Azimut 64

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My test 64 ran with aplomb in all directions, and her optional auto tabs ensured that her trim angle was optimized for the sloppy sea state. Running her motors at a comfortable 2,000 rpm and with 50 percent tab, this yacht effortlessly made an average cruising speed of 28.2 knots, which, considering her 1,030-gallon fuel capacity, results in a comfortable range of 327 nautical miles at a fuel burn of 80 gph. She hit a top hop of 33.7 knots, which ups the fuel burn to 116 gph. The boat’s hydraulic, power-assisted steering enabled me to maneuver her like a sports car with hard-over turns at cruise speed resulting in three-plus boat-length turns.

I easily could’ve cut a half-boat length (maybe even a full one) off those turns and gained even more James Bond boatlike performance out of her if I’d temporarily turned off the two optional Seakeeper M8000 gyros set under the deck and all the way aft to port and starboard. The gyros steadied the vessel every time I spun the wheel. I’ve experienced this technology on numerous boats and am always amazed at how well it works. Earlier in the morning as the 64 sat in the white-topped swells awaiting the helicopter, no one aboard could tell there was a sea running unless they looked out the house-length side windows or helm-spanning front window. (Azimut was actually the first builder to embrace Seakeeper gyros for its line of boats.) Mal de mer shouldn’t be an issue for anyone on board this yacht.

In addition to assured handling, these cruisers were looking for a vessel with space for the family. Their 64 is equipped with three staterooms and three heads. There’s even a respectable-size crew quarters aft in the event the couple wants to take along an occasional captain for those weekend or longer Bahamas runs across the Gulf Stream.