AZIMUT SEADECK: FRESH THINKING

The demographic of motor yacht owners is rapidly changing. Growing up in the UAE, boaters were either avid fisherman, or retired/semi-retirees with a lot of time/money on their hands.

Today’s motor yacht owner is entirely different. They are much younger, often with families and its often the youngsters who get a big say in what the family yacht should be. They don’s care about top speed, or power output, instead they want to know if the yacht has been built sustainably; whether it’s fuel efficient and its impact on the environment. It’s a new way of looking at yachting and one that Azimut has indeed addressed with its Seadeck series.

RETURN TO NATURE

Azimut’s Seadeck, is the first series of hybrid motor yachts designed by the shipyard for family living and the family in general. As much as it can, it’s been created to ‘return to nature’ on many levels, and not just as the Seadeck is the most efficient Azimut ever. Developed in collaboration with Alberto Mancini and Matteo Thun & Antonio Rodriguez, this concept uses the latest holistic technological solutions to reduce the Azimut’s environmental impact. Powered by Volvo’s hybrid propulsion system with energy reducing onboard systems, the Seadeck aims to deliver a 40% reduction in CO2 emission over a year of average use, both when cruising and at anchor, compared to a traditional flybridge boat of similar dimensions

CLOSE TO NATURE

Not only does the Seadeck respect the ocean, but also it wants to get the owner and family as close to the water as possible. To do this, Mancini designed the Fun Island – a reinvented aft terrace that “embraces” the sea and defines a new lifestyle paradigm based on wellbeing. “We wanted to create a boat that puts maximum emphasis on the concept of openness and transparency, and that also represented a radical change in terms of the relationship with nature. With the introduction of the Fun Island, Seadeck is actually a floating island where owners can get away from their daily routine and live in total contact with the sea,” comments Mancini.

Fun Island: The family-friendly Seadeck Series, which for the first time in its segment, combines generous onboard spaces with a totally open aft lounge that ‘embraces’ the sea.

For the interior concepts, Thun and Rodriguez drew on nature again, but this time concentrating on the desire to work by subtraction to reveal the ‘heart’ of a space, a redefinition of luxury based on wellbeing, and the choice of natural or recycled materials. “We prefer to talk about consciousness rather than sustainability, a philosophy that determines our way of practising architecture,” explains Thun. “We try to work by subtraction, because reduction means durability, both technical and aesthetic. And a boat must stand the test of time and be beautiful forever”.

In conclusion, Giovanna Vitelli, Chair of Azimut Benetti Group, commented: “Seadeck is a new starting point for future generations. We wish, once again, to chart a course that will be an inspiration for the entire industry, so that the theme of respect for the environment is interpreted – as it is for Seadeck – with a concrete approach made up of investment, technological research, and the courage to introduce a new lifestyle that embraces the sea.”

Seadek 6, the first of 3 models in the Seadeck series will be presented at the Boot Düsseldorf 2024; Seadeck 7 and Seadeck 8 will follow between 2024 and 2025.