Azimut unveiled its flagship Grande 44M at the 49^th Cannes Yachting Festival, where the 143ft trideck won the Special Jury Award at the Innovation Route Awards before going on to exhibit at the 35^th Monaco Yacht Show in late September.

The yacht represents a huge leap in size for Azimut, as the 305-tonne superyacht is almost 60 per cent heavier than the Grande Trideck (38.2m), the Italian shipyard’s former flagship. Currently, Azimut’s 24m-plus models account for over two-thirds of the shipyard’s production value, with seven sales of the Grande 44M signed before its world premiere.

Like most models in the current Grande range of superyachts, the 44M features exterior design by Alberto Mancini and has a semi-planing Dual Mode hull designed by the Azimut|Benetti Group R&D department in partnership with Pierluigi Ausonio Naval Architecture (PLANA).

However, the 143-footer is only the second all-new Azimut yacht to feature interior design by m2atelier, whose work was first seen on the Grande 30M that debuted at last year’s Cannes Yachting Festival, while it has also created new interiors for existing models including the Grande Trideck and Grande 36M.

The Grande 44M is also notable for a host of technological solutions that contributed to its award in Cannes, where the jury praised Azimut for “a new approach in the large‑yacht segment”. As well as the Dual Mode hull, energy-saving features include a Hull Vane® foil, a Mild Hybrid power system, 30sqm of solar panels and the extensive use of carbon-fibre to reduce weight.

The Dual Mode hull, developed with Pierluigi Ausonio Naval Architecture, combines the advantages of a fast displacement hull at the bow with those of a semi-planing hull at the stern, improving fuel efficiency across the range of speeds.

Performance, economy and stability also benefit from an aft foil – developed with Dutch company Hull Vane – that’s designed to suppress the stern wave and reduce hydrodynamic drag. Azimut produces the foil in carbon-fibre, so it weighs only 400kg as opposed to 1,500kg if it was made in steel.

To power the hotel load, the yacht uses a Mild Hybrid system developed by the Azimut|Benetti Group with Asea Nautica. The system is based on two 50kW electric motors configured as shaft generators and a 188kWh battery room that can be expanded to accommodate up to 230kWh. The system allows the yacht to remain at anchor with the generators off and in silence for three-four hours during the day and 8-10 hours at night.

At a speed of 15 knots, the Mild Hybrid system fully recharges the battery pack in just two hours, allowing the yacht to use the average repositioning time to reach the next bay with renewed zero-emissions hotel load autonomy, which is supported by 30sqm of integrated photovoltaic surface on the roof of the top deck.

In terms of build materials, over 1,000sqm of carbon-fibre produced at Azimut’s new Composites Hub in Massa is used in the uppermost areas of the superstructure, reducing weight in the higher decks by eight tonnes and lowering the yacht’s centre of gravity. It also allows the top deck to include the wheelhouse and enables the entire upper deck to be dedicated to the owner and/or guests.

Forward on the upper deck is the yacht’s interior signature, a glass-enclosed room with a 270-degree view including forward through a one-piece, full-height window to a foredeck featuring a social lounge around a firepit. Owners can choose how they wish to use the room, with popular options including a lounge, media hub and dining area.

On hull one, the aft upper deck is dedicated to an owner’s suite with a private balcony, although the standard layout includes the master suite forward on the main deck and four guest cabins on the lower deck.

Social areas include an enormous beach club, while the main deck includes a covered cockpit offering alfresco dining on an enormous square table. Aft, a few steps up lead to a raised mezzanine deck with a sea-view terrace and a see-through plunge pool that illuminates the beach club below. The saloon is framed by full-height windows on both sides and includes a lounge and a formal dining area forward.

azimutyachts.com