The Azimut Flybridge 68 is a 68-foot luxury motor yacht with a flybridge that was launched by the iconic Italian yacht-building firm Azimut in late 2021. Designers Alberto Mancini and Achille Salvagni worked in tandem to give this yacht a sleek and modern look with a swept-back, carbon-fiber superstructure, a sharp bow-entry and best-in-class aerodynamics. A metallic bronzed livery, reams of tinted glazing, laid-back outdoor lounge areas and modish interiors, meanwhile, make this one of the most stylish cruisers on the market today. It should come as no surprise, then, to discover that this watercraft won the award for “Best Layout” at the 2021 World Yacht Trophies held in Cannes, nor that it was nominated for a slew of other prizes.
A floating hard-top with a retractable sunroof sits over an elegant teak-lined flybridge that has been split into three distinct zones that reflect your personality. Alongside the upper helm and snugly positioned behind a tinted, wrap-around windscreen is a forward sunpad in plush upholstery, while behind this there is a dining sofa with an extending timber table and a walk-in wet-bar with a curved wooden serving platform, marbled work surfaces and amenities like a sink, an ice-chipper, chilled storage and a grill. To the rear of the bridge there is a laid-back sun-pad area in unabashed sunlight ideal for working on your tan and soaking up the views.
The foredeck lounge has to be the biggest in its class, boasting enough room for the entire family to laze in decadent comfort all afternoon long. Towards the bow there is a triple-width sofa with pull-out cushions and a bespoke coffee table, while facing the marina is a vast sunbed with cushioned backrests and the opportunity for a trio of guests to curl up with a good book. The aft-cockpit, meanwhile, is a more shaded affair, featuring a sheltered transom sofa that curls around an outdoor dining table, a wet-bar console and side steps down to a full-beam hydraulic bathing platform and access to the crew quarters.
Demure interiors present a light and laid-back approach to life at sea, with materials including fluted timber walls, pale oak surrounds, glossy hardwood accents, ergonomic seating options in textured upholstery, plenty of vivacious curves and steel-framed cinema-screen glazing. To aft in the main-deck salon there is an L-shaped sofa, a love-seat and a coffee-table, while further forward there is a U-shaped dining sofa with a table and, to starboard, a galley that can be open or enclosed. At the front of the main-deck there’s a comprehensive set of helm controls with two leather piloting seats, Penta joystick handling, Active Trim Control, Garmin touch-screens, a high-speed compass, thruster controls, VHF radio and power-steering.
There’s sleeping quarters for up to eight overnight guests across four plush staterooms on the lower-deck, with a twin cabin and a bunk-berth occupying the middle portion of the hull and sharing a bathroom with a shower. A VIP stateroom to the bow boasts a queen-sized island bed, two full-height lockers and a lavish bathroom, while a full-beam master stateroom sits amidship. This palatial suite includes a queen-sized island-bed with bedside cabinets, a side sofa, an optional work-desk, a vast armoire and a bathroom with a granite sole, marbled surfaces, a vanity mirror and a wet-room shower.
A medium-V hull design by Pierluigi Ausonio boasts an RCD category A certificate for genuine offshore cruising, while a pair of 1000HP Volvo D13 IPS1350 diesel engines will deliver top speeds of up to 32 knots. Settle in to an economy cruise of 23 knots to enjoy a horizon-busting range of 296 nautical miles with plenty left in reserve.