The Magellano 30M is among Azimut’s Low Emission Yachts

Azimut launched its first Magellano in 2009, but the semi-displacement, navetta-style series has enjoyed a big boost in recent years. After the Magellano 66 enjoyed an upgrade last year, the Magellano 60 (Review, Issue 73) was introduced this year and became the line’s new entry model.

At the bigger end of the scale, the Magellano 25M launched at the end of 2020 was designed by Ken Freivokh and Vincenzo De Cotiis – making his yacht debut in his 60s – and it was followed by the series-flagship Magellano 30M, which reunited the designers and debuted last year.

With growing interest in the line from within Asia, the region’s first Magellano 30M was sold by regional dealer Marine Italia and is expected to be handed over in Italy in spring 2024, potentially arriving in Hong Kong over the summer.

Ken Freivokh designed the Magellano 30M’s exterior

The Magellano 30M is proving a many faceted, versatile crossover cruiser, the largest embodiment to date of an increasingly popular series that reflects Azimut owner Paolo Vitelli’s timeless vision and Freivokh’s execution, while being elevated internally by De Cotiis.

Federico Lantero, Azimut-Benetti Group’s Product Marketing and Communication Director, said: “The Magellano series kicked off with the 74’ designed by Ken Freivokh. That was our first modern navetta and even though it isn’t in production anymore, its clean and strongly horizontal exterior lines are still contemporary.

“We gave Ken Freivokh a clean slate to do what he wanted with the 30M, and he came back with a design that masks large interior volumes behind elegant lines. But when you’re on a yacht you don’t want to feel ‘at home’, you want something more, something magical, so we felt Vincenzo De Cotiis would know how to create atmosphere and give the Magellano 30M personality.”

The foredeck lounge has sunpads, settees and low tables

In fact, the exterior of the Magellano 30M has the timeless look of a trawler with a high freeboard, straight bow and low superstructure, but features almost 70sqm of glazed surfaces to bring the luxury of natural light inside.

Pierluigi Ausonio’s Studio P.L.A.N.A. and Azimut’s own R&D Department designed the Dual Mode hull, whose double chines and skeg allow it to navigate smoothly even in rougher conditions with up to 20 per cent reduced emissions.

At cruising speed, the hull runs solidly in the water on its broad upper chine, but transitions to plane at about 16 knots, skimming along on its lower chine and deflecting the water. In either mode, the Magellano has a solidly comfortable ride with the standard option of twin 1,550hp MAN engines that provide a top speed of up to 20 knots and a cruising speed of 16 knots.

A hydraulic swim platform is a highlight of the beach club, while fashion plates flank the cockpit

“We’ve been collaborating with Studio P.L.A.N.A. for years now, researching new hull shapes as part of our Green Efficiency Program,” Lantero says. “The Magellano 30M is part of our Low Emission Yacht series, and we’re proud of the results we have achieved.”

PUTTING VIEWS FIRST

While the technology is strong, the interiors are so beautiful that they almost make you forget that you’re aboard a piece of complex machinery. The aft cockpit sets the tone for the rest of the yacht, where views to the water are given top priority. Curved couches face a low bench aft and a glass bulwark leaves views to the water free and clear.

The infinity terrace offers clear views through the furniture and parapet

The transom can open fully horizontal to become a beach platform or slant down to the water for launching the tender or toys. 

“We thought of this as the infinity terrace version of the infinity pool,” Lantero says pointing out the unobstructed views.

The Magellano 30M’s crowning glory is the upper deck, accessible both from the main deck aft and from the lobby. With a sky lounge that opens onto a shaded dining area, it also has a bar and sun pads. The foredeck is an ideal spot for sunbathing and offers a spa pool option.

Aft view of the upper deck, which has a skylounge forward, a covered area with dining, sofa and a bar, and an open aft deck

Boatyards frequently gush about their yachts as works of art, but in the case of the Magellano 30M, it might not be hyperbole. Freivokh’s layout gave De Cotiis an open, uninterrupted space to work with on the main deck and – as he did aboard the Magellano 25M, his first yacht design – he shows that he knows how to make the best of airy space set in a vast natural environment.

Entering the main saloon, the immediate sensation is of air and light. Large windows let you look through the yacht to the outdoors and structural elements are masked with mirror and other reflective materials so that they seem to disintegrate into the diffused light.

Vincenzo De Cotiis designed the interior, which includes marble, brushed brass, cream-coloured carpeting and bleached wood

No element of the yacht’s decor is predictable because De Cotiis custom-designed all the furniture in faceted shapes that encourage movement through the yacht and don’t encumber the space. Even the lighting fixtures are designed by De Cotiis to keep the level of the look consistently high.

ORGANIC CREATIONS

De Cotiis’ work has always pushed the boundaries between architecture, design and art and he comes at all aspects of the interiors from new angles, creating sculpted and fluid spaces furnished with organically shaped pieces.

Lantero says: “At our Fano shipyard, he became fascinated by fibreglass, picking up old, damaged fibreglass and working with it to bring out imperfections and give it new tonalities. Many of the surfaces in the main saloon, like the bases of the tables and some wall panels, are the result of months of work with fibreglass to achieve the effects that De Cotiis wanted.

De Cotiis developed an artisanal method for layering fibreglass

“It was a kind of philosophical research for him. The yacht is made of fibreglass but often the material is covered up. He wanted to give the base material new nobility, to bring it out. Three different layers of resin were used and between the second and the third layers we applied a dusting of metallic particles. In the end you can’t really tell what material you’re looking at because when it’s worked manually fibreglass is hard to classify, lovely to look at and versatile.”

While De Cotiis explored the decorative potential of fibreglass, a material usually considered to be so bland that it’s hidden and used primarily for its structural resistance, it’s almost ironic that Azimut used carbon-fibre to build the 30M’s superstructure and hardtop, concealing a material that’s often used decoratively.

The vast saloon leads to the dining area

De Cotiis loves patina, so even painted surfaces are left with a hint of the underlying wood showing through for depth and a sense of history. Much as his treatment of surfaces and furnishings is unexpected, it never jars because of a tranquil and unified colour palette and recurring, high-quality materials used throughout the yacht.

The full-beam master cabin is fore on the main deck and has large hull windows that bring an otherworldly sensation of being immersed in nature to the forefront. The centrally placed bed floats on a cloud of carpeting and the closet doors are so well integrated they’re practically hidden. The bathroom layout sees twin sinks flanked by separate cubicles for the shower and WC.

De Cotiis uses faceted, organic shapes for furniture, as shown in the master suite

Even the ceiling treatment – where irregularly shaped polygonal panels are set off with rays of burnished brass – is unexpected, interesting and elegant.

Four more guest cabins are on the lower deck and comprise two VIPs and twin cabins with beds that can convert to become doubles. All cabins have en-suite bathrooms and are finished with the same colours and materials used throughout the yacht. Crew accommodation is also on the lower deck and includes three cabins.

Health-conscious owners or those who want to charter the Magellano 30M can install Azimut-Benetti’s BCool sanitising system for renewing, refreshing and recirculating air inside the yacht.

The master suite forward on the main deck is one of five guest cabins

Lithium batteries can also be added so the yacht can run in Azimut’s Zero-Emission Hotel Mode with lighting, entertainment, AC units and the Humphree fin stabilizers powered for four hours by day and eight hours by night even when the generators are off.

Azimut has created a multi-faceted gem of a yacht in the Magellano 30M, one whose truly sophisticated interiors are backed by the kind of technology that will make it both efficient and pleasurable to use.

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