116 Grande
The Azimut 70 is a 70-foot luxury flybridge motor yacht that was launched by the Avigliana, Italy-based firm back in 2008. Boasting super-yacht characteristics such as plentiful outdoor space and a four-stateroom layout on the lower deck, the Azimut 70 remains one of the most popular vessels ever launched by Azimut Yachts. A sleek and curvaceous Stefano Righini exterior features glazed fins, cresting wave windows, cutaway bulwarks and gel-coated fiberglass, and is paired with a sedate and stylish Carlo Galeazzi-designed interior with an emphasis on contemporary luxury. The Azimut 70 was an immediate hit with industry insiders when released to the public, winning the title for “Most Innovative Boat” at the 2008 World Yacht Trophies held in Cannes, and it is not hard to see why.
The open-top flybridge on this model extends all the way to the stern for a sense of unrivalled spaciousness, and its teak-lined deck hosts room at the rear for a sunlounge or tender storage with a crane. Positioned centrally is a U-shaped leather sofa surrounding a dining table, directly across from an L-shaped wet-bar console with an icemaker and an electric grill. Up front there is the upper helm station with its own sofa-style piloting seat, along with a cocoon-style sunpad where up to six guests can idle away for hours in direct sunshine. One level down and the generous outdoor space continues, with a sunpad for up to four situated out on the elongated foredeck. At the rear there is a sheltered aft-deck with a breakfast table and a transom sofa, as well as side steps down to a teak-lined hydraulic swimming platform. Also located at the rear of the vessel is a transom door for access to a private crew quarters that can host up to three members of staff.
The internal cockpit is accessed via sliding glass doors from the aft deck, and is a symphony of refined Italian aesthetics in glazed coconut wood, pickled-oak, plush carpeting, brown leather and piped upholstery. A rear salon boasts a huge U-shaped sofa with room for up to 9 guests, as well as curved cabinetry to port. A few steps forward leads you to a dinette with a U-shaped dining sofa and a semi-enclosed walk-in galley room with marble worktops, Miele appliances, a stainless steel double sink, a four-zone ceramic range and a combination oven. At the front of the cockpit there are steps down to the lower deck and a port-side helm station fitted with Raymarine electronics, a trim-tab joystick, thruster controls and power steering.
Four en suite staterooms occupy the lower-deck level of the Azimut 70, and include a pair of twins, a master stateroom to the bow with a hanging closet, and a show-piece owner’s stateroom amidship. This full-beam room features four-pane mullioned windows on either side, a walk-in dressing room, a pair of armchairs, a work-desk or vanity station, a king-sized island bed and a large marble-clad bathroom with a timber-lined walk-in shower cubicle.
One could be forgiven for thinking that the Azimut 70 is a mere floating palace, but this vessel hides some serious power in the engine room. A pair of MAN V12 1400MHP engines provide top speeds of around 33 knots, with consistent cruising speeds of 27 knots. A V-shaped planing hull provides excellent balance out at sea, while a fuel tank holding 4800 liters of diesel provides plenty of spare capacity for those longer, island-hopping trips.
