Review and boat test performance results for the Azimut 82

The flying-bridge helm has also moved, from centerline to starboard, and as in the saloon, seating up here has morphed from curvy to angular. There’s also a bit smaller sunpad up here, although there’s another on the foredeck, forward of a settee and dining table, a new feature that Azimut borrowed from its sister company, Benetti. In any case, if there is a lounging deficit it can be more than offset by the 82’s optional “hydromassage tub.”

Exterior appearances have evolved too, but again, not a lot. You see the hand of Stefano Righini in both boats, just as you do that of Carlo Galeazzi in both interiors. The major changes are more glass area (the master now enjoys four vertical hull-side windows per side instead of three) and a standard hardtop with integral sunroof. (The 80 made do with a bimini top.) Looking at these two boats from a distance, you can easily see that the 82 is derived from the 80 and that both are Azimuts.

The one comparison not possible here is performance, as PMY never tested the 80. I can tell you that I did enjoy my time at the wheel of the 82 on a dead-flat Ligurian Sea, but let’s face it: This is the nautical equivalent of a stretch limo. She goes where she’s pointed in leisurely and predictable fashion, the sound of the engines a distant thrum. There’s no drama, and a 28-knot top end is plenty for a boat of this heft and demeanor, a demeanor that is all about comfort and luxury, just like the 80’s was. That the 82 continues that tradition should come as no surprise. If Azimut took no chances with the 82, it’s because it didn’t need to. It’s been fine-tuning the concept for 40 years.

One of the handiest things to have on a big boat is a fuel-transfer system. It allows you to move fuel around to offset uneven loading and to empty or fill a tank in case of damage, contamination, or the loss of an engine. But a common problem with such systems is that they’re abysmally slow; it can sometimes take hours to do a job you need done right away. The system on the Azimut 82 not only avoids this pitfall by using a high-capacity 220-volt pump, it includes a cleanable filter that traps larger contaminants before they reach even the fuel-water separators. Thus it can also function as a basic fuel-polishing system.

Azimut (011) 39 011-93-161.

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