Having led the World Order Ebook for 24m-plus superyacht orders for 25 successive years, how does the Azimut-Benetti Group at the moment stand financially?
Now we have portfolio of orders and a powerful backlog of about EUR 2 billion. The worldwide market is inferior to it was a number of years in the past, however there’s nonetheless a whole lot of motion. The worldwide panorama is evolving quickly, and we’re carefully monitoring how developments corresponding to tariff insurance policies within the US might affect the market.
We had nice outcomes from the final US reveals in Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Palm Seashore, and my concern isn’t on the sturdy affinity that American homeowners proceed to indicate for our model and merchandise however on the entire market in case purchasers undertake a ‘wait-and-see’ perspective. As soon as once more, our strategic alternative to make sure a balanced presence throughout all key markets has confirmed to be a forward-looking determination.
How are Azimut designs evolving with Alberto Mancini, who now handles the exteriors of 4 of the model’s sequence?
Alberto was the correct particular person to succeed Stefano Righini and supply continuity for the Fly (flybridge), S (sportbridge) and Grande (superyacht) fashions. He’s additionally doing the brand new Seadeck Sequence. His newest designs embody the Grande 44M, which will likely be Azimut’s new flagship. Alberto has a gifted contact and the power to interpret completely different types with options pushed by pure creativity.
Mancini’s current designs embody Azimut’s upcoming Grande 30M, with the primary hull offered to Hong Kong by Marine Italia. How is the Asia market creating?
Now we have an awesome distribution community throughout Asia, so we’re fairly happy, however we’re additionally satisfied there’s nonetheless untapped potential to be unlocked. The Asia market has been quiet for some time, and this might be the correct second to additional strengthen our presence within the area.
That is particularly related contemplating that we’ve lately offered a number of Grande superyachts into Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, mainland China and Japan. We had a Grande 32M delivered to Vietnam earlier this 12 months, we’ve offered a few different Grande superyachts to China, so superyacht gross sales are encouraging however the flybridge fashions have slowed down slightly.
So, Azimut-Benetti is making a acutely aware effort to step up exercise in Asia?
Prior to now three a long time, I’ve travelled many instances to Asia together with proper throughout China. My first journey to Asia with Azimut was in 1996, with the Gross sales Director on the time, and we visited Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.
The potential in Asia is excessive, however the problem lies to find a approach to unlock its full promise, no simple job in such an enormous area that encompasses a variety of cultures and contains a whole lot of very completely different markets, from China to Singapore, which proper now could be rising sooner than Hong Kong.
There are additionally thrilling new markets like Vietnam. Our funding in Asia is pushed by the purpose of additional energising the market, tapping into areas which might be rising as yachting locations and embracing a brand new era of younger homeowners.
Are you shocked by the traction in Asia for the brand new Magellano fashions?
We’ve offered a few Magellano 30M, which once more reveals the demand for the bigger fashions in Asia.
Have the brand new Seadeck 6 and seven motoryachts that debuted in 2024 achieved what you hoped?
With the Seadeck Sequence, the concept was to actually create one thing that stands other than what’s out there in the marketplace by way of life-style, design and know-how, by providing a compelling counterpart to flybridge or sportbridge fashions.
That is the explanation why the Seadeck 7 (71ft 2in LOA) contains the primary helm-to-propeller hybrid-electric bundle by Volvo Penta, which is exclusive. This method was included on hull one and continues to be being developed by Volvo Penta.
It has been an enormous funding, however we imagine within the Seadeck design and the outcomes out there have been higher than we anticipated. The Seadeck 6 had an awesome response. We had been anxious that the scale (56ft 7in LOA) was possibly too small for this type of boat, nevertheless it proved that it wasn’t. The Seadeck 9 (84ft) is the subsequent mannequin within the Sequence and will debut on the 2026 Cannes Yachting Competition.
Designed for a sluggish tempo of life at sea, the Seadeck idea gave the impression to be a change in course for Azimut. Has it helped entice new purchasers?
It is a good level. The concept with Seadeck was to construct one thing completely different. Nonetheless, the brand new fashions will not be solely satisfying our purchasers but in addition attracting completely different sorts of shoppers who would by no means in any other case have been all for Azimut. We had some exterior purchasers who noticed the Seadeck and stated they favored it however had by no means beforehand approached us.
A few of the Seadeck fashions have been purchased as a second boat – like a day boat or household boat – by homeowners of megayachts. Gross sales have primarily centered on Europe to this point, because the fashions are solely beginning to enter new markets around the globe.
The Seadeck 6 appeared in America late final 12 months and the Seadeck 7 had its US debut at this 12 months’s Palm Seashore present in March. The Seadeck 7 then had its Asia-Pacific premiere on the Singapore Yachting Competition this April. I sit up for seeing the response in these markets as these boats are attracting a brand new sort of shopper.
What has been the response when folks have first boarded the Seadeck fashions?
The primary feeling is that it’s not a traditional boat. Folks realise that you simply use the facet balconies from a distinct perspective. It’s like having the exterior space of an specific boat however with out comprising the inside house and quantity.
If you go boating nowadays, individuals are much less formal. Everyone is extra relaxed on board, so we needed to switch this perspective to the Seadeck. Even in the event you examine the lobbies of accommodations, they’re now a lot relaxed in comparison with 20 years in the past and extra like a lounge. We’re making an attempt to match this perspective that individuals are in search of now. You don’t want a proper space in this kind of boat.
Why did Azimut select to work with Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez on the Seadeck interiors?
We had been in search of any person who understood the which means of the boat, what we had been seeking to do. We invested loads within the hybrid system, decreasing the consumption, and the supplies used within the boat, so once we regarded for inside designers who might match this philosophy, we considered Thun and Rodriguez as a result of they’ve had a long-standing strategy to sustainability. The number of supplies within the décor is according to this philosophy.
We did our analysis and Azimut has loved collaborating with designers who haven’t labored in yachting earlier than, to distinguish ourselves. This was additionally the case once we had Achille Salvagni design interiors for thus a few years. That is our perspective, in any other case you’re at all times restricted by the perimeter of yacht designers.
What led Azimut to work for the primary time with m2atelier (Marco Bonelli and Marijana Radovic), on the Grande 30M?
They’re good, they’re skilled, and we like how they design the inside as a useful software for the proprietor. Typically you’ve gotten an inside designer who needs to create a showroom, which is good to have a look at however not so user-friendly, however m2atelier focuses on how homeowners and friends use a ship. They’re extra pragmatic, which I like.
The Grande 30M contains the Deck2Deck Terrace and Infinity Skydeck options, which had been launched on the Grande 26M and ‘semi-walkaround’ Grande 36M respectively. Are you able to additionally define the Grande 30M’s propulsion know-how?
We’re together with the pod system. Azimut needed a pod system that may very well be used throughout sequence manufacturing of larger boats and never simply on customized superyachts. On the Grande 26M [which debuted in 2022], we launched the brand new Pod 4600 propulsion system in partnership with ZF.
On the Grande 30M, we start our new partnership with Rolls-Royce and are integrating MTU diesel engines with built-in MTU propulsion programs as a part of its ‘From Bridge to Propeller’ technique. The brand new Grande fashions will likely be outfitted with MTU’s Sequence 2000 engines, ZF pod drives and MTU’s NautIQ Grasp built-in platform administration system. It’s rather more environment friendly to work with one provider who can handle your complete propulsion system.
Earlier this 12 months, Benetti acknowledged it had 10 hybrid superyachts beneath building and that seven of the 13 orders for B.Yond superyachts included hybrid know-how. Is demand for eco-friendly know-how rising?
Sure. Mainly, about 50 per cent of B.Yond orders are for hybrid. We even have orders for a lot larger boats, from about 60-67m. Benetti can supply hybrid programs for nearly all its fashions and might typically even do full electrical.
Our hybrid programs are confirmed. It’s a lot simpler to incorporate a hybrid system on the larger yachts than it’s on the smaller ones due to the scale of the batteries. Each time you’ve gotten 40m, 50m or 60m-plus yachts, it’s simple to have a hybrid system as a result of it’s only a query of getting the house for a battery pack on board. It’s rather more of a problem on smaller boats when there’s much less house in comparison with the scale of battery pack wanted.
What has been the response to HVOlution, the biofuel that Azimut efficiently debuted on the primary Magellano 60 in 2023?
This was merely the primary mannequin we used bio-fuel in, however we suggest and might use HVO on all our fashions. All our exams had been accomplished with HVO and as we speak we now have absolutely transitioned from conventional fossil fuels to HVO biofuel – particularly HVOlution by Eni Dwell, which may cut back GHG emissions by as much as 90 per cent – for sea trials, technical transfers and ultimate refuelling previous to supply to homeowners.
HVOlution has a distinct density to diesel however all our new engines will be operated with biofuel. You’ll be able to even combine them. Nonetheless, at the moment we will solely present HVOlution in Italy. If we might make this out there all over the place, it will be a simple answer to decreasing emissions, however not the least costly, as distribution prices depend upon taxes and restrictions nation by nation.
Azimut says over half of its fashions are Low Emission Yachts, which it defines as these with 20-30 per cent fewer emissions than the market common. How do you obtain this?
Each time we do a brand new product, we determine on the extent of consumption of the boat. We then obtain the goal with the selection of engines or propulsion system, the quantity of carbon-fibre used to scale back weight, and the form of the hull, or a mix.
In 2023, to assist the market, we commissioned Lloyd’s Register to develop a carbon-emission index for sub-24m yachts, just like the SEA Index score out there for 24m-plus yachts. We’ve adopted this since final 12 months, so every Azimut yacht has an official score from Lloyd’s Register, though this method has not been utilized by different shipyards.
This type of score is on nearly all merchandise as we speak, from homes to electrical home equipment, however not on this business. We determined to do it within the hope that others would observe, however I believe the one method it’ll occur is that if the purchasers begin to ask for it or demand it. And this might more and more occur if there’s a monetary incentive for the acquisition of extra environmentally pleasant merchandise, as with automobiles.xx
Since Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund (PIF) acquired a 33 per cent of Azimut-Benetti Group in 2023, has it performed an energetic position?
They’ve confirmed to be the proper investor. They needed to grasp the business and assist the Group develop new companies in Center East. The Center East is rising, and to have a companion like this, with native presence, is a strategic transfer. We will likely be increasingly more current sooner or later.
Lastly, might you inform us what the late Paolo Vitelli meant to you, having labored beneath him for nearly three a long time because you joined Azimut in 1996?
Becoming a member of the gross sales workforce at Azimut was my first job within the yachting business, and my final interview earlier than I used to be employed was with him. Once I began, Azimut was a comparatively small firm, and it grew by about 25 per cent annually into the 2000s.
Being a gross sales particular person, he at all times needed to be current out there. He travelled loads, and I usually travelled with him and others. He was capable of journey to Asia, full a deal and fly again to Italy on the identical day – he was unstoppable. He was very charming, very intuitive, capable of perceive any scenario instantly, and at all times knew precisely what was occurring in any negotiations.
Working for him was at all times difficult as he was by no means 100 per cent happy. He challenged me from the start, even in my [job] interview. He knew he was at all times trying on the glass as half-empty. All the things was “good-bad” – that was a typical phrase of his.
He at all times pushed his stakeholders to lift the bar and transcend their limits. He was a pushed innovator, working every single day and evening. It’s this spirit that has made Azimut-Benetti the world’s main Group within the yachting business.
Photographs By Azimut-Benetti Group
azimutbenetti.com
azimutyachts.com
benettiyachts.com
This text was first seen on YachtStyle.com
For extra on the most recent in luxurious yachting and chief reads, click on right here.
Keep forward of the curve with Enterprise Digital 24. Discover extra tales, subscribe to our e-newsletter, and be a part of our rising group at bdigit24.com
