Contrast. It’s the word that came to mind when I looked at the Azimut 55’s profile, with its aggressive bow design and fine entry. Linear. Purposeful. The near-razor-straight bow rails enhanced this first impression.
That is, until my eyes scrolled over the yacht’s foredeck sun pad for four and moved on to the raked windshield. Here, the 55 revealed a more gentle nature with a sweptback superstructure and glass insets to port and starboard shaped like the white patch over an orca’s eyes. These striking exterior aesthetics, penned by Stefano Righini, also brought natural light into the salon from all angles, including aft, where sliding doors and the galley window open to the cockpit.
The 55’s Achille Salvagni interior design provides a chic counterpoint to the yacht’s profile, with gray zebrawood, dark oak, high-gloss black lacquer accents, and fixtures in bronze and stainless steel.
| Flybridge Fun | Balancing Act |
|---|---|
| Azimut extended the flybridge aft so that it’s flush with the transom. The design made room up top for a sun pad that stretches forward of the portside helm station. There is also a U-shaped table for six to eight guests for alfresco meals under the retractable hardtop. | The low-slung furniture maximizes inbound light from the windows, which reach from the seat backs to the roofline. Those windows are good for skippers too, providing unimpeded views from the helm station that’s across from this seating area. |
Four entertainment zones include the cockpit, salon, foredeck and flybridge, so there is room for your friends and their friends on a sunset cruise. If the guests stay overnight, there are three staterooms: a full-beam master, a forepeak VIP with step-up berth, and a guest stateroom with twins. A crew cabin is far aft, if extra hands are required or desired.
The Finer Points
Power for the 55 is twin 800 hp MAN i6 diesels. The builder reports a 27-knot cruising speed and a 31-knot top-end — admirable statistics for a yacht displacing 58,000 pounds at full load.
Style. Performance. Looks. A lot of words describe the Azimut 55. Many yachtsmen will want to say “mine.”
