Reporting from the 2022 London Luxury Afloat Boat Show, Motor Boat & Yachting editor Hugo Andreae takes us on a full tour of the Azimut 53 flybridge yacht...
Having employed Alberto Mancini’s services to design the 78, Azimut gave the Italian designer the trickier task of distilling that boat’s style and focus on volume into this smaller model, the Azimut 53.
There are subtle nods to the Azimut 78 throughout, like the window design, hull shape and the surface detailing dotted around the superstructure but proportionally it appears just right.
This, alongside the Azimut 78, is only the second model in Azimut’s flybridge range to use IPS and the design team admits that this choice is as much about boosting living space on board, specifically on the lower deck, as it is about performance and fuel economy.
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£1100000
IPS950, which runs off the D11 block and produces 725hp per side, should power the Azimut 53 to a top speed of over 30 knots and be good for a cruising speed in the late 20s, which is par for the course on a boat like this.
Crucially, on the lower deck, thanks to the placement of the IPS motors further aft in the hull and the upright bow design there is an extra 2ft of usable length compared to a boat of the same dimensions with a traditional bow design and a pair of shaftdrives.
This creates space on the lower deck for three well proportioned cabins, including a full-beam owner’s cabin with both an ensuite and a walk-in wardrobe – a rare luxury in this sector.
Though Azimut expects most 53s to be owner run, there is a crew cabin option with a single berth and heads compartment, but this can be fitted out as a toy cupboard for those who intend to run the boat without crew.
Enjoy the tour…
Azimut 53 specification
LOA: 55ft 1in (16.8m)
Beam: 16ft 3in (4.95m)
Displacement (full load): 30,000kgs (66,139lbs)
Fuel capacity: 2,400L / 634 US gal
Water capacity: 590L / 156 US gal
Engines: Twin 725hp Volvo Penta IPS950
Top speed: 31 knots
Cruising speed: 26 knots
Design: Alberto Mancini / Azimut
CE category: B
Price: £1.1m
