Featuring a hull designed with NAMES, the Seadeck 9 can reach about 30 knots with three 1,000hp Volvo Penta IPS engines

More than looking for a marketing strategy, Azimut executives did some real soul-searching to identify the needs of today’s yachtsmen when creating their Seadeck series. Three key points came up, comprising the need to reduce emissions, to incorporate sustainable build materials, and to provide ways to enjoy the sea in a simple, direct and even holistic way.

The series kicked off with the Seadeck 6 (56ft 7in), which debuted at the Venice Boat Show in 2024 and was closely followed by the Seadeck 7 (71ft 2in) that premiered at the Cannes Yachting Festival just months later. This year, the Seadeck 9 is in the water – all 84ft of her.

SIGNATURE STYLE

I have the good fortune to visit the first Seadeck 9 on a day where sun and sea combine to scatter Mediterranean glitter on everything around. I’m first attracted to the yacht’s clean and classic exterior lines by Alberto Mancini.

Alberto Mancini has designed the exteriors of all three Seadeck models

With a look that’s new but seems familiar, this is a boat that you won’t get tired of looking at. There are no curvy windows, hull sides are linear and not sculptural, and nothing looks tricky or flashy. This is an honest boat designed to please for years to come.

We then head out, leaving behind the beach umbrellas and bell towers of the charming Ligurian port town where the Seadeck 9 is docked. The water is an impossibly inviting shade of blue, while the sun is brilliant but not burning. And the boat we’re motoring along in is turning heads.

For owners who enjoy the thrill of running their boat, the flybridge helm station is the spot. IPS has joystick steering and touch-screen controls that are simple to use. The Seadeck 9’s wide stern lets the boat plane at about 16 knots. Even pushing the throttle up to a top speed of about 30 knots, it’s slice and not slam as the boat glides through the water. Who said wellness had to be a bore?

Accessed by stairs from the port side deck, the flybridge includes a twin-seat helm station, covered galley and dining, and aft sunpads 

There are two seats at the upper helm, but that’s just the beginning of the sociability of a space that includes a dining table for eight under the hardtop, a wet bar with barbecue, and enough aft sunbathing area for a crowd.

Glass railings surround but don’t cut off the views from a top deck that masks its functionality behind a light, airy vibe. This is a place to connect or re-connect with friends and family, which is the best part of spending time aboard.

FROM FUN TO FABULOUS

Azimut bills the Seadeck series as a redefinition of the relationship between boats and the natural environment around them, favouring a conscious connection to nature rather than a domination of it. 

The Seadeck 9’s three-level ‘Fun Island’ includes a versatile 7sqm transformer platform with wide, integrated steps

While sitting on the cockpit’s semi-circular couches at anchor, looking out over the water, I soon realise: it’s connection, connection, connection. Seadeck models feature what Azimut calls ‘Fun Island’ aft decks that open out, over and under the water in just three minutes. The word “fun” just doesn’t seem to adequately describe the result.

Connection to the water is so easy it can feel like the boat is barely there. Side wings open out to increase the walkable deck space, and you can even lounge in a hammock suspended just over the water. 

The pool is at the centre of the ‘Fun Island’

At the centre of the ‘Fun Island’ is a 1,600-litre glass-backed pool that owners can outfit with a range of spa features like hydro-massage jets.

Three steps down take you to the fixed swim platform, which can accommodate loose furniture. Further aft, an impressive 7sqm transformer can be deployed, including wide, easy steps that bring you directly into the water, with no tricky ladders to climb. There are also storage spaces for Seabobs and a jet-ski, while a tender can easily be stowed on the transom.

Drop-down sides expand the ‘Fun Island’

When you’ve eventually had enough of your anchorage and decide to move your floating paradise, it takes just minutes to drain the pool, mount the sunpads on chocks to cover it, and press the button that folds in the side wings and transformer. Weigh anchor and off you go to your next spot. I wouldn’t call this fun; I’d call it fabulous.

CONNECTING DESIGNS

The feeling of connection with the water is only the start. Inside, floor-to-ceiling glass and huge sliding doors aft and starboard make the main saloon an airy space that doesn’t necessarily have to feel enclosed.

The interior and exterior connect through sliding doors aft and starboard

Ceiling height is a lofty 2.2m, and owners and guests can move from indoors to out as easily as the breeze because the footpaths are all on one level. But the connection isn’t just between physical spaces.

It’s also in the choice of shapes, materials and colours that remain constant throughout the yacht, both indoors and out. For the interiors of the Seadeck series, Azimut is collaborating with Matteo Thun & Antonio Rodriguez, renowned for using a ‘conscious design’ approach to create spas and wellness retreats, now evident on their first designs for yachts.

The saloon includes a large C-shaped sofa to port and a forward dining table, both areas benefiting from a through breeze

Through a process of subtraction, the pair brought out the essence of the natural or recycled materials used aboard, and created calm by using a delicate, light and neutral colour palette. Gone are all high-polish, reflective and varnished surfaces. Even mirrored areas are slightly bronzed for a toned-down look.

While the function of individual areas is clear, there’s no visual jolt when moving from space to space because colours and textures are kept constant. Even the lighting is carefully planned to soothe without glare, helping to create a feeling of calm.

Matteo Thun & Antonio Rodriguez selected natural materials for the interior

Forward of the saloon, the lower helm and the galley share a space, which allows the ‘work-like’ functions of running the boat and cooking to be carried out from a single area that can be fully separated from the social spaces. 

While the Seadeck 6 and 7 were created for owners who enjoy running their boats with little or no outside help, the Seadeck 9 has crew quarters for three to enable a more luxurious onboard experience.

The owner’s suite midships 

Finally, nowhere is a feeling of calm more welcome than in your cabin and the Seadeck 9 has four of them on the lower deck, all en-suite. Midships, the master cabin takes full advantage of the boat’s 6.3m beam with a centrally placed double bed and a desk, couch and vanity table to port.

To starboard, there’s plenty of storage in a full-height closet, while the bathroom keeps the feeling open with sinks open onto the cabin and separate cubicles for the toilet and shower. 

The VIP cabin forward is among four en-suite guest cabins on the lower deck

Ribbed walnut, textured glass and upholstered surfaces define a space where soft curves and calm colours predominate. There are two further cabins fore of the master cabin, while the VIP, with its bed angled athwart, is in the bow.

LIGHT AND EFFICIENT

The core Seadeck concepts also created a need for an all-new hull shape, so Azimut approached NAMES (Naval Architecture Marine Engineering Studio), founded and led by Francesco Rogantin. 

The brief was very clear: to design the most efficient hull possible, not so much in terms of pure speed but in terms of cruising speed. The objectives included minimising impact on the marine environment and lower operational costs through efficient fuel consumption.

The Seadeck 9 is the current flagship of the Seadeck series 

This pivot away from performance for its own sake is key to the Seadeck concept. A more relaxed pace on the water brings a more chilled, environmentally conscious approach to life onboard. The Seadeck 9 has three 900hp Volvo Penta IPS pods as standard, while owners can upgrade to 1,000hp versions. These are also among engine options on the Seadeck 7, which only uses two units.

In addition, Seadeck models are also designed to be hybrid-propulsion ready, with purpose-built battery rooms. (The Seadeck 7 was the first to feature the full-hybrid IPS-H system.)

As well as the fuel efficiency and reduced noise and vibration of IPS (Inboard Performance System), weight considerations and construction materials are also key to meeting Azimut’s efficiency goals.

Azimut created Seadeck ‘Fun Islands’ to truly connect owners and guests to the water

The Seadeck 9 has a hull built in PVC and recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate), while the superstructure and hardtop use sturdy yet weight-saving carbon-fibre. Owners can choose to substitute teak decking with more environmentally friendly cork.

Fancy an immersive experience in nature that gently wafts you away from the cares of everyday life? With the Seadeck series, Azimut shows that’s what’s on offer when you seamlessly follow 6 and 7 with 9.

azimutyachts.com