116 Grande
The Azimut S6 is a 59-foot sports yacht launched by Azimut at the 2018 Cannes Yacht Show, where it won the World Yacht Trophies prize for “Best Innovative Project”. Crafted from light-weight carbon-fiber and GRP fiberglass, this model is available either as a hard-top model or, for those who desire more outdoor space, as a sportfly version with a flybridge.
If you choose the Azimut Yachts sportfly option your vessel will be topped by a flybridge, accessed by a fold-out stairway, that is big enough to host an upper helm station and a sprawling, starboard sunpad area with 360-degree views. Yet if you go with the hard-top model there is still outdoor room aplenty on this fun yacht. A large and sheltered aft-deck boasts a hook-shaped sofa that wraps around the starboard side of the deck, as well as an integrated wet-bar console with an icemaker and a Kenyon electric grill. Side steps lead down to a teak-lined hydraulic swimming platform where you will find access to a transom tender garage, large enough to host an 11-foot RIB such as a Williams Turbojet 325 or the manufacturer-recommended Pirelli J33. Sitting atop the garage and extending outwards for direct sunlight there is a raised sunpad with room for a couple of sunbathers to soak up the rays. Out on the trapezoidal-shaped foredeck there is yet more sun-kissed lounge space, with a Portuguese bridge-style sofa sitting across from a three-seater sunpad with headrests.
Stepping inside through sliding glass doors on the aft you will discover a minimalist, Francesco Guida-designed interior with a restrained and light touch. Pale washed oak floors and surrounds contrast with darker oak paneling, cream upholstery and lacquered carbon-fiber structural work, all brilliantly lit thanks to extensive side glazing. There is room in the aft salon for a U-shaped sofa to starboard, while at port there is storage space and a side galley stocked with the latest Miele appliances, veined marble worktops and a stainless-steel sink. Twin helm seats and a staircase to the lower deck are positioned to the forward, and if you eschew the flybridge this section of the cockpit will be fitted with a retractable electronic sunroof with a tinted single-pane skylight.
Below-deck layouts are identical across both versions of the Azimut S6, proving that space aboard a sports yacht does not need to be sacrificed in order to deliver high-performance. An amidship master stateroom is a sumptuous full-beam retreat with a king-sized island bed, cleverly angled to provide walk-around space, as well as side-tables, a pair of armchairs, an en suite bathroom and six-paned mullioned windows for a Brooklyn loft feel. A twin side-berth and a further en suite double stateroom below-helm provide enough space for up to 6 guests, while a snug crew quarters with a private head is nestled up against the bow should you require staff to stay onboard overnight.
The Azimut S6 is powered by triple Volvo Penta pod-drive IPS 700 D8 engines for scintillating performance out at sea and top speeds that max out in excess of 35 knots. The engines also provide superb fuel efficiency, and at cruising speeds of around 8 knots the S6 has a range of almost 1000 nautical miles. A proprietary planing hull from Pierluigi Ausonio, Penta joystick controls and an Active Trim Control system provide sportscar-like agility and responsiveness, making this yacht a superb option for owner-operators who like nothing better than outpacing the pack.
