Yachts

Azimut 60 Flybridge Photo Gallery

Boat Review: Feeling right at home during a sea trial aboard the Azimut 60 Flybridge.

By Dudley Dawson

Updated: May 6, 2013

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It took only a few moments after stepping aboard the Azimut 60 Flybridge yacht for me to feel very much at home. “Why?” I wondered to myself, and then I realized. It was because the yacht was designed and built to function, in essence, much like my home, and for a very good reason. Filiberto Rotta

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There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that my auburn-haired sweetheart enjoys more than entertaining friends and family, whether a quiet brunch for four, a formal dinner for twelve, or a raucous party for thirty. Courtesy Azimut Yachts

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She’s the ultimate hostess and the credit is largely hers, but the venue doesn’t hurt, either – a well-equipped kitchen open to a glass-enclosed sun room with a 270 degree view of the water, where good food, good friends, good conversation, and good views blend into a great experience. Courtesy Azimut Yachts

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The Azimut 60 Flybridge afford the same experience, though on a slightly more compact but considerably more luxurious scale. The salon, dining area and open galley occupy the lion’s share of the light and airy deckhouse, and the openness of the space, with easy communication between guests, wherever they’re sitting or standing, is the key to enjoyment. Courtesy Azimut Yachts

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The fact that this can all take place at over 30 knots while closing the distance to an exotic destination just makes it all the more enticing. Running the yacht offshore from Pompano Beach, Florida, I found she responded very well to my commands, banking nicely in turns, whether tight or gentle, and getting on plane quickly with little bow rise.

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We had fairly calm seas on test day, but from my experience on other Azimut Flybridge models, her moderate-vee hull can be expected to handle larger stuff without fuss or discomfort, particularly with the optional Seakeeper gyro-stabilizers fitted to this boat.

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The Seakeepers were only one of many options Azimut offers to allow an owner to personalize his yacht. As another example, in place of the standard entertainment center, our boat was fitted with an optional extra sofa to starboard, increasing the salon’s seating capacity beyond the L-shaped settee that lies to port.

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Another option was a limed oak interior in place of the standard honey oak, a change that, in my opinion, made it more suitable for its Florida home, where good weather and copious sunshine invite an indoor/outdoor lifestyle best enjoyed with lighter and more casual décor.

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Complementing the oak are easy-to-clean gelcoated fiberglass surfaces highlighted by leather accents, and the upholstery fabrics are tough-wearing and stain-resisting synthetics that will withstand the occasional wet bikini.

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Up two steps is the other half of the deckhouse, with an open galley to port and a spacious C-shaped dinette to starboard. Azimut, in the European tradition, has favored closed, or at least closeable, galleys for many years, but this galley is separated from the remainder of the space by only a low counter. It is, I think, more in tune with what will most often be an owner-operated boat, though a small crew cabin with two berths is provided aft of the engineroom for those who want to take along a bit of help.

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The lower helm is front and center, with a single adjustable helm seat at the wheel. A companion seat for two lies to starboard, with a quadrant window on each side for ventilation as well a communication with crew during maneuvering, docking and anchoring.

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To port is the stairway to the forward accommodations. Here and elsewhere, sturdy stainless steel handrails and rounded corners make transiting the interior of the Azimut 60 a safe and easy task, something that, unfortunately, is not true of all yachts in her class. A washer/dryer is fitted at the stairway, and at the foot, a foyer opens to three staterooms.

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Forward is the VIP stateroom with an island queen berth. Three rectangular ports – one opening – on each side, plus a glass hatch over the berth, bring in lots of light and view as well as cross ventilation. The VIP head has a spacious circular shower, and also serves day guests and the second stateroom, which has twin berths. While some may not like sharing a head, it is a compromise necessitated by space constraints on a yacht this size.

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The space constraints are less evident in the master stateroom. The queen berth is fitted diagonally into the aft port corner, leaving space for a dinette to starboard. It’s an exquisite nook for enjoying a private breakfast or getting away to read a book, or just relaxing while taking in the view through three large hullside windows, the center one with an opening section at the top.

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Matching windows to port afford the berth an equally stunning view as the moon climbs above the horizon, coaxing the stars from their daytime slumber.

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In the midst of our romantic reverie, the practical side of things should not be overlooked, and Azimut has not done so. The stateroom has a spacious glass-enclosed shower with a seat for convenience and comfort. There’s lots of hanging stowage, and additional stowage is provided beneath the berth.

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At the stern of the Azimut 60 is an open cockpit with a settee partially cantilevered over the sloped transom to provide an extra bit of deck area. The hardtop above is extended well aft to provide shade to the cockpit as well as more deck space on the flying bridge.

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An optional passerelle can be fitted to starboard, with a couple steps leading up to it. To port, steps lead down to a large swim platform, which is hydraulically actuated to retrieve and store a tender if desired. Sturdy bitts and capstans, with roller chocks in the transom corners, are mounted to raised platforms port and starboard for ease in mooring.

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Up a spacious integral stairway to port, again with a substantial stainless steel handrail for safety, is the flying bridge, the signature feature that gives the Azimut Flybridge series of yachts its name. The Azimut 60 anchors the center of a range of thirteen models stretching from 40 feet to 100 feet, and exemplifies why the series is so popular.

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From the reverse-sloped windshield forward to the distinctive “dorsal fins” aft, the space, seating and features seem to go on forever. The helm, with a double seat, is situated to port. Opposite it is a versatile arrangement that converts from seating to sun-lounging with the simple removal of a seat back.

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A grille and snack bar lie just abaft the helm seat, serving a dinette to starboard. A second set of “fins” support the radar arch and, in the case of our boat, an optional hardtop that extended well forward. Molded with six skylights, the hardtop provided just the right mix of sun and shade for its Florida homeport.

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I know I felt right at home aboard the Azimut 60 Flybridge, and it wouldn’t take long at all for my auburn-haired sweetheart to settle in and start planning the menus and guest lists, living dreams and making memories. Maybe it’s the right choice for you and your sweetheart as well.

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SPECIFICATIONS LOA: 58’5” hull w/ platform, 60’2” with pulpit BEAM: 16’3” DRAFT: 4’6″ full-load DISPL.: 28.8 tons full-load FUEL: 740 gal. WATER: 166 gal. DEADRISE: 15 degrees ENGINES: 2x MAN R6 diesel, 788-shp each PRICE: Upon request Azimut; www.azimutyachts.com