Azimut has unveiled details of its Grande 44M, its largest yacht to date and almost 6m longer than its existing flagship, the Grande Trideck. Five units were sold in advance of Grande 44M’s announcement in late March, with the model’s world premiere scheduled to be held at the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival.

Marco Valle, Azimut-Benetti Group’s CEO, said: “Grande 44M is proof that true innovation anticipates what owners really desire. This is confirmed by the five units sold even before the official presentation of the project, all bought by Azimut owners who understand the shipyard’s values and wish to grow with us.”

A new addition to the Italian builder’s fleet of ‘Low Emission Yachts’, the Grande 44M features exterior styling by regular collaborator Alberto Mancini and interiors by m²atelier, which has also worked with the shipyard on its upcoming Grande 30M, expected to debut in 2025.

Distinctive features include the helm station on the top deck, which allows the upper deck to be used as an owner’s deck including a forward master suite with almost 2m-long windows on either side. Alternatively, the room can be fitted out as a media suite for guests or a dining area. Forward is an outdoor lounge area with a small firepit, offering a cosy space to enjoy the sun set over the water.

On the aft main deck, the Grande 44M proposes Azimut’s mezzanine deck with sea view terrace that was central to the success of the Grande Trideck. On the Grande 44M, this three-sided ‘stage overlooking the sea’ also includes a see-through pool, “with its plays on transparency that establish continuous contact with the water and generate reflections that give the beach club an even more magical feel”, Azimut states.

Grande 44M is also the flagship of the Azimut’s family of Low Emission Yachts, models that offer a reduction of 20-30 per cent in emissions compared to more traditional motor yachts of the same size. The innovative naval platform of Grande 44M is based on a Dual Mode hull, the introduction of the Hull Vane® foil technology and the Mild Hybrid Plus Zero Emission Hotel Mode system.

The Dual Mode hull, developed by Pier Luigi Ausonio Naval Architecture (PLANA) and Azimut’s R&D department, represents the union of two types of conventional hulls. The bow section is typical for fast displacement boats, while from midships to the stern has a chine commonly found on planing hulls. The design results in a hull that allows a considerable reduction in fuel consumption and emissions at every speed range.

Foil technology is being installed for the first time on an Azimut yacht due to a collaboration between Dutch company Hull Vane and Azimut-Benetti Group’s R&D department. The Hull Vane® carbon wing fitted to the stern of the Grande 44M can suppress the stern wave and generate forward thrust, providing further reduction in overall drag as well as damping of pitch, sway and roll during navigation.

The Grande 44M is Azimut’s sixth model that can be fitted with a Zero Emission Hotel Mode system, making it possible to stay at anchor from four-eight hours with the generators off. On the Grande 44M, this technology achieves maximum efficiency in combination with the Mild Hybrid Plus system, a new level of electrification developed by Azimut-Benetti Group in partnership with Asea Nautica.

According to Azimut, the Mild Hybrid Plus Zero Emission Hotel Mode system is the only solution today that makes it possible to cruise with the generators off and all loads connected, as well as producing a surplus of energy used to recharge the battery pack.
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