachts are constantly pushing the envelope.
You can expect to see the Azimut 56 outpacing its rivals on Guanabara Bay thanks to a pair of Volvo Penta D11 engines with top speeds in excess of 32 knots. A V-shape hull with a 12-degree aft deadrise, meanwhile, proves both durable and slippery as it glides across the waves, and a fuel tank holding some 2,200 liters of diesel will keep you going for days on end.