The yachting season looks set to be a particularly good one for Azimut Yachts, the Azimut Benetti Group brand that ranks as the world’s leading manufacturer of high-end yachts for the 17th year running, according to the Global Order Book 2017*, with 2,594 meters of yachts produced. The Azimut Yachts division, which specialises in yachts in the 12 to 35 meter range and generates about 50% of the Group’s total turnover, grew twice as fast as the market average in the four months from September to December 2016, booking orders worth a total of over €221 million.
Compared with estimated growth of 8% by value for the market as a whole, the division reported a +15% growth trend by value against the same period last year, increasing its global market share in the process. After +7% growth last year on the US market, promising signs are being received from the MEA (+12%), Asia Pacific (+18%) and European (+25%) markets too. The best performance was reported in Brazil, with growth of +28% and the consolidation of Azimut Yachts’ position of undisputed leadership, driven by the far-sighted strategy of creating an international hub for the American continent.
The excellent results delivered by Azimut Yachts were driven both by large yachts (over 80’), which reported +27% value growth, and smaller boats (<45’), which recorded an increase of +18% by value.
Double-digit growth at global level is the result both of a carefully thought out commercial strategy, based on direct market presence in partnership with leading local operators, and also of constant research and development work, which is essential for the brand to be seen as a driver of innovation (the Group is planning R&D investments totalling €100m in the three-year period 2016-2019). The focus on innovation and technology are part of the company’s DNA, as demonstrated by the brand’s positioning from the outset as a market pioneer, with the launch of a series of boats that have made yacht making history.
Systematic use of carbon-tech
At present, the company is systematically investing in the extensive use of carbon fibre and it is already a reality on a broad range of products in the range, from the smallest 16 meter yacht to the new flagship, the 35-meter Grande, which is nearing its launch date. The breakthrough in this sense was the Group’s investment in the new post curing oven at headquarters in Avigliana (Turin), which allows the shipyard to bring in-house the carbon fiber production processes for yachts built there. This positions the company as the first major global player in the Industry. The mechanical properties of carbon composites make it possible to reduce the weight of parts significantly based on design objectives, the aim of which in many sectors is to improve performance. Depending on the resins used, weight reduction can be in the order of 20%-40%. This opportunity was seized on by Azimut long before the industry as a whole, not with the aim of increasing the top speed, but of providing better onboard comfort (more living space while maintaining excellent levels of dynamic stability), which is the real driver of customer purchases. The know-how developed in recent years is extensive and detailed, because it required major investments in both process design and engineering, incurring a higher overall cost for the lamination of carbon parts (+40%). The company, however, has decided not to pass this cost on to the end customer, setting itself instead the challenging goal of reducing its level in the medium term through range planning and economies of scale.
Production supremacy
The production supremacy guaranteed by this highly experimental and technological approach, as expressed by the introduction of a steady flow of new models, allows Azimut Yachts to play a leading role at the most important international events organised in the sector. In the first four months of the yachting year alone, the brand has attended no less than 20 shows, from Cannes to Southampton, from Newport to Barcelona, and from Annapolis to San Paolo, to mention just a few, where it has exhibited 110 boats. At the two major boat shows where the brand’s presence is coordinated by Azimut Yachts itself, a total of 35 yachts were exhibited. One of the most successful models is the 66Fly, the flagship in the Flybridge collection, which made its debut in January 2016 at the Düsseldorf boat show and of which 44 have already been sold in less than a year.
At the upcoming Düsseldorf Boat Show held from January 21 to 29, 2017, the Italian shipyard is exhibiting a total of 7 models, with examples from almost all Azimut Yachts’ collections: from the 14-meter Atlantis 43 (undisputably classy; sporty but with style) to the 24-meter 77S (sporty elegance; aggressive but classy).
At Düsseldorf, the public will have the chance to admire the alternative layout proposed for the Azimut 50, which has always been a highlight of the Fly collection and is fitted in this case with a galley on the main deck and a pantry below, providing additional storage for appliances and stores. The unit on show is also fitted with the new outdoor sofas that Azimut has had specially designed to provide the comfort typically offered by home sofas on the flybridge too, which in the case of the 50 can only be described as a terrace overlooking the sea, covering a surface area of almost 20 square meters.
Admirers of this product can therefore choose the version that best suits their needs, with a galley on the main or the lower deck, in a further example of the shipyard’s flexibility and production capacity, allowing it to offer products that are always at the cutting edge.
In 2017, the brand will stun the market with the launch of six new yachts, joining the 26 models currently in production to create a range comprising a remarkable 32 different boats. The novelties include the S7, the 27MT and the 35MT. The first units for these last two models have already been sold before the official presentation, with four unit of the 35 Metri and seven unit of the 27 Metri.
