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When it comes to cooking onboard, some galleys seem to be treated as an obligation by boatbuilders as opposed to areas constructed with function at the forefront, but the 75’s should make most chefs happy. First, the granite countertop (marble is optional) provides room for both a chef and a an assistant to cut, peel, and wash without stepping on each other’s toes. Moreover, I found no less than six overhead cabinets for pantry stowage as well as three 44"x14"x13" drawers for pots, pans, and other equipment. (Stowage for plates, cups, and glasses is in the dining area.) In addition, the under-sink stowage is 24"x19" deep and should hold even your largest pasta pot. The 75’s cooking arsenal is made up of Miele appliances, including a four-burner electric cooktop with potholder and a microwave/convection oven, plus there’s a Miele dishwasher, a 19.7-cubic-foot Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer, a Frigomar icemaker, In-sink trash compactor, and durable-looking Franke fixtures. (Cold cereal for breakfast won’t cut it here.)
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In keeping with my impression that the 75 is one luxurious cruiser, I found the below-decks accommodations to be well outfitted. Two guest staterooms are forward and up a step from the master, which rivals the above-deck layout. To port and starboard, each has two single berths and an en suite head. The VIP is fully forward, featuring a low-profile, queen-size berth.
By this point the 75 was hitting stride in looks and layout, so I was interested to see if her ride would match up. A 15-plus-knot, late-afternoon breeze made the 55ºF temperature feel more like freezing, and the sea was running with four- to six-foot swells. I hardly thought the seas would challenge the 50-ton 75, which features a hand-laid solid-fiberglass hull bottom, but I did wonder if she’d make her 30-knot projected top speed. Well, she did. During speed runs my radar gun recorded a top average speed of 35.6 mph, which, when combined with the 75’s 1,623-gallon diesel capacity, provides a cruising range of 382 miles. When you throttle her down to a comfortable cruise speed of 30.5 mph, you get a range of 495 miles. It’s not just a decent turn of speed that makes the 75 a sweet ride. Her modified 15.5-degree aft deadrise, combined with a knife-like entry, allowed her to run effortlessly.
My wheel time was brief due to an earlier clogged fuel line and a rapidly setting sun, but while skipping the 75 over the swells, I found she had runabout-like reflexes and agile handling. This is attributed in part to a combination of an efficiently designed hull, responsive hydraulic power-assist steering, and sea-chomping 38x47 four-blade nibrals. When I pushed her at WOT into the seas, not even a sneeze of spray made it to her decks. In addition her MAN single-lever electronic controls throttled smoothly through the engines’ rpm range.
When you take into account details such as the shark-fin window treatments, a curvaceous winding teak stairway from the cockpit to the flying bridge (which can seat ten for lunch), a windlass and cleats that are concealed to allow Stefano Righini’s lines to run uninterrupted from bow to stern, you know you’re dealing with a different kind of machine. It’s truly floating art, and Azimut has got a masterpiece with the 75. But don’t just take my word for it; the builder’s first year’s orders are already sold out.
Azimut
(39) 011-93161
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This article originally appeared in the February 2005
issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
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