The new Azimut S6 is the entry level boat for the Azimut sports range. The design again comes from Stefano Righini and Francesco Guida, with three Ips 700s in the engine room and a sophisticated construction that uses carbon fibre in all the right parts
by Luca Sordelli
The family has grown quickly. Last autumn came the Azimut S7, a 21-metre boat and the first of a new range that Azimut decided to launch. This year, at the Cannes Yachting Festival, it is the turn of the S6to make its debut in society. It is 18 metres long, by 4.76 wide. The family DNA is unmistakable, both because of its looks and because of its character. And there is no change in designers, with Stefano Righini for the external lines and Francesco Guida for the interiors, and nor does the general project philosophy change.
It was in Cannes, exactly a year ago, that I tried out the S7, and I had a lot of fun: «You quickly forget that you are sitting on 46 tonnes of boat, distributed across 21 metres. The best thing of all is how responsive to steer it is, and how it reacts to the powerful and progressive push of the engines. All the sporty soul is there». In my hands I had a yacht which wasn’t lacking anything in terms of luxury, but didn’t turn its back on its sporty soul, and its dynamic qualities.
It is a real sports coupé. So here it is, at three metres shorter, this little “nautical miracle” in a new form. How can that be? First of all, because of all the technology that these boats have, and we are not talking about special effects, household appliances, with lots of buttons and screens to play around with. Or at least I am not just talking about that. It’s a matter of intelligent technology, which is put at the service of the project. That is why carbon fibre is used, and there is a lot of it, in all the right places. Essentially it is just the hull and the “tray”, the grille on which all the elements of the boat are mounted, which are in fibreglass. So the lower parts.
That means less weight and so being able to save on horsepower in the engine room, which also means saving on litres per hour of fuel used; but it also means having greater structural rigidity, less clutter, and better trim.That is where the sporty soul of the Azimut S6 gets its nourishment from. From everything that you can’t see. That is also something that the three Volvo Penta D8 IPS 700 engines of 550 horsepower each, also tackle. They are by now well known to the market because of the efficiency with which they work on the sea, but also their guarantee of great agility when you find yourself dealing with ropes and quays.
The two lateral pods are far enough out to ensure a very efficient rotational thrust. The top speed that the Azimut S6 can reach is 35 knots, when it uses 329 litres an hour. That isn’t bad for a boat that is made for pure cruising. It generates its most interesting figures when it is going at economy and fast cruising speed, which come in at 20 and 28 knots, and at 2,100 and 2,500 rpm respectively (out of the 2,900 available).
Those are most definitely interesting figures if you take into account the fact that, in terms of the efficiency curve, it means using 8.1 and 8.2 litres per mile travelled. All that becomes even more intriguing if we consider that the sound meter registered 69 and 71 dbA.
In other words, if you leave Cannes, onboard the Azimut S6 you can go to Porto Rotondo for a drink and then come back on a full tank, all of it enjoying the sort of quiet typically found in an Oxford library.
Its shape, both inside and out, goes perfectly with the S6’s Gran Turismo spirit. I wrote this about the S7: «This new S series has really worked out well for Stefano Righini». And once again he has managed to achieve a surprising balance in the shapes, with the diamond-shaped saloon windows, the long windows along the hull, and then – going forward – the vertical upright of the bow and the trapezoidal-shaped deck. The freeboard is not too high, despite the good amount of internal headroom. The outcome is sporty, fairly muscular and very elegant.
Francesco Guida, who is working with the yard for the second time, designed the interiors. His style is based on great balance, and on modern and discreet elegance. It is all very contemporary, but there is nothing that is strident, or exaggerated. The décor chosen for the launch of the S6features a combination of two different types of light and dark oak, with wooden tops within polished chromed steel frames. It creates an atmosphere of warm and welcoming colours.
The Azimut S6 lower deck is entirely set aside for cabins, which are reached from a staircase at the centre of the control panel, with a lay-out for three cabins and two bathrooms. The owner’s cabin is in the centre of the boat, but – in contrast to how things are on the S7– the distribution is more traditional, with the bed no longer placed diagonally, but longitudinally. Amongst the optionals are a fourth cabin in the stern for the crew, with separate access. Finally, we should mention another area that has been very well designed on this 18-metre boat: the stern area.
The compact size of the engine room, one of the advantages gained from the triple IPS engines set-up, has made it possible to create a particularly large garage. This can house a water-jet tender of up to 3.3 metres, specifically designed for the Pirelli J33, and made by Tecnorib for Azimut.
AZIMUT YACHTS
Via M.L. King, 9/11
I-10051 Avigliana (TO)
T. +39 011 93 161
[email protected]
www.azimutyachts.com
AZIMUT S6
PROJECT Francesco Guida (Interior Design) • Stefano Righini (Exterior design) • Pierluigi Ausonio (Naval Architecture)
HULL LOA 18m • Length 17.5m • Maximum beam 4.7m • Draft 1.61m • Light mass displacement 23,866 kg • Full mass displacement 29,468 kg • Fuel tank volume 2,600 l – Water tank volume 590 l
MAIN PROPULSION 3 Volvo Penta IPS 700 • Outlet mechanical power 405 kW – Number of cylinders 6 – Bore & Stroke 110mm X 135mm • Total swept volume 7.7 l • Maximal rotational speed 2900/min – Weight 1410 kg
EC CERTIFICATION CAT B 12
PRICE 1,285,000 € EXW Savona
(Azimut S6, the pleasure of being at the helm. The sea trial VIDEO – Barchemagazine.com – September 2018)
