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Text and photographs by Antonio Bignami
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AZIMUT 80

We tested the Azimut 80 in Viareggio, the capital city of
the Italian boat industry and main operative center of the
Azimut/Benetti group - a holding company, which is
increasingly considered as the point of reference for
national and international yacht design. We might appear
exaggerated by saying that the Azimut 80 is a vessel that
arrived directly from the future but we are not. In fact
she has striking features such as an innovative profile,
the rounded aft superstructures and the slender forward
ones, the side windows with their characteristic elliptical
shape - now considered a trendy feature, only interrupted
by a well-integrated support. Sides and superstructures are
elegantly connected by means of a fiberglass wing.
To light up the VIP stateroom two hatches were fitted forward on
deck, while to light up the master stateroom six big
portholes were fitted. The flying bridge appears as elegant
open-air salon, which is very spacious and, thanks to the
size of the aft area, offers a good cover to the cockpit
turning it into a more comfortable living space. The flying
bridge includes two opposite settees, a sunning area,
tender davits aft and a forward central smaller deck used
as service access from the galley and where a cabinet with
grid, sink and fridge is fitted.
In order to satisfy the different needs and requests, two
different layouts for the crew quarters are offered. One
has a crew dinette, one cabin with two overlapping berths
and one bathroom with shower, the other layout offers no
dinette but two cabins, one for the captain with a small-
sized double bed and the other one with two overlapping
berths for the crew. As for the comfort and privacy offered
to the guests and the owner, both in the living areas
(salon on two levels) as well as in the cabins (four cabins
with ensuite bathrooms), the photographs very well describe
their sophisticated elegance, which will certainly become
very trendy.
The photographs also significantly depict the
detailed sea trials. The Azimut 80 passed with excellent
grades the trials carried out in heavy seas notwithstanding
the stresses that were imposed to the boat by the
experienced pilot to obtain spectacular photographs. Thanks
to its design, the hull is very swift allowing the boat to
sail in any conditions offering excellent trim and
performance, with the help of two small flaps and an
innovative trim tab system, which Silvia Fogliuzzi, Manager
of Azimut, kindly but firmly refused to explain for obvious
reasons. Finally, we must point out to the extraordinary
noise insulation system and to the engine room, an
excellent example of space rationality and technology
applied to boating.
TECHNICAL DATA
Designer: Design/style, Stefano Righini; Interiors design: Carlo Galeazzi; Hull: Azimut
Yard: Azimut: via M.L. King 9-11; 10051 Avigliana (TO); tel. +39 011 93161; fax +39 011 9316677
EC Category type: "A"
LOA: 78 ft
Beam: 20 ft
Depth: 20ft4in
Draft from lower tip of propellers: 5ft6in- Light displacement: 110,375 lbs
Full boat displacement: 125,827 lbs.
Maximum passengers capacity: 12
Berths: 8+2 in 5 cabins or 8+2+2 in 6 cabins
Test boat power: 2x 1,400 hp Caterpillar 3412E TTA inboard Turbo Diesel
Total installed power: 2,800 hp
Total engines and reduction gears weight: 12,582 lbs
Light displacement/installed power ratio: 39.4 lbs/hp
Type of transmission: in line shaft
Maximum declared speed: 32 knots
Cruising speed: 27 knots
Declared fuel consumption at cruising speed: 95 gall/hr
Range at cruising speed: 450 miles
Fuel capacity: 1,585 gallons
Freshwater capacity: 396 gallons
Price with standard equipment and test boat power has not
yet been defined. Price quoted for boat fitted with 2x1300
HP MTU is equivalent to Euro 2.375.702 and fitted with
2x1500 HP MTU is equivalent to Euro 2.453.170; Italian VAT
is 20% and is not included in the above-mentioned quotations.
CONSTRUCTION CHARACTERISTICS
Hull: V-shaped hull with 10° deadrise aft and
trim tabs, with raked bow and wide aft
Hull construction material: fiberglass
Deck materials and characteristics: fiberglass
Bow area: anchor and mooring fittings with winches
and bitts concealed when not in use in 4 separated lockers
one of which in the bow area; teak deck, sunning area with
cushioning and glass and can holders; freshwater and fuel
intake caps; two compass side doors are fitted along the
walkways connecting the salon, the door to starboard for
access to the helm station and the door to port for access
to the galley; engine room access along the aft port side deck
Cockpit arrangements and fittings: teak deck,
settees, table, lockers; side mooring fittings conceal when
not in use, with mooring winches, shower and water mixer;
access to the aft platform is by way of an hydroelectric
compass port; teak ladder, hydroelectric gangway. Flying
bridge access ladder with teak steps, glass and steel
sliding door to the salon with electrical opening, moving
along a rail, with final side movement
Characteristics of the aft platform: teak deck,
hydroelectric swimming ladder conceal when not in use
Superstructures and window materials: tempered glass
windows, deck fittings in stainless steel
Description and characteristics of the flying bridge: main access stairwell
from the cockpit and service
access from the galley with sliding door to port of the
helm station. Fully fitted helm station with instrument
indicators, settee with service cabinet on the back fitted
with an electrical stove, fridge and sink. Two opposite
settees with table, roll bar and mast, sunning cushioning,
tender with outboard engine and electrical davits aft of
the flying bridge for haulage and launching.
INTERIORS
Layout and characteristics: the salon is on two
levels with two opposite sofas, bar cabinet and services,
TV set and Hi-fi cabinet, forward there is the galley to
port and the dinette to starboard. Proceeding forward there
is the main helm station with central access stairwell to
the cabins. Belowdecks, the master stateroom with ensuite
bathroom and changing room is at the center of the boat,
the VIP stateroom is forward with ensuite bathroom, between
the two staterooms there are the other two guest cabins
with twin beds and ensuite bathroom. Cabinets are in
cherrywood, interiors are in leather, ceiling and interior
linings are in textile and in materials of choice. Crew
quarters with access ladder from the galley may either have
one cabin with two overlapping berths, bathroom and crew
dinette, or the captain's cabin with double bed, one crew
cabin with overlapping berths and bathroom
Lower helm station: finishings in leather and walnut
root, wheel steering, electronic remote controls,
computerized engine control system, GPS, plotter, radar,
echo sounder, automatic pilot
Chart table: to starboard of the helm station, with
nautical chart holder, light, several compartments
Galley: the galley is separated with access from the
port side deck and stairwell to the flying bridge; it is
fitted with sizable refrigerator and freezer, granite
worktop, double sink with water mixer, communication window
with shutter between galley and dinette just like in a bar,
oven, exhaust fan, dish-washer, pantry, cabinets and
drawers.
FITTINGS
Standard fittings: the above-mentioned fittings plus
flaps, bow prop, two generators, air conditioning system,
color TV set in the master and in the VIP staterooms.
IMPRESSIONS
SEA AND WEATHER CONDITIONS DURING BOAT TESTING
Wind: 10-12 knot south-southwesterly
Sea: Force 4/5 long sea along the coast.
PERFORMANCE
(with Magellan 3000 GPS and standard GPS, 8 passengers, full freshwater and fuel tanks, flaps at rest)
Time needed to reach planing position: 7 seconds
Minimum planing speed at 1,600 rpm's: 17.5 knots
Maximum speed at 2,320 rpm's: 32.5 knots with 2,800 hp
EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE
Seakeeping ability, turning and behavior on waves:
the Azimut 80 planes softly and remains perfectly
trimmed and is particularly maneuverable. The boat was
tested in heavy seas, the vessel reacted very well to the
changes of trim and direction, maintaining a perfect
stability and excellent maneuverability with a low
profile and excellent seakeeping ability. Wheel and flap
response: the wheel is smooth and precise, during sea
trials the flaps were at rest
Visibility in different weather conditions:
excellent visibility both from the main helm station as
well as from the flying bridge
Docking maneuverability: excellent.
EVALUATION OF COMFORT AND FUNCTIONALITY
Deck: very refined with excellent solutions (i.e.
anchor and mooring fittings conceal when not in use,
both in bow area as well as in the cockpit)- Flying bridge:
very spacious with excellent habitability and with
valuable fittings
Interiors: very elegant interiors with special
attention to the privacy of guests and owner; excellent and
very rational connections among the different areas of the boat
Passengers' comfort: excellent
Helm stations: excellent position and comfort
Chart table: of ideal size and location
Galley: spacious and very well fitted, connected to
the various areas of the boat, actually it is the effective
technical connecting point onboard
Bathrooms: very nice and extremely functional
Engine room: engine room includes all sorts of
technologic equipment and systems, plants and spaces are
similar to those typically found on bigger vessels. Access
is from the port side deck
Electrical switchboard and plants: life on board may
be controlled in two different ways, wither with a
traditional electromechanical system or with a computerized
one with an operating software especially designed and
created for this purpose.
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