[dropcap]A[/dropcap]t this year’s annual Cannes Yachting Festival (September 10-15, 2019) Azimut Yachts has every intention of sweeping the board. That’s why the Italian shipyard is taking two new S and Flybridge Collection flagships to the event, as well as a new model in the Atlantis collection, as part of a fleet consisting of a remarkable 21 models, ranging in length from 10 to 35 meters.
Cannes will offer visitors the opportunity, for the first time anywhere in the world, to admire the two new models that have been on everyone’s lips in recent months for their innovative technology and design: Azimut Grande S10 and Azimut 78. Both projects are the original result of extensive teamwork with the finest designers and engineers, turning unprecedented suggestions and ideas into a powerful narrative. Also making its international debut is Atlantis 45, the small but feisty new model in Azimut’s entry level range.
The first boat show of the season and the most elegant and important yachting event in Europe will, as usual, offer a stage for the novelties in the Azimut Yachts lineup, including the exclusive presentation of two eagerly-awaited new models. The numerous units in the remarkable fleet of yachts on show at Cannes, confirming not least the variety of the range, will include world previews of the Grande S10 and Azimut 78, the two new flagships in the S and Flybridge Collections. They will be joined by the Atlantis 45, which is making its international debut after being previewed in Italy last May.
A total of 21 yachts will be exhibited from the Italian shipyard’s five Collections. Azimut Yachts Managing Director Marco Valle had this comment to make:
“There’s no question that Cannes represents a strategic event for our brand: all yachting enthusiasts wait for the start of the season to see our new products first-hand, because they know that we have always driven innovation across the entire industry. This year I’m particularly happy to be showing three yachts like S10, Azimut 78 and Atlantis 45, which are all so different but all equally important for what they have the potential to add their segment. Exhibiting three boats with such distinctive features is the best way for us to open the yachting season”.
The Grande S10 is an immensely original boat created in partnership with Alberto Mancini ─ who devised the concept and worked on the exteriors ─ and Francesco Guida ─ who developed the interior design. At 100 feet in length (about 29 meters), this sporty and sophisticated yacht is the result of Alberto Mancini’s creative flair and skill at blending three stylistic sources: the fascinating evergreen world of magasailers, the elegance of a villa on the Riviera with spectacular sea views and multiple terraces that descend gradually towards the water, and finally car design, which gives the model its sporty personality and permeates the shapes and choice of materials. For the interiors, Francesco Guida has underscored the importance of the concept of “flexibility as space multiplier”, or in other words using the versatility of the spaces in the layout as a tool for making new suggestions and creating an unprecedented atmosphere.
The many technological innovations of Grande S10 include the ultra hi-tech bridge, developed in partnership with Naviop, the electrochromic glass for the skylight by Isoclima Cromalite, and the latest-generation technical solutions identified by Azimut’s Innovation Lab in the framework of the ECS – Enhanced Cruising Solutions programme, in order to offer the best possible yacht management. Built to a large extent in carbon fiber, Grande S10 will be the flagship and new symbol of the S Collection, which has always represented the ideal place for Azimut Yachts to experiment with cutting-edge new solutions.
With exterior lines designed by Alberto Mancini and interiors by Achille Salvagni, Azimut 78, the largest yacht ever built at the Avigliana Shipyard, is the new flagship in the Flybridge Collection and a fully paid-up member of the Carbon-Tech generation (which can be thought of as an Azimut yachts trademark today). It is also the first yacht in the Flybridge collection to be fitted with three Volvo IPS propulsion units (resulting in unparalleled consumption efficiency, silent running and excellent manoeuvrability, as well as a layout that increases the available living space). The division of space is typical of much bigger boats, with guest privacy a primary concern.
Mancini’s exterior design creates a continuous line that runs from bow to stern, giving the impression of reaching skyward and playing on chiaroscuro contrasts, light and shadow, and concave and convex surfaces. This approach to design (the designer has coined the term “infinity line”) and the sense of upward movement are also clear on the flybridge, where the handrail and roll-bar are one and the same object and become an integral part of the design.
The interiors are bathed in the signature smooth atmosphere that is a feature of the work of Achille Salvagni, who prefers sleek, flowing lines to hard angularity. In the living area, the traditional distinction between sofa and dining areas is abandoned in favour of a single sophisticated space furnished with great care and personality. Salvagni’s signature style, which is often inspired by art, gives the settings an elegant and refined appeal, with furnishings that seem suspended in midair, full-height glazed surfaces and a clever combination of soft colours, ranging from purple to baby blue, in an approach to style that can never be taken for granted.
Also worthy of special mention is Atlantis 45, which makes its international debut at Cannes, although the Italian public saw it in a preview last May, with interior and exterior design developed in partnership with Neo Design. Atlantis 45 has exceptional storage capacity and interior livability, with full-beam owner and guest staterooms, and a galley and dinette that face each other for better functionality.
Outside, the generous forward and aft sunpads and the big windshield with no central upright ensure that navigation is an enjoyable experience, without affecting the aggressively sporty lines that are a feature of this class. The new Azimut Atlantis 45 is fitted with two Volvo IPS 600 units (435 hp), driving the yacht to a top speed of over 33 knots while maintaining excellent manoeuvrability.
