Rediscovering the gentle pleasures of navigation My Voyage...

#

Rediscovering the gentle pleasures of navigation

My Voyage, a story of passion for the sea

[email protected] 1 23/06/10 15:16

MAGELLANO

Azimut Yachts responded to a highly

challenging 2008 in its own inimitable

way, by unveiling no less than eight new

models to the market. The aim was twofold: Þ rst-

ly, to overhaul the range and secondly, to extend

it. The Magellano 74 is the product of the latter

ambition, Þ lling a gap that owners perceived as

existing on the long-range navigation scene. The

latter was, until a very short time ago, consid-

ered merely a niche segment but is now made

up of a considerable number of expert yachts-

men who want to do their seafaring calmly and

with complete peace of mind. These aren’t sail-

ors thirsty for performance for its own sake but

they still want to be able to hold a good average

speed during extended stays aboard with their

family and close friends. They also want the free-

dom to be able to plan their cruises without too

many obstacles and concerns raising their ugly

heads. They certainly want to be able to return

to berth in a hurry if they wish to do so. Tellingly,

they also wanted all of the above without having

to compromise on comfort. As the Þ rst example

of the new family of boats we’re currently work-

ing on, the Magellano 74 is the reality behind

that dream. It is something entirely new because

it delivers a much older approach to seafaring

in a thoroughly modern way: savouring the el-

ement through which we move more than the

object in which we are moving. Savouring the

sea rather than having to fuss about the day-

to-day demands of running the yacht itself. Be-

ing able to keep well away from ports because

your craft’s tanks, pantry, living spaces and,

most importantly of all, fuel consumption rates

are designed for just that. This brings us to the

other focal point of the Magellano’s design: the

environment, increasingly a priority in our poli-

cies here at Azimut. We are investing not only

in developing new boats but also in technology.

The waterlines of the models in this particular

line are the result of meticulous research by de-

signer Bill Dixon to improve their efÞ ciency. In

fact, compared to a traditional planing ß ybridge

of similar dimensions at displacement speed,

the 74’ drinks up to 20 per cent less fuel and has

a 60% longer range too. Looking even into the

very near future, the upcoming Magellano 50,

which makes its debut at the 2010 Genoa Show,

will be designed to take a new hybrid propul-

sion system, consisting of traditional diesel or

twin electric motors powered by diesel genera-

tors. None of this, however, would be enough to

make the Magellanos in general and the rather

large 74 in particular, appealing to owner-skip-

pers that want to take full charge of their boats,

were they not designed with a layout focused on

long stays aboard and use by a short-handed

crew. In other words, plenty of al fresco spaces

in which to chill out, enjoy the outdoor life, chat

or cook while watching the skipper go about his

duties. These areas really do have to be care-

fully designed to give everyone aboard their own

personal space, a private corner in which they

won’t be disturbed. This is why the Magellano

74 is awash with large areas and why we have

gone out of our way to avoid tight communal

spaces. Design has done its bit to meet the re-

quirements of those living aboard underway too.

For instance, the galley in the saloon is in close

contact with the cockpit and just a few steps

from the bridge too, making it ideal for anyone

that wants to do a bit of cooking but still wants

to enjoy the company of the others aboard or

simply watch what’s going on navigation-wise.

But the design team didn’t just let it lie at offer-

ing new interior layouts. They’ve also designed

a yacht that is visually different from anything

else offered so far by the market. Visually, the

Magellano 74 really is something of a departure

Something new on the horizon….

Concept

My Voyage

Postcards from winter 4

Rosita Missoni at the launch 6

Missoni in Tunisia 8

The coach of the sea 9

Magellano and friends 12

A cruise by Missoni 13

A driver with an eco-conscience 14

Photo album 15

The sailors 15

Dear Diary... 18

In his own words 19

Azimut Benetti Group chairman Paolo Vitelli

Page opposite, Malta refl ected in the Magellano

74’s window.

Magellano 74

Portfolio 20

Navigation 23

The button room 23

The exterior 25

The living quarters 29

Design 30

Accomodation area 33

Anatomy of a new protagonist 35

Magellano 50

A cutting-edge classic 36

Environmental compatibility 36

Designed to be lived 37

Ecology of the mind 38

Designed to be safe 41

Yards

The style factory 42

from the rest of the boats out there on the sea.

Its axe bow rises vertically out of the water; its

unusual colours gleam and its superstructure

looks incredibly light even though it is actually

very solid indeed. It’s different inside too as win-

dows dart along superstructure and don’t just

ß ood the open plan saloon with natural light but

also sweep aside any obstacle between those

inside and the surrounding seascape. There

was no way we could unveil a yacht as new as

this or, rather, a type of yacht as new as this, in

the conventional manner. And so to thoroughly

test-drive the Magellano 74 and introduce it to

the world, we came up with My Voyage, a cruise

with expert sailor Dag Pike as our skipper plus

former motor racing driver Heinz-Harald Fren-

zen and fashion ambassador Vittorio Missoni

as our honoured guests. Enjoy a pleasurable

reading of this unique story.

3


4

The Magellano 74’s bow and, beyond, the

horizon. A wintry Mediterranean and the

painterly skies landlubbers never see. Shore is

just one possibility: a place to aim for or a place

to leave behind. But a deep and burning desire

to live the sea is what drives us on and on.

Winter postcards


MY VOYAGE

5

A 2,000-mile cruise from Europe to Africa. The Mediterranean as a test track.


If you are already burdened with a famous

family surname, it’s a bit difÞ cult to make a

name for yourself. But when the name im-

posed upon you is loaded with signiÞ cance,

living up to it turns into something else altogether.

Having Azimut as your surname and being chris-

tened Magellano means that your fate is sealed.

You have one destiny and one destiny only: navi-

gation. And so it was clear that only through the

sea could the new Magellano 74 from Azimut

Yachts could present really itself to the world. No

show girls, no VIPS and celebrities bussed in to

make sure there was an audience at the launch

ceremony at all costs. No Aida scenarios or no

ß ower-strewn dockside this time. The Magellano

When Azimut Yachts suggested

Rosita Missoni decorate the inte-

riors aboard Magellano 74 for the

Magellano Voyage and customise

them with the bright colourful

patterns of the Missoni Home

Division, she threw herself into the

task with her family firm’s usual

meticulous dedication. But as she

worked on the Magellano, Signora

Missoni found herself falling in

love with the yacht. To the point,

in fact, that she agreed to christen

her. And it was thus that she found

herself in the Marina di Varazza

on the chilly morning of Saturday, November 21st, cutting the tricolour ribbon with Azimut-Benetti

chairman Paolo Vitelli. She then smashed the traditional bottle of champagne against the Magel-

lano 74’s anchor before the yacht embarked up on her amazing 2,000-mile winter test-drive. Rosita

Missoni revealed in an interview in an interior décor magazine in 2008: “What made our brand

great was our ability to put together languages and experiment with technologies.” Isn’t that just

like something Paolo Vitelli would say about the Magellano?

Rosita Missoni at the launch

74 made her debut on the world’s waters, by do-

ing what she does best: sailing them. This was no

run-of-the-mill sea trial with photographers and

illustrious guests crowding her decks, but a gen-

uine voyage. And that’s what they called it: My

Voyage, a 2,000-mile marathon to be undertaken

in the Mediterranean winter-time, no less. A genu-

ine voyage of discovery worthy of Magellan him-

self, Ferdinand that is. The Portuguese sailor who,

almost 500 years ago, was the Þ rst European to

navigate and then christen the then unknown Pa-

ciÞ c Ocean. But this voyage wasn’t just a tech-

nical challenge, a rigorous and innovative test of

a severity never before imposed on a pleasure

yacht. No, it was, most of all, an adventure born

of a powerful vision and the desire to overcome

each and every limitation on the horizon. It grew

out of man’s ability to break free, to go forth and

seek out the most genuine of passions. From a

desire to cast off the everyday, slough off stress

and rush, and return to beauty at its purest. To

travel and discover the unexplored corners of the

world that are often closer to home than we think.

In most authentic yachtspeople there is a desire

to move and keep moving, keeping enjoying eve-

ry moment, a desire unique to their own experi-

ences. And oftentimes, the important thing is not

the arriving but the casting off for new horizons.

The itinerary

The Magellano Voyage got underway in the

western Mediterranean, casting off on Novem-

ber 22nd 2009 from Varazze in Liguria, one of

the marinas most closely associated with the

Azimut Benetti Group. The new yacht was ofÞ -

cially splashed at a launch ceremony hosted by

Paolo Vitelli, the Group chairman and the “god-

mother” for the occasion, Rosita Missoni, for a

highly select number of guests. But she didn’t

stick around in berth for long. The following day,

in fact, the Magellano’s axe bow pointed west

and she set a course for her Þ rst port of call, the

glittering city of Cannes on the Cote d’Azur. From

there she made for the Catalan coast where she

berthed in the Cambrils marina. Restless as ever

though, she soon cast off again, this time making

for Palma de Mallorca, the Þ nal European call on

the Þ rst part of her voyage. However, the exotic

perfume of the African coast proved too tempting

for the Magellano team and so they sailed south-

ward across the Mediterranean as far as Sidi Bou

Said, the chicest of the many exotic destinations

6


in Tunisia. Here the crew that had been charged

with sailing the copper-liveried yacht to deal

with the tough winter seas were joined by a very

unusual group of testers indeed. A rather unique

bunch of expert yachting enthusiasts, more of

whom anon. But still there was little time to linger.

The Magellano was eager to get going again and

soon she did. From the capital city of the African

nation, the Magellano 74 cast off once again, set-

ting a course for Malta and the Tyrrhenian Sea,

with a call to Rome and then return to Viareg-

gio on December 14th . An itinerary of more than

2,000 nautical miles.

The protagonists

An expert yachtsman and adventurer; the in-

ternational ambassador for a legendary fashion

brand; a former motor racing driver; the former

chief minister of the island of Jersey and his con-

stant companion in life and at sea. These are the

protagonists of My Voyage. All names linked not

by the fact they appear in international Who’s

Whos but by the values they share with Azimut

and the Magellano.

Dag Pike, captain

To test-drive a genuine do-everything yacht you

want a helmsman that’s done it all already: Dag

Pike. In 2009, the Bristol yachtsman was pre-

sented with the Raymarine Lifetime Achievement

Award at the Raymarine/YJA Yachtsman of the

Year ceremony at the Old Royal Naval College in

Greenwich. Dag’s entire life has centred around

the sea. He began his career as an offshore

powerboat driver and went on to win several

world titles. He then ensured his name would go

MY VOYAGE

The champagne bottle smashes (page opposite)

and the Magellano is launched. Above, Vittorio

Missoni. Below, Fiona and Frank Walker. Bottom,

from left: Dag Pike and Heinz Harald Frentzen.

down in history with a transatlantic crossing that

smashed to smithereens a record that had stood

for 30 year. Dag Pike has been up and down the

world’s seas, under both motor and sail power,

racing and rescuing with equal prowess. How-

ever, even for this high-achiever, My Voyage was

something new as this was his Þ rst encounter

with a very different much more gently-paced

approach to yachting with his crew. An approach

that gave him the chance to look around and not

just straight ahead out over the bow. An opportu-

nity to put the boat through her paces and savour

the voyage itself for once.

Vittorio Missoni, the ambassador

The stories told to him by his grandfather, a

merchant vessel skipper in peace-time and a

naval vessel commander during the Great War,

gave Vittorio Missoni a thirst for navigation. He

remains a passionate sailor who quits the city

every chance his busy

life affords and makes for

his boat on the Ligurian

coast. Vittorio Missoni is

the son of Ottavio and

Rosita, founders of the

fashion label that bears their name, and one of

the most respected powerhouses of the Made

in Italy phenomenon. He now heads the fam-

ily Þ rm with his sister Angela and brother Luca.

He has the delicate and highly signiÞ cant role of

being the brand’s ambassador to the world. In

his work and in his life in general, Vittorio’s goal

is to ensure that Missoni core values of colour-

ful, non-conformist comfort and innovation in

luxury, coexist and ß ourish. And he discovered

those same values were shared by Magellano.

Heinz Harald Frentzen, the driver

Shaving milliseconds off a time, pulling out all

the stops to keep the other cars out there on

the circuit at bay, pushing his own physical and

7

Expert sailors and regular enthusiasts: the Magellano 74 charmed them all


mental limits in the process. Roaring around a

race track at 300 km/h, focused on one thing

and one thing only: speed. That about sums up

Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s adrenaline-fuelled ex-

istence until 2004. He began motor racing Þ rst

as a Formula 1 driver Þ rst for Williams and then

for Jordan. Six years later, speed is still very

much part of his life, but this time in a very dif-

ferent way altogether. Convinced that a more

sustainable approach to motor racing must be

possible, Frentzen now owns a company that

promotes research into alternative propulsion

systems and acts as a tester par excellence for

cutting-edge projects. A motoryacht enthusi-

ast, he also discovered that his plans and those

of Magellano overlapped on several points. The

idea of slowing down appealed to him. Thrilled

him, in fact.

According to Vittorio Missoni, the Magellano

74 is the perfect yacht for “going it alone,

cruising with my family or at the very most a

couple of friends, with no crew.” But for his

first voyages on Azimut’s most eco-friendly

yacht, the fashion boss had more company

than that. That was because he was one of

the invited guests for My Voyage, joining the

Magellano at Sidi Bou Said. “I discovered a

corner of Tunisia that I will definitely go back

to and explore more at my leisure. Magellano

look beautiful in the calm waters of Sidi Bou

Said and the copper reflections of the hull

were beautifully in sync with the colours of

cliffs nearby.” He too immediately fell in

love with the 74’ Azimut: “It’s a boat that

marries style and elegance with comfort and

practicality. Those days aboard Magellano

were a truly delightful, relaxing experience.

The good company I was in helped too:

we all became the very best of friends,”

he said before pausing to dream about a

second trip aboard: “She is a genuinely

hospitable yacht, perfect for having friends

around, both in port and underway. It was

a unique and unforgettable opportunity.”

And perhaps one he’ll be to do a little proper

fishing, his other great passion and one he

has also passed on to his three children.

“Unfortunately despite the incredible gear

I had, my attempt at fishing didn’t bear the

fruit I’d hoped for. But we’ll give it another

go, and maybe install a couple of special rod

holders,” he laughed happily.

Vittorio in Tunisia

8

Frank and Fiona Walker, the navigators

This couple have lived a very fulÞ lling and busy

life. Frank Walker served as Chief Minister of

Jersey in the Channel Islands. His lovely wife

Fiona, on the other hand, was the face of the

BBC on that little cluster of islands off France

which, although linked to the Crown, are not

actually part of the United Kingdom. However,

in early 2009, the Walkers decided to go trav-

elling and so they cast off aboard their Azimut

62. At the time they had absolutely no idea

where they were going. They just went. So

far, they’ve covered over 3,500 miles and still

haven’t even decided it’s time to round the

mark and head home. For the present, their

only aim is to keep going. Intriguingly, explor-

ing the North African coastline was part of

their plan even before this opportunity was of-

fered to them by Azimut.

The adventure

The Magellano awaited us at the Marina di Var-

azze. The hours before cast-off were busy, lots

to do. We had to Þ nish

stocking up the pantry

and getting conÞ dent

with the boat herself. Dag

Pike, Jessica Watson

and Alex Pino, two expert sailors called in from

the UK to provide a helping hand to Marco and

Enzo, the other two members of the crew, moved

competently in and around the Magellano. “She

seems bigger and more solid than I thought she’d

be” “Fantastic! I can’t wait to get going!” “There’s

incredible light in the interior…” were the most

frequent comments. The short November days

ß ew by as preparations powered ahead and a

desire to cast off hung in the air. Mediterranean,

here we come! The sea seemed to have realised

that she was to put the Magellano to the test and

proved a cunning sparring partner. No sooner had

My Voyage: an experience born of a passion for the sea and a desire to experience its every side


A long-time friend of Azimut, the football

coach Marcello Lippi, who helped Italy win

the world cup in 2006, had to be there at

the start of My Voyage too. He was already

familiar with the boat, having visited her in

his hometown of Viareggio when she was still

being fitted out. “A beautiful yacht, full of

light and space. The right way to experience

navigation,” declared Lippi. But a man so

used to dealing with teams couldn’t help but

thinking about how the group would pull to-

gether. And so Lippi soon founded himself in

the role of coach to the Magellano 74

team, because teamwork is what makes

the difference regardless of whether

you’re ashore or at sea. There are

many analogies too that can be drawn

between his Italy team and Azimut,

one of the jewels in the Made in Italy

crown. The coach commented: “I feel

right at home at Azimut because apart

from everything else, it is a place that

isn’t just incredibly professional, the

people are excellent too.

MY VOYAGE

The coach of the sea we put the port behind us than the waves began

to get up. We had a starting speed of 16 knots

but that soon dropped to and stayed around 14.5.

But the Magellano wasn’t impressed by a head

sea. Her crew, on the other hand, were very im-

pressed – by her stability: “She moves about a

lot less than I expected,” commented Dag. No

sooner had he uttered those words though, than

the sea hit back with more. On the Þ rst night, the

wind strengthened and the waves got up to two

metres. Magellano, however, continued serenely

through the churning waters at a steady 15.5

knots. But then the bell went on the Þ rst round

and Magellano headed for the port of Cannes to

let the 35-knot winds thrown at her by an angry

winter blow themselves out. People that spend a

lot of time at sea know when it’s time cast off and

when it’s time to batten down the hatches. For

9

The Magellano 74 against the steep cliffs just

outside Malta. Page opposite: top, Dag Pike at

the chart table; bottom, the Magellano in berth

in Tunisia.


10

The Magellano 74 in Africa. Its innate quali-

ties as a go-anywhere boat are underscored

by the fact that it melds so seamlessly with its

surroundings and becomes part of them. Very

much a modern take on a passion and a need

that has always been inside we humans.


MY VOYAGE

11


The GPS showed a

steady 20 knots and

we got to really put the boat through her paces at

high speed for a good long run for the Þ rst time.

The expert captain Þ ne-tuned her by using the in-

terceptors, the little aft water ß ow deß ectors, an

evolution of ß aps to regulate the boat’s trim. By

lowering them all at those revs, the speed went

up a knot. Equally the throttle could be eased off

and we could go the same pace but easier on

us the time had come to make for Cambrills in

Spain. We were all now certain of one thing: Mag-

ellano could make serious headway in conditions

that many other yachts could only endure.

We cast off on a beautiful winter’s morning.. The

French coast was to our right, an enchanting sight

indeed. Two yachts crossed paths on the horizon.

Just two. “They don’t know what they’re miss-

ing, staying in port,” our captain said thinking out

loud. Even weighed down by diesel and water for

the voyage, Magellano was making 16 knots with

her engines at 1,800 rpm. Navigation was com-

fortable and fuel-efÞ cient indeed. But the Medi-

terranean wouldn’t leave it at that and decided

to shift mood again. She wiped the smile off her

face and welcomed in the tail-end of the previous

day’s squall. As we neared Barcelona, three-me-

tre waves and a cross sea made for heavy going.

As night fell things got even more difÞ cult with

huge punches of water coming out of nowhere.

The stabilisers worked well though and slowed

the roll. “But even without them, the hull is more

stable than I’d have thought,” remarked Dag Pike.

We celebrated the Magellano’s performance with

a fantastic seafood dinner for the crew. The hop

to Majorca was a hymn to speed as we ß ew along

to get there before the weather worsened again.

the fuel. A stormy marina in Palma was where

the Þ ckle Mediterranean chose to stop us short.

Tunis was 420 miles away and it just wasn’t safe

enough to take on so much sea if truly horrible

weather was a given. When the right weather win-

dow came to get to Africa, there was a following

sea – another test for the hull. The surprises were

all positive, however. The boat made safe, steady

headway and the stabilisers proved excellent

friends. Thanks to them it was possible to cook

The hero is never entirely on his own in adven-

ture stories. He always has a sidekick, a partner,

someone he can rely on to get him out of a tight

squeeze. Debuting with a voyage across the

Mediterranean in winter is no easy task, so the

Megallano wasn’t going to go it alone. It chose

its partners wisely: brands as driven by innova-

tion as Azimut Yachts itself and whose products

were equally reliable. Partners like CAT Marine

Power. That was where the Magellano 74 got her

muscle from. The company designed the engines

chosen for this the standard-bearer for the new

line. Two big 1015 hp CAT C18s were the legs

that carried Magellano along as she gobbled up

her first 2,000 miles of sea. As thrilling for the

team at sea as an exciting test for the engines.

They are, after all, designed to guarantee superb

power and efficiency day in, day out. Reassur-

ingly, CAT clients also have a wonderfully wide-

spread assistance network always there in the

background too, should the need arise.

CAT Marine Power organised a short course at

Varazze before the start to explain the workings

of the engines to the crew and how they might do

the everyday maintenance work required. Then,

to check that everything was running exactly as

it should, a CAT Marine Power team joined the

boat on the island of Majorca to give the engines

a special test service. This ensured that the plant

was functioning efficiently and that all the oil and

water levels were just so still.

Azimut also called in Gallinea to wave its magic

wand to help create the right kind of atmosphere

in the Magellano’s interiors and give the guests

the feeling of being involved in a multi-sensory

experience. The company’s Innovation for Boats

division was founded specifically to develop

technical applications that would improve quality

of onboard life. And that meant that they had to

be simple to use – no complicated procedures, no

abstruse button sequences and instructions. Just

the ability to create the perfect atmosphere for any

given moment. The engineering and domotics in-

volved were designed to be absolutely intuitive and

user-friendly. Which is how the iBoat ADHP found

its way aboard the Magellano. This onboard iPod

docking station, which is marketed under the Made

for iPod trademark, is as discrete and responsive as

the best PA and delivers superb quality sound. In the

chill-out zones aboard, the Enjoy-Erato aromath-

erapy diffuser wafted delicate, relaxing fragrances

too, while the Williams Turbojet 385, customised in

the colours of the new Azimut Magellano, was the

general factotum on the water. The tender’s big plus

has to be its versatility –it’s as at home with water

skiing or as hops ashore. It offers comfortable seat-

ing for four too, so it’s also ideal for coastal trips for

swimming without having to move the mother ship.

It is also powered by a highly efficient four-cylinder

engine that delivers a range of several hours as

well.

12

The peace of mind that comes from making 12 or 20 knots with equal effi ciency

Magellano and friends


MY VOYAGE

“What I feel for the Magellano is a little bit like being in love,” is how Rosita Missoni (below,

in the Magellano 74) answers anyone that asks her to comment on the collaboration between

Missoni’s Home division and Azimut on the interior decoration of the Magellano 74 on the

occasion of the Magellano Voyage. What started off, in fact, as a thrilling yet purely professional

relationship ended up plucking at the queen of Italian style’s creative heart strings. The project

really did go to the very core of her artistic sensibility. “I made the decision having just seen a

few photographs of the yacht. The second I saw her I immediately thought she was extraordinary.

Then, I was absolutely thrilled when they asked me to decorate the interiors,” says Signora

Missoni. What struck her most, it seems, was not only the yacht’s indisputable allure but also

the feeling that this was a job that would last and last. “The Magellano is a ‘timeless’ boat – as

timeless as real elegance. It exudes the discrete luxury of a

very well designed space that’s ideal for experiencing the

sea with all the comfort of a home.” Missoni thus agreed to

have its fabrics and furnishing accessories aboard Magellano

(top photo, left, Ottavio Missoni, founder of the fashion house with Paolo Vitelli, chairman of the Azimut-

Benetti Group). That included cushions, linen for the cabins,

bathrooms and galley, and furnishing accessories too. All

designed with Missoni’s signature non-conformist elegance, all

designed to cocoon guests in a sense of sublime luxury as they

embarked upon this extraordinary journey. As Rosita Missoni

herself put it: “To be honest, we poked around at home: we had

already come up with this coloured stripe. It’s very original

and ideal for use aboard. It’s a stripe that’s very like bunting,

really. Boats are often furnished as if they are lounges, but

we see the sea as something that should be experienced in a

sporty, comfortable way whilst having a domestic side to it, like

a real beach house.” Missoni’s vision proved the perfect match

for Azimut’s Magellano. The two incorporate the same core

values: luxury, uncompromising quality, the joy of conviviality,

uniqueness and innovation. The result of this meeting of minds

is a bright, welcoming modern interior that cocooned the My

Voyage participants all along the 2,000-mile route of this

spectacular seafaring baptism.

A cruise by Missoni

13


a hot meal even in such big waves. The weather

was rough but at long last Sidi Bou Said came

into sight. Magellano’s arrival was splendid, the

people marvellous, the marina fan-

tastic and the surroundings incredi-

ble. The guests were coming. Vittorio

Missoni and Heinz Herald Frentzen,

both great lovers of the sea, enjoyed every minute

aboard, including slowly cruising along the tower-

ing orange cliffs. Before returning to Malta, Frank

and Fiona Walker spent a day aboard Magellano.

They’re expert sailors but the experience opened

up a whole new world of seafaring even to them.

It was now time to set a course north. The weath-

er, however, was still going against the project,

but Magellano was fearless in its face and even

coped admirably with entering Portomaso (Malta)

when the wind was really hitting hard. Then it was

back up north again. Thrilled by Sicily and her is-

lands. Resigned in the beating

rain in Rome. Laden down with

happy memories nearing Viareg-

gio where Magellano would tie

up. Everyone involved in this adventure realised

that they would remember this time forever.

After 26 years of professional motor racing, Heinz Herald Frentzen decided it was time to quit. And he’s thrown himself wholeheartedly into another life

entirely: a project launched two years ago that’s all about motor racing and the fuels it uses. What the driver wants to do is make the products used in the

sport more environmentally sound. An initiative that’s got him completely involved both because of his passion for engines and because he’s quite simply

fascinated by new technologies.

Why environmentally-sound propulsion systems….?

I think it is a great responsibility for all of us to be more fuel efficient and more environmentally friendly in all kind of ways with what we are doing. It is important

for the future, it is important for everybody to have a close look and I found that Azimut is contributing new ideas and new concepts using new technology.

What’s the aim and what kind of time scale are we talking about?

I think it is something that will happen slowly. People know what they have to do in terms of reducing carbon emissions and environmental pollution: all kinds of

pollution. It is a period of time that people are becoming aware of the situation. It is not working from one day to another….

Are you meeting with any resistance from car manufacturers? Are they prepared to change the engines on their new models?

I think everybody is very motivated to doing it. Some car manufacturers are trying out new developments. They are doing cars that are more fuel efficient. You

have Japanese companies making hybrid cars, German companies and companies all over the world that are making efforts to have new ideas and to make

them more affordable...

Do you think those technologies can be adapted for nautical use?

For example the Magellano project is looking carefully to the next development steps. That’s why we came a little bit together, because of the hybrid propulsion sys-

tem on the new Magellano line. There is a new concept and there you can see that Azimut is seriously thinking about new concepts as well, for being more efficient.

Will the hybrid engines focus on electrical power or other vegetable-derived fuels?

There are many ideas around. But the only idea will be successful that is basically easy to use, uncomplicated infra-

structure, that means an easy system to work, and the next step will be basically electrical hybrid …but for boating

also using generator power for running in low speed feeding the engines… or let’s say run fully electrically on the

propeller with the generator power… it is low speed you can achieve that.

High speed boating… it is still very difficult to achieve a way of being very economical. So you need a new way of

travelling by travelling slowly.

And what about the Magellano? Do you enjoy this new way of cruising?

Magellano is a new way of travelling. Of course it is on one side very economical but you have also the opportunity to

travel faster in an emergency. So I am here, as a guest, to experience the way of slow motion, slow travelling, to enjoy

the trip and that is a different way of boating.

I like the sea, the experience of the sea... so it is interesting to see for me how that works by travelling slow with a sta-

biliser system and to feel the comfort and that’s a good experience.

A driver with an eco-conscience

14

Onboard accessories and kit designed to meet every guest and navigational requirement


MY VOYAGE

A few glimpses into life aboard through the

eyes of full-time sailors Frank and Fiona

Walker and taken from the My Voyage blog

FRANK

It is in the Sidi Bou Said marina that I get my

second look at the Magellano and it reinforc-

es the memory I had after seeing her for the

first time at the Genoa Boat Show: she has all

the appearances of a small ship, which looks

very much up for the job and my initial view

that her lines will give a high level of confi-

dence to prospective owners is confirmed.

On board, I reacquaint myself with the highly

impressive interior layout of the Magellano.

But it’s on our second day, when we put to

sea, that I really get the feel for her and joy of

joys, get to drive from both upper and lower

positions for an extended spell. Her handling

is a delight, and her full throttle turns are

spectacular. She comes round hard and fast,

just like a much smaller sports boat and,

because of the so effective stabilisers, does so

without any heel whatsoever. Very impres-

sive, and very sure.

FIONA

Moored at the end of the pontoon, she domi-

nates the marina. The bronze hull stands out

from the white boats around her. We can’t

wait to get on board.

It is hard not to be impressed by the spacious,

light and airy saloon. The large windows

mean that the Azimut feels at one with her

surroundings, and the Missoni decoration

bring a touch of colour and fun to the inte-

rior. The light from the saloon percolates

down the stairwell into the corridor, enhanc-

ing that feeling of spaciousness. The owner’s

cabin is huge and looks comfortable There’s

a distinct feeling of small, chic boutique hotel

here. There are twenty people on board, but it

doesn’t feel the slightest bit crowded. Instead

there’s a real party atmosphere.

The sailors

15

Some shots of the cruise from Marina

di Varazze to Sidi Bou Said and back to

Viareggio via Malta and Roma

Photo album


16

With the Magellano, it’s easy to give in to the

temptation to open up new routes, sail to unfa-

miliar ports, change season to experience the

magic of the voyage. To generate memories like

this one in which a little port links tradition and

the future of navigation.


MY VOYAGE

17


18

Dear Diary...

by Dag Pike

After 2,000 miles of cruising the Mediterra-

nean I have fallen in love with the perform-

ance of Magellano. Here is a motor yacht

that does everything you ask it to do and

comes up smiling at the end. Whether it

is ploughing into rough seas off the coast

of Italy or negotiating the very diffi cult and

narrow marina entrance in Malta, Magellano

performed. We have been through rough

times and heavy seas as well as beautiful

days when the winds were light and the sun

was shining and each time Magellano per-

formed her magic.

I have been very impressed with the han-

dling of the unique hull design of Magellano

and in general I have been very impressed

with the way the yacht performs. The Medi-

terranean has been determined to provide

a serious challenge on our 3 ½ week Odys-

sey with waves up to 3 metres at times plus

short steep seas, all the conditions that you

hope not to fi nd on a long cruise but which

you must be prepared for and Magellano

has responded to our every command.

Head seas have been the most challenging

as they are for most motor yachts. Speed

has to be reduced in head seas but even

when it was rough Magellano could main-

tain around 10 knots. The straight bow

does not encourage pitching and seems to

cushion the waves.

We have not shipped any green water on

deck despite pushing the

yacht quite hard at times.

In beam seas the stabilisers

work well but because the

yacht is trying to stay upright it becomes

more rigid and does not give to waves in

ing the cruise. In all cases Magellano does

what you ask it to do with no hidden vices

so that low speed manoeu-

vring can be done with

confi dence even in strong

winds. Overall Magellano

is a brilliant new concept as far as its hull

and performance is concerned. A big plus

the quarter, when the yacht was trying to

corkscrew to accommodate the advanc-

ing waves... The autopilot coped well but it

needed to be set to maximum response to

hold the course.

Using the in-

terceptors, the

speed could be

increased by

around 1 knot

at intermediate

speeds as they

helped to tune

the hull trim for

the conditions.

The effect on the

trim was small

but once the

speed had been

set for the con-

ditions the in-

terceptors could be used to fi ne tune the

performance.

In harbour Magellano responds beautifully

to the controls and we have had to dock

this yacht in some very diffi cult places dur-

the same way as a non-stabilised yacht

might. In following seas the yacht performs

well and here it pays to keep the speed up

to give better steering control. The worst

conditions were when the seas were on

“After 2,000 miles of cruising I have fallen in love with the performance of Magellano”


19

MY VOYAGE

This is the first time in his long career that Dag

Pike was called upon to skipper a slow cruise.

That’s something of a departure for a man more

used to setting speed records than taking it easy.

But on November 22nd, he cast off. So how did Mr

Pike feel? A little nervous perhaps?

You are always nervous at the start of a voyage. I still

had to get to know the Magellano and how it would

behave at sea and in harbour. I still had to get to know

my crew and so I spent a lot of time asking questions

and listening to the answers.

Was the fuel consumption as low as you thought it

would be?

We went at such a variety of different speeds that it

was difficult to evaluate fuel consumption but a 1,000-

mile range is certainly possible.

Calm and choppy waters: what were the

averages like?

In calm seas we could choose any speed – it just

depended on the range we wanted. To get to Palma

before nightfall from Cambris, we made our full

speed: the conditions were perfect. But in rough

weather, it depended on the sea, but on average we

made around 10-12 knots.

What was the most difficult part of the voyage?

The rough sea in the Gulf of Lyons, but particularly

going into port in Malta. The entrance to the marina is

very narrow and the wind was very strong.

And how did Magellano behave?

Brilliantly, even then. We made 10 knots in a choppy

sea and she was very nimble in the narrow channel.

I don’t know how we’d have done it if we hadn’t had

that fantastic joystick on the bridge….

Any problems?

The weather….All joking apart, the weather was the

toughest bit. We had a few little problems with the

generators but they were put right.

Pluses?

Magellano is a gorgeous seaworthy boat. She

gives you a feeling of security and copes well in

all conditions. One of the magical things about the

Magellano is that she acquits herself with the same

style in a choppy sea as in a calm one. There’s great

pleasure to be had from making slow speeds and

eating with all the trimmings, whilst still being aware

that you can get into port in a hurry if you need to.

How did you work out the crew watches?

There were regular four-hour watches and I was

always on hand when two people were needed on

lookout – when the weather was bad, etc. But when

I could sleep, I did so very deeply and with gusto. I

knew I could trust my men.

What did you find most fun aboard?

The greatest pleasure was, as always, being at the

wheel. And I really enjoyed it this time too.

What’s your favourite area of the boat?

Magellano is a genuinely comfortable yacht – every

bit of it. But I have to confess that I really loved taking

myself off to the privacy of my cabin to unwind.

You had the owner’s cabin what did you think of it?

A marvellous oasis of calm even when the sea was

angry.

And speaking of comfort, what three elements

make the Magellano comfortable would you say?

The luxurious saloon. The galley gave us some great

meals throughout the entire voyage. And the great

sense of confidence you get from the boat when you

have to deal with difficult weather conditions.

Big meals, eh? Who did the cooking?

We had some excellent pastas cooked by the Italians

but I was particularly impressed by Alex (Pino, one of

the crew members, ed.’s note) – he really can whip up

a hot meal in any kind of weather.

What struck you most about the ports you went to?

Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia is spectacular: the people

and marina workers were very helpful. I was also very

struck by the sophisticated atmosphere in Palma….

There are so many places to go that every trip is a

voyage of discovery.

Have you given the boat a name?

Magellano is a great name. We liked it.

What will you miss most now that the voyage has

come to an end?

The crew. We had some great times together and they

were one of the best crews I’ve ever sailed with. I hope

that I’ll get to see more of them in the future.

How did you get on with the guests?

It was fantastic to have them aboard and exchange

stories and share adventures with them. We have all

had very adventurous lives, full of extreme experiences

and situations. One of the most pleasant parts of the

voyage was the interesting stories told over good meals.

Would you do the My Voyage again with Magellano?

I’m going to take a break now but I will try to repeat

the experience.

To wrap up, how would you describe the ideal

owner for the Magellano?

Someone that takes his yacht seriously, that wants to

seek out interesting places and who enjoys being at

sea rather than simply focusing on getting to the next

port. It’s the perfect yacht for anyone that has boated

all their lives and is now looking for a calmer, more

concrete way of cruising.

In his own words

is that it can operate at all speeds from

zero to 24 knots without any hesitation and

is comfortable at any speed you choose.

Magellano combines the virtues of a dis-

placement yacht and a planning yacht and

represents one of the best concepts for

long range cruising so far developed.


20

Portfolio

The Magellano 74: shot by shot

The Magellano 74 at full speed ahead. What

makes the craft’s semi-displacement hull so

very unusual is that it is highly effi cient both at

cruising speeds of around 12 knots and at full

throttle, around 24 knots.


21

MAGELLANO 74

Technical specifi cations

Length overall (including pulpit) 22.6 [m] - 74’ 4”

Length at Waterline 20.8 [m] - 68’ 3”

Beam 6 [m] - 19’ 8”

Maximum beam 6.2 [m] - 20’ 4”

Draft to keel at full load 1.6 [m] - 5’ 3”

Draft to propeller at full load 1.7 [m] - 5’ 47”

Full load displacement 64 [t]

Fuel tank capacity 7,600 [l] - 2,007 US gls

(day tank + main tank)

Fresh water capacity 1,500 [l] - 396 US gls

Black water capacity 800 [l] - 211 US gls

Grey water capacity 800 [l] - 211 US gls

Maximum speed 24 [knots]

Cruising planing speed 18-21 [knots]

Cruising displacement speed 11 [knots]

Range at 11 knots 1,100 [nm]

Design category CE A

Max. persons 12

Engines Cat Marine Power C 18 Acert

Power 2x1.015 [mHP] (2x746 [kW])

Propellers 5 NiBrAl alloy blades

Hull design Bill Dixon

Exterior and interior design Ken Freivokh


22

Let’s start with an observation: these

days, it’s a fact that more and more

owners are wanting to stay at sea

longer and simply enjoy navigation.

We can then add in another fact: there’s little

or nothing out there on the global market for

them. Which leads us quickly on to the design

brief: why not provide exactly the yacht those

potential clients want? The result, of course,

is that the Magellano 74 has now made its ap-

pearance. It’s a high proÞ le boat, capable of

delivering superbly comfortable, highly fuel-

efÞ cient navigation. It was only natural that that

it all started with the hull. The Magellano 74’s

semi-displacement bottom was developed by

Bill Dixon. It combines the pluses of waterlines

created to plane with those designed to get the

boat moving through the water. The result is

a yacht that will be equally at ease through a

wide range of speeds. The hull entry is charac-

terised by a deep-V to give

good sea-keeping even in

big waves. Its straight bow

is not merely one of the

Magellano’s most striking features but also ex-

tends its length along the waterline. The stern

exits brim with solutions honed to improve the

yacht’s performance too. It has a dead-rise of

10.1° and this makes it very easy for it to plane.

A skeg helps keep it stable and on course in a

following or cross sea and a hard chine ensures

that the hull will be able to move at high speeds

too. Humphree interceptors are a modern and

rather nimble replacement for ß aps. They’re

vertical blades whose job is to deß ect the ß ow

of water coming off the hull. They allow the

craft’s running trim to be Þ ne-tuned to further

enhance the hull’s seafaring prowess. Lastly,

propeller tunnels means the Magellano can en-

ter shallow waters safely: their large propellers

which have Þ ve large nickel-bronze-aluminium

(NiBrAl) blades and are over a metre in diam-

eter, jut out a mere 12 centimetres below the

keel line.

The quickwork is completely laminated in vi-

nylester resin and the bulwarks are treated

with isophthalic polyester resin. Both deck and

superstructure are made from sandwich with

a PVC core as are the watertight and engine

room bulkheads while the remainder are Lari-

cross. The result is that the sheer is 40% lower

with respect to traditional planing boats. In fact,

The Dual Mode hull is born -specially designed by Bill Dixon


23

two 1015 hp C18 engines built by Cat Marine

Power, a name renowned for engines that can

go and go for long periods, take pride of place

in the engine room. Huge thought has gone into

everything there from the anti-seawater Þ lters in

the engine air intakes to the copper and nick-

el alloy (CuNi) tubing for ß ow-back water and

stainless steel or Þ re-resistant rubber tubing for

fresh water. Needless to say, there is a highly

efÞ cient Fm 200 refrigerant gas Þ re extinguish-

ing system capable of putting out ß ames in 10

seconds and complete with alarm system with

selective smoke detector.

Navigation

Rather surprisingly for a boat presented to the

public as a devotee of the slow movement, the

Magellano 74 hits her planing speed in just 15

seconds – as soon as she makes it to 17 knots,

in other words. Keep the throttle down for an-

other 20 seconds and she gets up to her top

speed of 24 knots. Turning at that speed and

she feels as responsive and stable as a much

smaller sports boat: she can turn full circle in

just 20 metres and that goes down to just 15

at top displacement speed. For high perform-

ance hulls, chugging along at medium speeds

is a chore, but for the Magellano 74 it’s a pleas-

ure. No sooner has the speed needle gone into

double Þ gure territory than it achieves perfect

trim, cutting vibration to virtually nil and keep-

MAGELLANO 74

ing noise down. Range is never an issue either:

at that kind of speed, the Magellano can go for

well over 1,000 miles. More speciÞ cally, at 1200

rpm, her engines will give her an 11-knot speed

and drink just 68 litres an hour. In rough seas,

her hull’s excellent stability is enhanced by two

Seakeeper Gyro 7000 stablisers that really do

nip roll in the bud.

The button room

The “bare essentials, nothing more, nothing

less” philosophy is carried through to the bridge

too. The instrumentation is by Raymarine: the

St290 provides speed, depth, tiller bar angle,

autopilot and keyboard for the two G120 mul-

tifunctional displays. The 5S PathÞ nder Open

Array radar has a range of around 72 miles. Two

other displays monitor the engines, while the 12”

Mo t ron i ca

touchscreen

is the control

centre for

alarms and onboard levels. The (optional) joy-

stick, however, is one of those bits of kit you’ll

never do without again once you’ve tried it, of-

fering precise manoeuvring even in high winds.

All the gear is repeated up on the ß ybridge helm

station, apart from the touchscreen which isn’t

suitable for outdoors. A VHF Ray 240E DSC D

class and an optional Thrane & Thrane Sailor

250 Fleet Broad Band voice and data system

complete the picture. Should the Kohler gen-

erators go out temporarily, the main navigation

systems are also linked to a set of 12 batteries

which yield 720 Ah at 24V DC.

The two graphs above indicate how both fuel con-

sumption and range vary as a function of naviga-

tion speed. The top curve shows the relationship

between engine rpms and the fuel consumption

of both propulsion units. The second chart shows,

on the other hand, how the Magellano’s cruising

range will vary with changes in speed. Top, the

bridge on the main deck. Page opposite, from top:

the Magellano 74’s powerful waterlines underway;

the engine room door alongside.

Every single technical detail, from engine room to electrics, has been meticulously designed

Ratio Rpm/consumption

Ratio range/speed

speed (knots)

rpm


24

The cockpit with dining table with the transom in the background.

The fl ybridge with steering position in background and the galley to the right. One of the solid stainless steel hand rails.

The innovative fl ybridge stairs. The fl ybridge seen from the bow: the large C-shaped sofa comfortably sits eight.


25

MAGELLANO 74

The exterior

Because of the design choices it

features it would be very hard in-

deed to confuse the Magellano 74

with any other yacht. Its exterior

lines and aesthetics are a complete departure

from any other design on the market right now.

It makes a stunning visual impact, in fact. Its

livery colour is eye-catching enough alone, but

its uniqueness also lies in twists

it brings to some of the classic

motor boat elements to adapt

them to its own unique person-

ality. The full-empty play is instantly recognisa-

ble: on the one hand we have the solid, compact

hull with its slender openings and on the other,

the transparent upper section, starting with the

hard top which is a delicate white structure sus-

pended over the ß ybridge by a stainless steel

frame. Leading on from that are the windows.

These run like a horizontal slash along the entire

superstructure at main deck level. The stainless

steel elements have a very strong impact too.

They act as a kind of visual link between the

various decks as they are present on each one,

either as grab rails, guard rails or deck hard-

ware. However, their unequivocal presence also

connotes reliability where it is required too: the

stair tail is a solid tube of stainless steel as are

the fairleads, the gunwale, and the very sturdy,

imposing berthing bitts.

Coming aboard aft, you meet the swiming plat-

form on to which the tender garage opens. This

is large enough to stow a 3.8 metre RIB which

doesn’t need a crane or any complex mechan-

ics to launch or haul it in. Two symmetrical stairs

run up the sides of the transom and lead to the

cockpit. The ß ooring is all teak as are all of the

exterior surfaces of the boat apart from the ß y.

Here, a three-seater sofa provides the aft seat-

ing for a table capable of accommodating up

to eight diners. Moving forward is very easy

and safe too as there are 60 cm wide walkways

and there are just two small steps to the for-

ward sun pad, which is located at the end of

the deckhouse and ends in a three-seater sofa

looking out over the horizon. A stairs with Plex-

iglas sides and which is integrated into the star-

board section of the superstructure leads back

to the cockpit. It is also clear even from the in-

terior that it is a style choice. In the ß ying bridge

the ß ooring has a soft yet tough, anti-skid and

waterproof coating. This area is all about the

outdoor life and the complete and

utter enjoyment of the same. The

steering position forward has the

same instruments as the inside

bridge. Two chaises longues for sun bathing

are arranged outside of the area shaded by the

hard top. Under this, in fact, is a U-shaped sofa

with a square table that extends to seat up to

eight diners. To starboard is an area kitted out

as a galley– there is even a whole closet-type

unit that houses a fridge, barbecue, work top

and ice-maker. This is very handy of course for

preparing snacks and drinks without having to

go all the way to the main galley area. The strip

of LEDs running along the base of the units on

the ß y is a nice touch too.

Al fresco areas that combine superb guest comfort and all the necessities of the yacht

The forward fairlead with berthing winch and the traditional bitt, all stainless steel.The gunwale at the quarter.

The forward sofa sits in front of a sun pad (out of sight). The helm position on the fl ybridge and its full range of instruments.


26

The windows run virtually right along the length

of the deckhouse, fl ooding the 50 square metre

saloon with light and giving a wonderful, uninter-

rupted view of the sea.


MAGELLANO 74

27


28

A view of the saloon from the bow, alongside the side door; note the outside stairs to the left: it’s been left uncovered as a design feature.

The dining table: seating is provided by a sofa and a set of leather pouffs.


29

MAGELLANO 74

The living quarters

While beauty can be subjective,

functionality never is: this was

one of the rules of thumb adopt-

ed by the design team called in

to develop the interiors and the whole style of the

project. They were charged with creating a space

in which moving about and living came naturally.

A very pleasant sense of warmth and welcome

pervades the Magellano’s bright airy interiors, par-

ticularly in the open plan saloon. It’s there from the

minute you step in through the aft door all the way

to the windshield of the pilothouse. That’s around

50 square metres in which the glass hugging the

superstructure makes for a sense of visual conti-

nuity between interior and exterior, so that the 74’

really does feel very part of its surroundings.

The idea was to look at the exterior elements and

then take them below decks: steel and wood re-

main to the forefront even inside where the con-

trasts are accentuated by the interplay between

the brighter areas, such as the pale leather ceiling

which also has a strip of LEDs, and the darker

ones like the wengé ß ooring and the cool Black

avonite unit surfaces.The area inside the sliding

door is given over entirely to a U-shaped galley on

the port side. In the aft section, there is an induc-

tion hob, a combo oven and a modern hideaway

extractor hood. In the area outside the galley unit,

there is, near the door, a wine cooler so that it is

easy for people in the cockpit to get at the bot-

tles. In addition to this the sink in the galley can be

equipped with a waste disposal unit to cut down

on the amount of domestic rubbish that builds

up on longer voyages. The dining area is to port

and is made up of a brown and beige leather sofa

and a wooden table. The other seating consists

of three cubes with a Plexiglas side each – when

they’re not

being used

to sit on

they can

double as occasional tables for the relaxation

area. Guests can watch the pop-up TV, a 32”

Sharp, from the comfort of the C-shaped sofa on

the starboard side and enjoy the Bose Lifestyle 18

home theatre system too.

Unique interior layouts ensure constant contact with the surrounding seascape

Colour contrasts are used in the leather trim.

The functional U-shaped galley. A hideaway hood sits above the hob (on the short side).

The galley sink which incorporates a handy waste disposal unit.

Close-up of the worktop.


30

Design

The Magellano 74’s interior and exterior styl-

ing was managed and coordinated by Ken

Freivokh (below, in black and white photo, in

his studio with draught designs), one of the

most eclectic professionals on the scene.

Born in Los Angeles, but a long-time resident

of Latin America, Freivokh studied engineer-

ing and architecture in Peru before specialis-

ing in environmental design at the Royal Col-

lege of Art in London. In the course of his

career, he has penned many sailing and mo-

tor yachts, most milestones in yacht design.

This was his first time to work with Azimut

Yacht and the results are there for all to see.

The Magellano 74’s uniqueness really lies

in her details. One of the priorities was the

creation of her semi-covered aft stairs up to

the large sun deck. It’s supported and sur-

rounded by glass, adding to the perception

of spaciousness in the saloon.

The Magellano 74 is a timeless design. Its

styling cues, although born of practical

considerations, really are a

highly original take on cer-

tain traditional elements. This

becomes startlingly clear when you see the

palette of design features that put the Mag-

ellano’s interiors well outside the norm. One

good example is the mouldings which not

only prevent liquids from spilling but can

also be used as grab rails and makes it very

easy to clear work surfaces. They also give

a wonderful feeling of three-dimensionality

to the furnishings. And that is really what

the Magellano’s are all about. They combine

new forms with materials that have long fea-

tured in maritime tradition, such as wood and

stainless steel, are chosen for their solidity

and often used in very large thicknesses and

diameters.

The Magellano is designed to accommodate

owners and guests that already have plenty

of seafaring experience. However, it really

would have made very little sense to design

a yacht of this kind that wouldn’t be able of

catering for extended periods to the discern-

ing demands of owners and passengers. But

knowing how to play with contrasts is one

Freivokh’s talents and the result is crystal

clear in the wonderful sense of harmony ex-

uded by the whole craft. Take, for instance,

the flooring in the pilothouse and the galley.

It’s made from dark wenge wood to create a

startling contrast with the bright

sunlight pouring in through the

windows. Another striking but

gentle detail is the ivory lac-

quered ceiling which is broken up by panels

of pale leather.

In working together, Azimut Yachts and the

design studio came to the decision that they

wanted to innovate the interior styling whilst

respecting the Magellano 74’s extremely ma-

rine spirit. This seemed to indicate sticking to

tradition in some respects. Which led to them

creating furnishings whose form would be

quite traditional for a boat but also to make

the upholstery and trim really wrong-foot

the visitor (in the most pleasant way possi-

ble, of course). This is why they’ve not only

used walnut and oak but also other materials

that aren’t seen aboard quite so regularly. In

the cabins, for instance, the windows have

striking black Plexiglas frames. They recall

the clean lines of the interiors and help com-

municate the very strong feeling of solidity

exuded throughout the yacht.

Traditional maritime materials such as wood and steel take on exciting new forms


31

MAGELLANO 74

The Magellano’s superstructure-hugging windows follow the sturdy 60 cm wide walkway which provides safe passage forward.

Even the bathroom details are designed to meld functionality and visuals. A striking cabin detail.

The dining table pouffs can double as occasional tables as they have a rigid side.The end of one of the beds.


32

The large owner’s suite situated amidships. On the left-hand side we can see the desk chair.

The master bathroom.

Guest bathroom fi ttings.

The VIP cabin forward. The square motif in the headrest of the bed is repeated in all the cabins.


33

MAGELLANO 74

Accomodation area

The owner’s quarters, are amidships

as this is the widest and most stable

section of the hull and the furthest

away from the pitching motion at

either end. The berth in the owner’s cabin is

behind the main bulkhead. The bed head goes

all the way to the overhead box containing the

air-conditioning unit and two light sources. It

is made up of a pattern of square leather pan-

els in a soft powder grey. This harks back to

the design of the square walnut panels used in

the closet to the left of it. The actual bed itself,

which is ß anked by bedside tables and appli-

qué reading lights, seems very much at home

in its role as a yacht furnishing. Great care has

been taken to ensure that this is so. Classically,

the angles at its end have been softened into

two gentle curves trimmed with dark leather

in an effort to create a contrast with the rest.

The ceiling is made up of panels arranged in

strips and lacquered a light brown. These are

alternated with sections in a lighter coloured

Majilite. Small ß ush spots are set into the latter

to create a very soft lighting. Once again in the

master cabin, the portholes and windows are

rimmed by a black Plexiglas frame and hung

with black blinds, creating quite a chic effect.

Below them is a low unit in the same hues as

the rest of the furnishings. A furnishing element

that is mirrored along the wall opposite where

it is used as further work top for the desk which

juts out of the bulkhead and has a rather unu-

sual and attractive red leather chair. The mas-

ter bathroom was given an L-shaped layout

to make way for the stairs leading below. The

WC is to the right of the door and then on the

side is a round hand basin which sits atop the

unit.It is located at the exact centre of the large

window in the hull at this height. The window

is split vertically in to two sections by the mir-

ror and its design is underscored by the light

coloured ß oor to ceiling units on either side of

it. The shower area has good seating and is lo-

cated in the forward section. In the twin guest

cabin we have the same visual trick as used in

the master stateroom with the headrests of the

two beds made from grey leather square pan-

els and the structure of the bed itself ending in The VIP bathroom.


34

a rounded element, also trimmed in contrasting

leather. The whole arrangement is set against a

light oak background while the darker walnut

trim is used to veneer the closet opposite the

door. Both this cabin’s bath-

room and the one in the nearby

VIP cabin have a trapezoidal

layout. Each features the same

décor and furnishing elements that were used

in the owner’s stateroom. This almost seems

to be an attempt to underscore the fact that

all guests are equal aboard the Magellano. In

both cases, the shower box is oval and locat-

ed in the widest corner of the bathroom. The

WCs are also in the same positions. What does

change, however, is the location of the wash

basin: in the VIP cabin, it is in the corner op-

posite the shower while it is beside the shower

in the twin cabin bathroom. The latter, by the

way, is also used as a general bathroom dur-

ing the day as it is accessed directly from the

corridor at the foot of the stairs while the other

two can only be accessed through their cabins.

Foremost we come upon the aforementioned

double guest cabin. This has a pentagonal lay-

out which was clearly designed to accentuate

the sense of width in its middle section which is

ß anked by two symmetrical, walnut-veneered

doors which conceal roomy closets. The same

motifs and styling cues seen in the other cab-

ins recur again here: the leather headrest of the

double bed is, however, in this instance, sym-

metrical to the base of the cabin. The interplay

between the light-coloured elements (walls

and bulkheads) and dark ones (furnishings

and doors). As to the bed itself, the rounded

ends and contrasting colours are back as is

the Plexiglas window surround which serves

to underscore and deÞ ne portholes which are,

of course, the room’s sources of natural light.

The aft section is given over to another guest

cabin or a captain’s cabin. This is accessed via

a wenge stairs immediately to starboard of the

entrance.

The cabin has two bunk beds along the port

wall and, just behind the forward bulkhead

that separates it from the technical areas, a

closet and a desk. The bathroom, on the oth-

er hand, is aft of the cabin. The Þ ttings were

provided by Tecna. The shower box is at the

very end of the room but the corner hand ba-

sin is near the porthole so as to make the very

most of the natural light coming

in through the latter. Not only

does this area provide access

to the engine room but also

leads to the main pantry which has spaces for

tinned goods and provisions. Very convenient-

ly it also includes a second refrigerator, a solu-

tion that will most deÞ nitely prove a godsend

on those long cruises. A small space inside

the curve created by the stairs leading in has

been kitted out as a laundry room with a good

washing machine and a drier, both of which

are by Miele.

Geometric and colour motifs designed to create a sense of harmony in the spaces recur

The twin cabin. Note the black Plexiglas porthole frame.The bathroom in the second guest cabin.

The pantry on the lower deck. The crew or fourth guest cabin.


35

MAGELLANO 74

Anatomy of a new protagonist

The layout and alternatives

Very much honed for long stays aboard, the

Magellano’s spaces have been designed so

that they can be personalised to adapt them to

the needs and requirements of each individual

owner. The layout, the way the various areas are

divided up, the demarcation of the various ar-

eas of onboard life, (between guests, the yacht

itself, navigation and the crew) have all been

developed to ensure the best and most com-

fortable use of the available space. This was

true even when it came to choosing the interior

architectural quirks and applies to the project

as a whole. Apart from the opportunity to make

choices regarding the furnishings and various

kinds of woods and fabrics used throughout the

yacht, certain speciÞ c customisations are possi-

ble for the stern section. Various solutions aside

from the ones features in these pages have al-

ready been drawn up. These result, for instance,

in a wider area dedicated to the crew quarters

or in a layout with galley on the lowerdeck and a

larger sofa and dining area on the maindeck. A

versatile yacht, in other words.

Version with bar zone / hobby galley on maindeck and main galley on lowerdeck.

Version with separated dining area on maindeck and galley on lowerdeck.


42

R&D, innovation, cutting-edge production facilities.And the reliability of Azimut to back it all up.

The style factory

If you’re choosing a yacht it is vital to know

as much as you can about its family back-

ground. Buying a boat built by a yard that

can’t guarantee it will stand the test of

time can mean a long string of problems for an

owner, both in terms of maintenance work and

his ability to sell on the craft at a later date.

This is why the solidity of the yard you ap-

proach is one of the most important parts of

the delicate process of actually making your

purchase. And you won’t get more solid than

Azimut Yachts or the Magellano.

Financial Solidity

Azimut-Benetti is one of the largest private nau-

tical groups in the world. In fact, almost its entire

shareholding has been in the hands of the same

owner for over 40 years. This is not merely a

sign of prestige and a tribute to its management

but also provides an assurance of unequalled

economic and Þ nancial solidity. The group is, in

fact, free to reinvest all of its proÞ ts in research

and development and in new models whilst

still retaining the resources required to ensure

its clients are properly looked after. Those very

people Þ nd in Azimut Benetti a partner they can

trust. In addition to this, the Yachtique division

offers privileged lines of credit to help ensure an

optimal package for the owner.

Rapid committed range development

Azimut Yachts only knows one way to enter a

new market sector – it goes all out to conquer


YARD

43

it, employing all of the human and Þ nancial re-

sources necessary to guarantee complete suc-

cess. Its clients enjoy two main advantages as

a result of this approach. Firstly, they can count

on superior resaleabilty and less depreciation

of pre-owned craft as there is

a broader market base. Sec-

ondly, they can choose to trade

up size-wise over time yet still

have the reassurance of sticking with the same

yard and type of yacht.

Cutting-edge production facilities

Avigliana is far and away the most technologi-

cally advanced motor pleasure yacht produc-

tion facility in Europe. Everything at the facility is

designed to ensure that every yacht produced

there is ß awless: from our multi-axis milling

machine which models very large moulds with

absolute precision, to our gelcoat robot capa-

ble of working with the same attention to detail

as the Þ nest craftsman. However, what really

puts the Avigliana yard at the very cutting-

edge of the industry is its low environmental

impact and excellent worker safety conditions.

The boats are almost all built using the infu-

sion method which completely cuts out styrene

emissions. This is one of the reasons why the

facility was awarded ISO 14.000 certiÞ cation

for the environmental management of its pro-

ductions sites as far back as 2007. The plant

is now going through the qualiÞ cation process

to gain OSHAS occupational health and safety

certiÞ cation too. Azimut’s 70 foot-plus yachts

are built at Viareggio in a huge 40,000 square

metre facility that is unique of its kind anywhere

in the world. Its interior encompasses: special-

ly equipped production areas for teams of top

artisans; an industrial paint booth for megay-

achts of up to 60 metres; a 600-ton travel lift;

Þ fteen large yacht positions; a private marina

capable of accommodating up to 40 yachts of

over 80’; a styling lounge where owners can

explore the Þ nest options available to them to

decorate and personalise their yachts.

Back-up from the Group’s R&D office

Development is good for everyone and Azi-

mut is very much a company that focuses very

strongly on researching innovations it can make

available to its clients. There are many of these

aboard the Magellano. Not least of which is, of

course, the Þ rst steering joysticks to be used

with this particular type of propulsion system.

The joysticks actually interface simultaneously

with the bow and stern thrusters and the engine

propellers to make docking manoeuvres com-

pletely intuitive even in unfavourable weather

conditions. They are actually a Xenta patent

exclusively for Azimut too. Then there is Easy-

cruising, a system that manages all of the on-

board functions quickly and simply via a simple

monitor and ergonomic control. The new hybrid

system developed for the Magellano 50 is an-

other novelty from the R&D ofÞ ce. The R&D of-

Þ ce also helped the design team win the Green

Plus certiÞ cation – at the moment this is the only

pleasure yacht under 55’ to sport the new RINA

certiÞ cate. In-depth CFD research went into

verifying through ß uid-dynamic

simulations the Magellanos’ sta-

bility requirements when they are

exposed to side winds of up to

54 knots. Last but very far from least, owners

enjoy the security of the world’s Þ nest dealer-

ship network for which organisation and profes-

sionalism are bywords when it comes to assist-

ance, spares and general client care.

Left, an impressive view of the Viareggio facility

which is at the very cutting-edge in Europe when

it comes to building pleasure motoryachts. Below,

the yard’s meticulous artisan workmanship and

attention to detail have not been lost despite the

facility’s size. Page opposite, a close-up of a mould.

Azimut Yachts only knows one way into a market: it conquers it


AZIMUT - BENETTI S.p.A.Via M. L. King, 9

10051 Avigliana (TO) - Italy

http://magellanorange.azimutyachts.com


Rediscovering the gentle pleasures of navigation My Voyage...

Documents

Transcript of Rediscovering the gentle pleasures of navigation My Voyage...