Reporting from the 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival, Motor Boat & Yachting editor Hugo Andreae takes us on a full tour of the Azimut 72, which has been redesigned for 2023...
Azimut managed to launch three new boats at the Cannes Yachting Festival this year; the Azimut Magellano 60 which we sea trialled last month, the Azimut Verve 48 and this new Azimut 72 Fly.
As with most of its recent flybridge and sportsbridge craft, the exterior design is by Alberto Mancini, but for the inside, Azimut brought in Fabio Fantolino in place of Achille Salvagni, whose pastel colours and fluid shapes might have proved a little too Marmite for some.
By British boat-building standards the decor is still relatively brave, deliberately mixing up colours, textures and shapes with designer light fittings and statement furniture pieces to add visual interest, but the overall effect is cohesive and balanced.
It’s also nice to see lots of rounded edges, matt finishes and soft colours rather than the glitzy but high-maintenance and occasionally hazardous sharp-edged furniture found on some of its Italian rivals.
There’s nothing particularly clever about the layout, which has a fairly conventional cockpit and bathing platform rather than the current trend for beach clubs, balconies and glass transoms, but it does mean the entire main deck is on one level with no steps or trip hazards.
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The galley is located amidships and to port, freeing up the aft end of the saloon for a large, relaxed seating area and providing a natural focus at the heart of the yacht. Eye-level lockers and a full-height fridge freezer cause a bit of an obstruction when looking aft from the inside helm, but that’s the price you pay for all that valuable extra storage space.
The informal vibe continues below deck but it’s the size and number of cabins that leaves a lasting impression. The full-beam owner’s suite and forward VIP are par for the course but the portside double and starboard twin seem unusually spacious for this size of craft. Both have their own ensuite bathrooms with teak detailing and matt black fittings.
Last but not least, an extensive flybridge with a good array of fixed and freestanding furniture gets the balance right between style, practicality and comfort.
If it can back it up with suitably assured performance and seakeeping from its twin 1,400hp MAN engines on straight shafts, this Azimut 72 Fly could prove a real threat to the likes of the Princess Y72 and Sunseeker Manhattan 68.
Azimut 72 Fly specifications
LOA: 74ft 1in (22.57m)
Beam: 18ft 5in (5.62m)
Engines: 2x 1,400hp MAN V12
Top speed: 32 knots
Starting price: €3,300,000 (ex. VAT)
