The second model in Azimut’s forward-looking “yacht of tomorrow” line, the Seadeck 7 proves that luxury and fun needn’t be mutually exclusive.
Dichotomy. That’s the word I jot down in my notebook as we idle back through a no-wake zone aboard Azimut’s new Seadeck 7. In many ways, the second sibling in the Seadeck line is, at 71 feet, a proper motoryacht—with the styling, quality construction, and trickle-down features you would expect from the Azimut-Benetti family. In fact, Giorgio Sarti, Area Manager for the Americas, told me as we left the dock that morning that a previous Benetti owner recently decided to downsize to the 7.
Absolutely loaded with clever features, the space that seems to do the best double duty is the cockpit/salon; it’s just so versatile. With the fold-down gunwales lowered, the sunshade (with vertical privacy shade aft) deployed, the unique salon doors fully open, and leaves added to the dining table, I can easily envision an elegant business dinner being served here. Finely dressed guests mingle and enjoy a glass of Champagne before the chef emerges from an enclosable galley far forward (read: unique) to serve an alfresco dinner at sunset. To lean into a cliché, the Seadeck 7 is more than up to the duties of a small superyacht.
More of a hotdog-and-beer man myself, I could also see the 7 being a great boat to fill with bathing-suit-clad friends for a high-energy day on the water. My perfect day would be blasting to a harbor or cove at the boat’s top speed of nearly 30 knots, dropping the hook, lowering the gunwales, and deploying the Williams Jet Tender from the swim platform and the Sea-Doo from its custom-designed home in the transom—then refereeing who gets a turn on which toy first.
Being a Seadeck—and therefore built with sustainability in mind—it features countless fabrics made from recycled materials, ranging from the rugs and seating cushions to wall décor. These materials all seem to be wet-bathing-suit-friendly, stylish, and still yet, extremely comfortable (a combination that’s not too easy to find).
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Belowdecks, the 7 falls very much in line with her flybridge motoryacht sisterships, with four staterooms that are luxurious, albeit just a bit smaller. This speaks to the design brief for the Seadeck line, which leans more toward dayboat functionality. Still, one family’s dayboat is another’s liveaboard. With a generous master amidships, a VIP forward, and a pair of guest cabins—one with a double berth and another with bunks arranged in an L-shape—you could easily cruise at length with family and guests. For those more accustomed to a Benetti lifestyle, there’s also a crew cabin with wet head accessible from the bow sole. I suspect American owners will use this space for spare supplies and provisions, mostly.
The lower helm, with its adjacent galley and therefore excellent proximity to a drink or snack while cruising, is a smart place to drive from in inclement weather. In anything resembling good weather, however, the best seat in the house is undoubtedly behind the wheel on the flybridge. Again, dichotomy is the key here. In mostly calm seas off Pompano Beach, this boat was as smooth and quiet as any I’ve tested in this size range. Head seas, following seas, cutting a turn into our wake, running the inlet—it didn’t matter. I could casually chat with Sarti in all conditions. After running the numbers on a crystal-clear day, I made the time-honored marine journalist’s joke to him and our onboard captain: “How do we feel about a run to Bimini?” It was clear—we were all thinking the same thing. “Next time.”
Azimut is currently working on hybrid propulsion options for the 6, 7, and in-build Seadeck 9. An efficient hull, abundant use of recycled materials, and hybrid power should all deliver on the builder’s promise of a more sustainable yacht—a buzz-phrase thrown around much too cavalierly in the marine industry. Luxurious and forward-thinking, a blast for a day or a week at a time … in this case, the Seadeck 7’s dichotomy is a very good thing.
Azimut Seadeck 7 Test Numbers:
Azimut Seadeck 7 Specifications:
LOA: 71’2”
Beam: 18’
Draft: 5’1”
Displ.: 100,310 lb.
Fuel: 978 gal.
Water: 264 gal.
Power: 2/900-hp Volvo Penta IPS 1200; 2/1,000-hp Volvo Penta IPS (optional)
Base Price: $4.4 million
