116 Grande
The Azimut 71 is a 71-foot luxury motor yacht with a flybridge that was produced by the Avigliana, Italy-based firm from the late 1980s through to 1992. A vintage model with classic Italian looks, the 71 ushered in a new era for Azimut when launched by pioneering the use of many luxury yacht characteristics that are now taken for granted, such as an expansive fly-bridge, foredeck lounge space and a sleek, fiberglass superstructure. Still incredibly popular on the used and charter markets, the Azimut 71 is an enduringly seaworthy vessel that has truly stood the test of time.
The flybridge is large enough to host a U-shaped dining sofa that surrounds a fiberglass breakfast table, a wet-bar console, an outdoor barbecue grill and a pair of upper helm seats. There is also room to the rear of the flybridge for tender storage with a crane, capable of holding a jet-ski and a dinghy. One level down and you will find a teak-lined aft deck hosting an outdoor dining table and side seats that includes a cutaway transom for ladder access down to a hydraulic bathing platform with a metal grill surface. Out on the foredeck there is a double sunpad, ideal for hours spent sunbathing in the summer months.
Access to the air-conditioned, main-deck cockpit is through rear sliding glass doors with bulky and durable stainless-steel frames. Here you will discover an aft salon with glossy cherrywood surrounds, lavish cream carpeting and panoramic side windows. There is an L-shaped sofa in white Italian leather, a teak coffee table, plenty of cabinetry, recessed lighting and an angled U-shaped dining sofa surrounding a dining table with room for up to 8 guests. Also, to be found on this level is a walk-in bar with granite worktops and all the refrigeration and ice-making facilities required to rustle up a pre-meal Martini. At the front of the cockpit sits an enclosed pilothouse for dedicated steering free from distraction, as well as a private galley with an electric hob, a convection oven, granite worktops, a microwave and a dishwasher.
The lower level on the Azimut 71 was designed to be well ahead of its time, featuring four en suite staterooms including a pair of twins with Pullman beds, a large double bedroom and a full-beam master stateroom amidship. Downstairs space benefits from plenty of oblong-shaped opening portholes running along the sides of the hull for ample natural light, as well as lightly toned interior treatment featuring cream upholstery, marble surrounds and bespoke, curved cabinetry.
A wide-beamed deep-V hull with prop tunnels is robust and slippery on the water, while a pair of 900MHP MAN D2842 diesel engines power the Azimut 71 to top speeds of around 25 knots. At lower cruising speeds, however, the yacht has an enviable range of 470 miles thanks to a fuel tank that holds 5000 liters of diesel. Stern and bow thrusters offer increased agility on the turn when riding this yacht, while the use of a Furuno radar package and Robertson Autopilot ensure confident navigation.
