Source: Mike Werling, Sea Magazine
Nobody`s Going To Ask,
Probably since the first time humans took to the sea, or at least since boats have had covered spaces, people have said their boats are their home away from home, their retreat, their escape. As materials have gotten stronger and designs have become more open, inside spaces have grown bigger and more accommodating and comfortable. Yacht interiors have reached the point where people can now say, “My house is my home away from my boat.”
The Azimut Magellano 74 is definitely in the category of yacht that makes people get “boatsick.” It is the first in a new line of cruisers that the folks at Azimut hope make people think about cruising in a new way. The project started with modest objectives:
• Reduced consumption
• Stability at low speeds
• Ability to navigate at higher speeds when called for
• Maximum comfort
• Increased elegance
• Long-range capability
And, to make things a little more interesting, Azimut conceived of the project at the beginning of the worldwide economic crisis but kept plans on track anyway. The company is happy with the results and plans to roll out the rest of the Magellano line – 50- and 41-foot models – in the next two years. Why start with the biggest model and work down? Azimut just can`t help itself.
“Starting with the big model and going smaller is in our company DNA,” said Federico Lantero, Azimut`s marketing communications manager. “We create the potential in the market and then create those smaller models to fulfill the potential.”
With the first 50-footer scheduled to hit the water later this year, Azimut should know quickly whether its strategy is going to work – and this is a company that doesn`t like leaving the success of its boats to chance. It “road tested” the 74 over a 2,000-mile sea trial through the Mediterranean Sea. Satisfied with the results of that journey, Azimut put the boat on display for a cadre of international journalists in Genoa, Italy.
APPEARANCES
The first thing you notice is the hull color. Some might call it coppery or bronze. It made me think of the burnt orange of the University of Texas (though that analogy would have been lost on my 20 or so international companions, so I kept it to myself). The second thing you notice is the tinted, reflective glass that wraps around the entire main deck like a pair of Oakley sunglasses. The hull itself, designed by Bill Dixon, is a semi-displacement design with a deep V in the bow section for wave-cutting stamina in any sea condition. A 20-foot, 4-inch beam provides stability and lots of interior space, which is used to the fullest.
Any good physical boat tour starts with the swim platform, since that is where one is most likely to board the vessel, but this tour – on paper, at least – begins in the main deck`s interior. A single open space holds the galley, salon, dining area and wheelhouse. With seating for 12 people between the dinette and the L-shaped sofa – and as many as 15 when the dual-function ottomans are converted to seats – you may not be able to bring all of your Facebook friends along, but you will have room for those you actually know and care about. Nobody – from the helm station to the galley and even to the cockpit – has to be excluded from the conversation, due to the lack of interior walls, and the wrap-around glass affords 360-degree views of the sea. Plus, the tinted glass softens the sunlight that pours into the area. It really is a flexible, open, comfortable space.
The floor of the entryway, galley and wheelhouse is wengè wood. The leather ceiling has a large center rectangle of lacquered ivory accented with LED lights. Soft cream-colored carpet in the salon separates the areas of dark wood. The sofa and settee are multi-toned to match the wood sole, carpet and ceiling. It`s a motif that carries below to the master stateroom.
The U-shaped galley is aft of the salon/dining area and to port of the sliding entry door from the aft deck. Equipped with all the necessary appliances, the galley is situated in the best place to serve all three dining areas – inside, in the cockpit and on the flybridge, which is accessible via a wide teak staircase. No ladder here.
The flybridge helm station – from where the sea trial was conducted – is centrally located for better visibility around the yacht, as is the wheelhouse helm. From both stations, the captain has command of the boat and a commanding view of his surroundings. Aft of the helm, the rest of the flybridge is another gathering place, big enough to accommodate at least 10 people in two distinct spaces. Under the hardtop is an eight-person C-shaped bench to port, with a table that folds out to double its size. To starboard is a long cabinet that houses a refrigerator, an ice-maker, a barbecue and plenty of worktop space. Beyond the reach of the hardtop, in the aft end of the flybridge, is an area large enough for a couple of sunbathers on chaise lounges – an area accessible to sun worshipers because the tender has its own garage below the cockpit.
PERFORMANCE
Azimut equipped the Magellano 74 with twin Caterpillar C-18 diesels, each capable of cranking out 1,015 hp, which gives the boat a couple of advantages. One, those engines enable the yacht to cover about 1,000 miles at 11-12 knots, displacement speed. At that pace, with the engine turning about 1300 rpm, the fuel consumption is just 18.5 gph. Whether you`re motoring around the Mediterranean or along the West Coast, that kind of mileage gets you to distant ports. Two, if the need arises to get to safety and get there quickly, the Cats can push the 74-footer up to 24 knots, about 2350 rpm, and fuel consumption is about 100 gph. In an emergency, however, that`s not the top concern. And, it can go from a standstill to top speed in about 35 seconds.
The yacht achieves a comfortable cruising speed at 21 knots, about 2200 rpm, but range is cut by more than 50 percent, dropping to 450 miles, and fuel consumption jumps to about 85 gph. For those interested in cruising somewhere in between 21 and 11 knots, the yacht burns about 52 gph at 16 knots (1800 rpm) and 42 gph at 14 knots and 1600 rpm, for a range of more than 570 miles. Boaters who really slow down, to about 9.5 knots, can go 1,150 miles between stops.
Sea trial day was sunny and calm; the Mediterranean wasn`t flat, but it offered little resistance to the big boat, with its pointed bow and wide, trawlerlike rear end. We had to create our own waves, pulling hard turns and cutting through the wake. The yacht responded quickly to helm commands, and whether I was at the wheel, on the flybridge or in the salon, it always felt stable – never a sudden lean to port or starboard, and never an abrupt snap back to vertical.
The Seakeeper gyroscopes did their job at all speeds. I never felt the boat shudder in a turn or going through a wake. Turning ability is one feature the Azimut folks are highlighting. The boat can turn around in a radius of 66 feet at maximum speed; the turnaround radius is reduced to 49 feet at 15 knots. Journalists who drove the boat on the second day of sea trials, when the sea was much choppier, said they were impressed with the smoothness of the ride and how well the boat handled.
BELOWDECKS
On the lower deck, you`ll find three staterooms and three heads. The master and VIP staterooms have en suite heads, while the third one serves the guest cabin and as a day head. The master is roomy and elegant, taking full advantage of the 20-foot-plus beam. A king-size bed sits on the aft wall, slightly to port to make room for a writing desk and dressing table. To starboard of the head of the bed is a wardrobe with double doors and an illuminated plexiglass clothes rail – a unique touch given to each of the cabins. Rectangular portholes, at least 3 feet across, are located to port and starboard in the master, letting in lots of natural light and affording a nice view in both directions. With a TV on the forward wall and ample nightstands and LED reading lights on either side of the bed, the owners can settle in for the evening or ride out a particularly gloomy day in the privacy of their quarters.
All three staterooms and heads are located forward of the engine room. Aft of the engine is another cabin – good for crew or guests – with a head. This space is also where you`ll find the washer and dryer, control panel and pantry, and it is accessed via its own set of stairs astern of the salon.
Throughout the yacht you`ll find touches that point to a solidly built, people-friendly vessel. The stainless steel rails and hardtop supports are beefy and secure. The hardtop itself is solid and tall. The sidedecks are 24 inches wide and protected by high rails and tall bulwarks that extend all the way to the bow – where a king-size sunpad and three-person bench create yet another communal space. Even the M-A-G-E-L-L-A-N-O letters on the door of the garage are solid, shiny and substantial.
Changing the game is a marketing phrase that gets bandied about when companies introduce new product lines, whether they`re mobile phones or laptop computers or yachts. Maybe it`s because the maxim is easy to say and difficult to prove or disprove. With the Magellano 74`s multiple gathering spaces, designer interior, long-range capability, 24-knot top speed, solid construction, dedication to conserving resources and ease of operation, Azimut has at the very least improved how the game is played.