Eco-friendly sustainability and sporty performance usually don’t come in the same package. However, in a boating community increasingly attentive to the environment, it’s important to find a way to offer the thrill of performance with reduced environmental impact.
To fulfil this need, Azimut has been developing a new generation of ‘eco-sport’ boats, sometimes revamping previous models, sometimes creating new ones. The Italian builder’s restyled S7 not only offers lower fuel consumption but also offers improved onboard lifestyle features due to an exciting new design collaboration.
The previous S7, designed by Stefano Righini, made its debut in 2018, five years before Azimut released the current version by Alberto Mancini, the Italian designer who in recent years has been refreshing Azimut’s Grande, Fly and S series, where the ‘S’ stands for Sport.
Mancini, who is based in Monte Carlo and has a design for S7 that features elegant long lines, as well as a refreshed exterior, can be described with these adjectives.
Interior design is by Yachtique, the in-house company previously tasked with creating some of the Azimut-Benetti Group’s superyacht interiors, so it’s not surprising to see the studio bring a touch of extra lux to the S7.
Open to the Elements
The S7 has been designed to make it easy to connect with the sea. It starts from the aft swimming platform which features a central hydraulically operated section that can be lowered to the water in order to launch a tender or jet-ski from the garage. The top ‘overhang’ of the garage door serves as a base for the cockpit’s aft sunpad, an excellent spot for relaxing while keeping an eye on what’s going on in the water.
The cockpit also has an open sunpad and a living/dining space with a L-shaped sofa covered by the overhang of the flybridge. Fashion plates provide extra protection for this area, as they shelter without enclosure due to the large glass panels that are inserted in them. Bar cabinets near the stairs up to the flybridge are available with sinks and icemakers or mini-fridges.
The foredeck, which is large and well designed, is easily accessible from the cockpit aft. The large C-shaped couch faces a table that can be adjusted and an aft facing convertible couch. This area is perfect for sunbathing or dining.
Even though Mancini’s new version has a much larger flybridge compared to the Righini version, the S7 still falls somewhere between a hard top cruiser and a proper flybridge boat. To keep the exterior lines low and spare, a look that befits the S7’s sporty calling and suits Mancini’s taste, a fold-down bimini is the only option for covering the upper deck.
“As a designer, I feel I should bring owners into a seafaring world where a yacht’s lines are beautiful in of themselves. I’m not going to design just thinking about comfort; I will always think about beauty,” Mancini says.
“I like to think of owners arriving aboard with a group of friends and stepping into an ambience that takes them far away from their everyday lives. It’s also important not to forget we’re at sea and must respect it.”
The fly features a dining table made of carbon fibre with L-shaped seating to port and to aft. A wet bar cabinet, with a fridge and grill to starboard is located aft behind the twin-seater helm station.
The double sunpad at the helm features aft-facing headrests which can be converted into backrests to seat around the dining room table. This small feature speaks volumes about the thoughtful planning and thought that went into making the most of every square inch on board.
Yachtique Elevates Interiors
Sports and the outdoors go hand in hand and as a sports boat, even the S7’s interiors keep an eye on outdoor life. Saloon was designed for easy flow, and to maintain a continuous connection between the spaces.
Cushion shapes and upholstery colours are similar so that indoor and outdoor spaces can be recalled, while the large, single-paned, single-glazed windows offer uninterrupted, vast views.
Yachtique’s experience in designing for the seafaring life can be seen in furnishings like the saloon tables that adjust both in height and in configuration to transform from being two separate coffee tables to one dining table large enough for eight.
The entire furnishing scheme is based on a limited colour palette of white, grey and walnut brown. Wooden slats are used in the ceiling treatment, and leather tray-tops cover built-in shelving.
The saloon’s TV screen is concealed in an up/down storage unit and LED light strips in the ceiling provide ambient lighting and include spotlights that can be used to highlight certain areas.
The galley is to port, and the helm to starboard. Although it may seem strange to have the galley so close to the helm station, cooking a meal with the best view aboard is an amazing experience.
Also, cooking is frequently done when the boat is at anchor, so captain and chef can co-exist happily – even if it’s the same person changing hats. Both areas have top-notch technology: Garmin touchscreens for the helm and Miele kitchen appliances.
Comfort Zone
The staircase to the lower deck guest accommodation is located between the helm and galley. A washing machine and dryer are concealed behind the panelling in the hallway that leads to the full-beam owner’s cabin midships.
The double bed, placed under the hull window on the port side is placed in a beam. It looks like the water is just inches away. There’s a sofa to starboard with an up/down TV screen behind it, a vanity/desk and the same stylish leather trays seen in the saloon.
The storage options include a glassed-in, chic cabinet and a spacious walk-in closet. The bathroom features a black and tan colour scheme, with luxury details such as a bowl-shaped sink and rain shower.
The fully-forward VIP cabin with an en-suite bathroom has walls that curve to match the hull’s shape. Two twin cabins are available, one to port with a forward-facing bed and the other to starboard with crisscrossed bunks. The side deck passage has separate access to a crew cabin which can sleep two people.
Tech Generation
While the interiors are lovely, a lot of what’s new about the Azimut S7 doesn’t meet the eye. The boat is part of the shipyard’s Carbon Tech Generation programme, with lightweight carbon-fibre used extensively, especially in the superstructure.
The S7’s low centre of gravity is a result of the weight saving, which reduces roll. Weight savings equals more comfort and less roll. It also means that the boat responds better to helm commands.
Below the waterline, the S7’s hull shape was optimised for the yacht’s propulsion system: three 800hp Volvo Penta IPS D13 pods. IPS is well known for its fuel efficiency and reduced noise and vibrations, but its benefits don’t stop with performance.
The pods, which can be mounted farther aft compared to conventional shaft-drive propeller systems, create more volume in areas such as the crew cabin or a garage big enough to hold both a Pirelli J33 tender (tender) and a Jet-Ski.
All the S7’s systems can be run and monitored using Garmin touchscreen technology, while the Volvo Penta joystick controls make manoeuvring easy and intuitive. Azimut boasts a top-speed of 35 knots with a range up to 300nm. This will appeal to both eco-warriors and speed enthusiasts.
The shipyard made a wise investment in a model that was already highly efficient, even though it has only been five years since the original S7. The new Azimut s7 is an improved boat with its modern interiors and enhanced fly area. It shows how eco-friendly and sporty performance can coexist.
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www.marineitalia.asia
This article first appeared on yachtsyle.co.
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