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The 2010 model Azimut 85 is nothing short of majestic, in our opinion, and she rivals anything in her class.
Bella figura. It is an Italian phrase for putting on an impressive display. This concept is part of the Italian culture. It is the reason that Italian products in nearly any field are the most beautiful, exciting, romantic and in many cases, sought after and copied. The Azimut 85 has it in spades. But what truly impresses us is the nautical approach Azimut engineers have taken to the seakeeping and reliability of systems, which in a boat of this size are complex to say the least.
The foredeck on most large motoryachts is a place that most guests rarely go, but not on the Azimut 85. The bow is a venue for a cocktail party, an al fresco dinner and of course, sun bathing.
Cat Power
It all starts with the Azimut 85’s standard engines: Caterpillar C-32 ACERTs producing 1825-hp. These engines have almost become the standard for large motoryachts from 65’ to 100’. It is noteworthy that Azimut has made this choice for standard power. With 100 sales offices in 60 countries and with the 85 cruising all over the globe, Azimut must install an engine that not only has the trust of customers from diverse cultures and nautical experiences, but also one which has service capabilities easily at hand world-wide. Azimut’s adoption of Caterpillar engines speaks for itself.
A recent press release from Caterpillar said the following: “Caterpillar's marine engine sales were up for the three-month rolling period of May to July 2009, compared to the same period last year, according to a dealer statistics report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Sales were up 20 percent in May, 15 percent in June and 1 percent in July for the marine sector, compared to sales in those months for 2008. Sales were down in every other sector," Caterpillar reported.
The flying bridge of the Azimut 85 with a hardtop with retractable sunroof. Note the unobtrusive helm and bunny pad forward on the portside, and the teak deck which feels so good on bare feet.
The Azimut 85s twin C-32s drive through ZF 3000 1:2.75 reduction V-drives connected by 3.9” (100mm) shafts to 4-bladed NiBrAl props. Azimut says that their 85 with these engines can propel the motoryacht at half load to 30 knots max, with a cruising speed of 27 knots. This speed is noteworthy because the Azimut 85 is not a particularly light boat.
Fast But No Featherweight
We find it reassuring that the 85 has a displacement of 187,000 lbs. (85 metric tons). This places the Azimut 85 almost squarely in the middle between the Pacific Mariner 85 at 125,000 lbs. (56.7 MT) and the new Nordhavn 86 motoryacht at 400,000 lbs. (181.44 MT). Azimut motoryachts have been known for their speed, but speed at the expense of weight and beam is not desirable in our book, particularly in anything except mill pond-conditions, it is uncomfortable to be running most boats faster than 20 knots, and most yachtsmen travelling any distance will prefer 10 to 13 knots to increase range.
The saloon of the Azimut 85 looking forward to the dining area to port. Note there is no sign of a galley, the informal settee forward or of the helm – all of which are behind the Shoji screens in the background.
The Azimut 85’s beam is 21’6” which we think is appropriate for an 85-footer. She draws only 4’1” which means this is a boat that is made for some serious exploring in places like the Bahamas, Chesapeake Bay and the Baltic. Her deadrise at the transom is only 10 degrees and these relatively flat stern sections are a big reason why the Azimut can go so fast with the C-32s.
Important Standard Equipment
In addition to the engine selection, there are several other items of standard equipment that we think demonstrate Azimut’s determination to produce a well-found motoryacht. For example she comes equipped with a 27-hp. hydraulic bow thruster. Most yachts which have standard bow thrusters have electric ones. If you’ve ever used an electric bow thruster you know their limitations, which are considerable. When you need a bow thruster, you need it, and depending on the conditions, you may need to lean on it for several minutes.
This is a very well designed helm on the starboard side of the 85. Note that the instrument panel and screens are low so that visibility forward is maximized. There is room for four screens. For night running it would be easy to place a back hood over the instruments to keep the glare of screens off the windshield.
Electric bow thrusters quickly overheat, can throw a breaker, or simply run out of juice from their auxiliary battery. Hydraulic bow thrusters use a power take off (PTO) from one of the engines or generator. They are more expensive than electrical thrusters because of the PTO unit and all of the hydraulic plumbing. But the added cost is the only way to go if you are going to seriously use the boat. Azimut has done it right.
Aids for Owner/Operators
In addition to a beefy 4000 w anchor windlass, the Azimut 85 comes with two 2200 w warping winches, one on each of the stern quarters. We like these winches as standard equipment because it makes docking easier if your crew is short-handed or you are an owner/operator. With the bow thruster to put the pointy end to the pier and the warping winch to bring in the stern, the Azimut 85 can be birthed nearly anywhere by a husband and wife team. It’s all standard equipment.
We know of no other galley on a large motoryacht quite like this one. The window to the left looks out to the dining table, and the one to the right looks to the settee which is to port of the helm. This is a European answer to Americans wanting a Country Kitchen. By opening the Shoji screens Americans have communication with the dining room and settee. By closing them, Europeans have the privacy they crave. The galley is large and has a full height refer/freezer and all of the amenities.
The addition of a remote helm such as the one Glendinning makes, allows the skipper to stand nearly anywhere on the boat for the best vantage point for docking. That’s about all the boat needs to truly be a husband and wife operation.
Standards Improve Reliability
One of the reasons that yachts have gone up in price the last decade more than the normal inflation rate and cost of raw materials, is the fact that European Union has adopted stringent rules about the manufacturing of almost anything sold to consumers (CE stands for European Conformity), and in the U.S. the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is insisting that boat builders follow ABYC Standards.
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