New Azimut 53 fly

[EricJ]

Yesterday was the virtual launch of the new Azi 53 flybridge:

A nice new design from Alberto Mancini, which I prefer over the looks of the 55 for example. Some interesting choices made for this boat. What stood out for me is that there are only two small steps between the aft galley and the dinette area. The saloon is very bright and open. The galley floor space looks rather large. On one side is the full height fridge and on the other the flybridge stairs, so these may create some blindspots when driving from the lower helm. As a result the aperture of the door to the cockpit also looks smaller than on some other boats. Down below three cabins where the third is a twin. The master cabin has an intrusion in the ceiling at the head of the bed, but they worked it well into the design. The floor is not completely flat but I guess that is the price to pay for the steps in the saloon. They found space for a washer dryer in the lobby down below.
i think the interior design is really nice with light contemporary colours and rounded shapes,

The cockpit is only accessible from one side. There is a small crew cabin accessible from the bathing platform.
Ok, it has IPS. V-drives may have been an alternative here like on the Ferretti 500.
Hopefully MBY will test it.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

I like that. A bit out of my budget sadly.

 

[Portofino]

Factory is in Savona nearby you see them on the water a lot .Popular and cut a fine dash .

 

[Chris H]

That looks nice, I wasn’t impressed with the Ferretti 500, looks built to a price, although I must be old fashioned as still prefer the glossy gin palace look.

 

[Orthop]

Very nice and clear design. I love it...But on the first look I would give my choice the Ferretti, no at least for the shaft drive...
I am not a friend of the AZ bow, perhaps I would need a few years more to get familiar with it...

 

[Seastoke]

Or under a million it’s a good boat.

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Azimut has started the Mancini fifth generation series, the previous 2-4 being somehow all Righini started in early nineties.
I think few do as much RandD as much as them before a model goes out.
This new 53 looks a bit at Ferretti for a being a low profile a bit sporty flybridge motor yacht. Reminds also for the Christian Grande Sessa 54/68 on how the window profile is designed.
This is not something new from them as 62/64 models did this, as well as the different in that size 98/100 Leonardo.
With Mancini as he did with 78 Fly and this one we might see it in all the range coming soon.
The profile in the picture looks beautiful, it will be interesting how it will be when you see it live.

It will be interesting as I said previously if Mancini can carry on with Fairline, although Azimut might not worry to much about that at the moment cause Fairline seems to have become a much smaller brand to what it was ten years ago and before that.

 

[EricJ]

In the MBY test of the Ferretti 500 they said that Ferretti will build only 9 or 10 of these. That number really surprised me; why so few? I hope they make more of the larger ones. Or is this 500 not their core market, more like the Aston Martin Cygnet in the range.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

9 or 10 per year. Not in total.

 

[EricJ]

9 or 10 per year. Not in total.

Sure per year, but still I found it a small number for a large manufacturer like Ferretti. I guess Azimut or Princess make more of their 50 ft models in a year.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Maybe but not a lot. Remember that Ferretti group has a load of other brands so sales of one might cannibalise the sales in another. Riva. Pershing. Ferretti. Wally. Itama. Mochi. Maybe some others I forgot.

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Ferretti had as far as I know always went to 10 boats per model each year then they go for demand. So for example if they have more demand in the 500, and less in the 550 they might do some more of the 500.
Also Ferretti has always build less to other builders, in the 90s they used to do 50 a year, then in the 2000s due to demand that went up to around a 100.
I am not sure what are Ferretti current numbers but I would suspect they are building a total of 50/60 boats a year.

On the other hand Princess builds around 200 boats a year atm, and Azimut is 300 plus if including in the Azimut Atlantis.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

That looks nice, I wasn’t impressed with the Ferretti 500, looks built to a price, although I must be old fashioned as still prefer the glossy gin palace look.

Prior to the financial crash in 2008, Ferretti were building premium boats at premium prices but since then they seem to have changed their strategy, at least for their smaller boats. They now do indeed seem to build to a price which is competitive with other mainstream brands and they seem to have achieved that by cutting costs. Their hulls now tend to be narrower in the beam, lighter and have smaller engines compared to their pre 2008 models. Inside, they have cut down the amount of timber and joinery work and outside they seem to have reduced the thickness of grp mouldings in some areas. I'm sure they are still excellent boats but they have lost some of that premium feel compared to older models which I think is a shame but I guess they know what they're doing

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Yesterday was the virtual launch of the new Azi 53 flybridge:

A nice new design from Alberto Mancini, which I prefer over the looks of the 55 for example. Some interesting choices made for this boat. What stood out for me is that there are only two small steps between the aft galley and the dinette area.
Hopefully MBY will test it.

Good video and a very nice boat. The styling seems to be more sober, substantial and elegant than previous Azimut designs which should stand the test of time better. Maybe thats the Mancini influence. Thats the first time I've heard anyone quantify the accommodation advantages of IPS - 600mm extra space in this model it seems which actually is a bit less than I thought it would be. Anyone know if the engines are on jackshafts or connected directly to the IPS pods?

One thing I don't like though is the step in the floor of the master cabin on the s/b side and there's quite a drop in headroom over the head of the bed. I could see myself getting up in the middle of the night for a pee, smacking my head on the ceiling and falling down that step on the way to the loo

 

[Portofino]

Prior to the financial crash in 2008, Ferretti were building premium boats at premium prices but since then they seem to have changed their strategy, at least for their smaller boats. They now do indeed seem to build to a price which is competitive with other mainstream brands and they seem to have achieved that by cutting costs. Their hulls now tend to be narrower in the beam, lighter and have smaller engines compared to their pre 2008 models. Inside, they have cut down the amount of timber and joinery work and outside they seem to have reduced the thickness of grp mouldings in some areas. I'm sure they are still excellent boats but they have lost some of that premium feel compared to older models which I think is a shame but I guess they know what they're doing

@2019 Monaco Ferretti preview ( whole line up effectively) the staff seemed at great pains to point out quality improvements .
They initiated conversations so on that theme they allowed me to open hatches , poke , prod slam doors etc .On the sea trails the boats where very refined smooth and quiet even when WOT ed .
I was told they had developed a technical centre dedicated to refinement and quality and where standardising the good stuff across the whole range , stuff like active acoustic engine mounts etc .
Well tbh they ALL were pretty impressive and the modals did stand up to my critique .

A few weeks earlier by way of reference a friend had taken delivery of a around 48 ft sports cruiser from one of the UKs big three .I,am not gonna grass up which .
We accepted a pre dinner request for Rose as is way in the SoF , before a restaurant off the boat .
Eager to show me , the guy lifted the engine access hatch a rather large affair and it was heavy.Good substantial build i hear you all .But because of its size + weight , size to make the aperture extra useful it had a extra powerful rams / gas struts .
So much so he had accidentally ( due to its arc ) let go before it was fully open and the power + residual weight as it went past 90 degrees ripped the screws out of the two hinges .The hinges looked weedy and the screws woefully inadequate.

They were running behind when we arrive on time and the wife was having a quick shower in the ensuite mid cabin , while the Mr served the ice cool Rose she popped up shrouded in a towel “the shower had flooded “
The guy is a bit of a mechanical numb ty ( I say that politely btw ) so I ended up dressed in my best going out gear getting on my hands + knees lifting adjacent access panels hunting for the shower box .Turned out the pipe that connected it to the shower tray had a huge vertical loop higher than the tray .All it needed was cutting , shorter so the run was down hill near as dam it so the sump box would fill .It was the first time that shower had been used .
Boats supposed to have been PDI ed ......obviously nobody had tested the shower sumps !

Engineers came the next day to fix the hinges and other snags .
Then his Passerelle packed up , and despite repeated engineers it was declared a factory fit issue poor positioning + alignment .....another story .You get the idea .When suddenly decelerating the wash would flood through the closed hatch of the pocket passerelle and wet vital equipment....something like that . Or crossing wakes or anchored in a rolly anchorage.
It was as if the passerelle was a late addition to the design imho .

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

@2019 Monaco Ferretti preview ( whole line up effectively) the staff seemed at great pains to point out quality improvements .
They initiated conversations so on that theme they allowed me to open hatches , poke , prod slam doors etc .On the sea trails the boats where very refined smooth and quiet even when WOT ed .
I was told they had developed a technical centre dedicated to refinement and quality and where standardising the good stuff across the whole range , stuff like active acoustic engine mounts etc .
Well tbh they ALL were pretty impressive and the modals did stand up to my critique .

Good to hear. I never thought that they had cut back on the engineering just on the bits that didnt affect the engineering. Unfortunately those are often the bits you tend to notice at boat shows. Having said that, if I had the money and was in the market for a new planing boat, Ferretti would always be on my shortlist

 

[EricJ]

Good video and a very nice boat. The styling seems to be more sober, substantial and elegant than previous Azimut designs which should stand the test of time better. Maybe thats the Mancini influence. Thats the first time I've heard anyone quantify the accommodation advantages of IPS - 600mm extra space in this model it seems which actually is a bit less than I thought it would be. Anyone know if the engines are on jackshafts or connected directly to the IPS pods?

One thing I don't like though is the step in the floor of the master cabin on the s/b side and there's quite a drop in headroom over the head of the bed. I could see myself getting up in the middle of the night for a pee, smacking my head on the ceiling and falling down that step on the way to the loo

I think you better skip the (outgoing) Ferretti 450 then. It has a big cavity in the floor at the end of the bed. I think that is a too big compromise for having a full beam master.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I think you better skip the (outgoing) Ferretti 450 then. It has a big cavity in the floor at the end of the bed. I think that is a too big compromise for having a full beam master.

Too small a boat for a full beam master cabin really and yes I know thats what punters want

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Too small a boat for a full beam master cabin really and yes I know thats what punters want

It had a step in the middle of the cabin. Nothing wrong with that as I see it it was one of the few 13 meter flybridge boats with a real full beam master cabin and on shafts.
If you want no steps by a condo. Also the person who complained about it here, was comparing the 450 to a meter larger, longer and higher Princess 49.

The problem is political correctness, I mean the Phantom 48 midships cabin was very small and every1 said how great it was (even MBY reviews) though a decade earlier Azimut 46 had a better midships cabin in the same 14 meter size.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

The problem is political correctness, I mean the Phantom 48 midships cabin was very small and every1 said how great it was (even MBY reviews) though a decade earlier Azimut 46 had a better midships cabin in the same 14 meter size.

Agree that the Phantom 48 midships master cabin was hopeless. I think everyone on the forum agreed with that at least. The midships cabin on the AZ46 was excellent but it wasnt full beam or anywhere near. Having said that it was such a nice cabin that it was a toss up for owners whether to use the forward cabin or the midships cabin as the master cabin