Captain's Report

Snapshot Review--

The Mission of the Azimut 40

The mission of the Azimut 40 is exactly the same as virtually every other boat in its line -- to provide a visually exciting, physically luxurious space for people to socialize. To that end, the yacht must have sleek, modern Italian styling, and elegance all wrapped up in a romantic ambiance. She should look fast and be fast.

The Azimut 40 Platform

What are the most important social activities that human beings enjoy? We will concern ourselves here with just the first one -- eating and drinking. Even though the boat is only 40'2" (12.24 m) overall with a hull length of 37'11" (11.58 m) and a beam of 12'8" (3.86 m) she has as many places to eat and drink; essentially there are three.

The Salon/Dinette.

It is not until we get into motoryachts that are 75' (22.8 m) or so that we consistently see separate dining areas apart from the salon. That means that even in many $2.5 million yachts the salon with a high-low table is used both as a cocktail table and a dining table. And that is what is employed on the Azimut 40. Since the boat has two staterooms we will assume that there are only four people aboard for cruises. The L-shaped settee comfortably seats three people and with the addition of a single chair or stool four can sit and eat. For day-boat entertaining with the addition of three chairs or stools the table can seat six.

Aft Deck Dining.

When strolling along the quays in the Mediterranean where yachts tie up stern-to one is struck by how much Europeans enjoy having a long afternoon lunch or a late evening dinner on the aft deck of their motoryachts. It is here that the day's events are discussed while at the same time watching the parade of beautiful people coming and going, admiring the yachts and the people on them. The aft deck of the Azimut 40 has been carefully designed to fulfill just that function. The bench seat along the transom is wide and comfortably seats three. A fold-away table is supplied which permits multi-use of the space. Some will use it only for cocktail parties and dining, others for watersports, and still others for casual fishing. The bench seat is just over 6' (1.88 m) wide and there is 4'4" of fore and aft deck space (1.34 m) from it to the salon door. A 26" (.66 m) wide table and three director's chairs can fit onto the aft deck to seat six for a repast.

The Flying Bridge Venue.

The third table aboard the Azimut 40 is on the flying bridge. It is not a big table and that has been done on purpose. It is big enough for two people, but no more. That means it is appropriate for morning coffee for the owners, or perhaps evening cocktails. The settee on the bridge will seat four, but as the center of gravity on a boat of this size is an important consideration Azimut engineers have purposely limited the number of people that can be accommodated there.

The Sun God Amun-Ra

The ancient Egyptians worshiped the sun, calling the god Amun-Ra, and his followers survive to this very day. They like to lay out and receive his warm rays thereby tanning their skin and warming their bodies. Azimut is well aware of this cult and has provided appropriate votive alters around the boat called "sun pads." The most prominent one is on the flying bridge adjacent to the helm and it is large enough for two.A second pad, also large enough for two is located on the sloping foredeck. The publicity pictures with this report notwithstanding, we do not recommend that the sunpad on the bow be used while underway.

Accommodations

One of the most outstanding features of the Azimut 40 is the fact that she has two en suite staterooms. This is almost unheard of in a 40' (12.12 m) boat and we bet it is a major reason for the model's popularity.

Master.

The master stateroom is in the bow and it has the typical raised island double bed with storage underneath. The cabin has two decent-sized hanging lockers and private access to the head.

VIP Stateroom.

The guest stateroom is to starboard, has twin beds, and most importantly has it's own private head. We think Azimut designers have done a masterful job of getting headroom into what is usually a challenging area. The headroom has been accomplished by raising the height of the helm platform on the deck above, which serves double duty by improving the skipper's visibility.Guests will have the delightful surprise of the two large portlights bringing sunlight into what might otherwise be a dark space. In fact, Azimut's signature huge hull-side windows are usually reserved for the master stateroom, but on the 40 the guests are the beneficiaries.

Two Heads Are Better Than One.

Both heads have the tubular shower stalls that Azimut made famous decades ago and still uses to this day because of their remarkable space efficiency. We have long called this clever design the "beam-me-up-Scotty" shower because it so closely resembles the "transporter" in Star Trek's good ship Enterprise.

No Wet Head.

By making two half-round Plexiglas sliding doors Azimut is able to provide needed deck space in the head when the shower is not in use, and at the same time create a separate shower stall. This eliminates the need for an ugly shower curtain and track on the overhead. Such a design would be a classic "wet head". Remember Azimut is dedicated to elegance and gracious living in its yachts and the head compartments are an important part of making this relatively small yacht the classy venue that the company promotes. We have been cruising with friends on larger boats with two cabins and only one head and so can attest to the immense desirability of the two-head layout.

The Galley Is Down

By placing the galley down on the accommodations deck and eliminating an overhead Azimut has been able to provide both headroom and light. By keeping this space open and accessible to the main deck conversation between the skipper and chef is unimpeded. The galley has a two burner stove top, a microwave oven, refrigerator/freezer and a sink. The boat comes standard with tasteful Azimut china, stemware and flatware for six as well as dedicated storage for it all.

Power and Performance

As noted above speed is one of the important "must haves" of any Azimut yacht. The boat displaces 29,000 lb./13,181 kgs. empty and 34,361 lbs./14,255 kgs. fully laden. Her beam at the widest point is 12'8" (3.86 m).Her standard power is twin Cummins 355-hp QSB 5.9 diesels with V-drives. The down angle of the shafts is 10-degrees. The yacht has a 14-degree deadrise at the transom which is a fair compromise between speed and efficiency and riding comfort. Trim tabs come standard.We have not tested this boat so can give no verified speed or fuel consumption numbers. The company states that the Azimut 40 has a top speed of 31 knots and a best cruise of 24 knots.

Observations

We think the important aspects of this boat are her styling, her two ensuite staterooms and the Azimut panache. For two-couple cruising we think the cabins are quite comfortable for this size boat and guests will like the private head with shower stall and the large windows in the cabin. More likely this vessel will be used as a day boat for entertaining, sunning, and parties. With three venues -- salon, aft deck, and flying bridge -- there can be from 12 to 15 people aboard at one time. That is a lot for a 40' boat. From a handling standpoint, the 40 can be fitted out with a bow thruster and Azimut's own proprietary joystick docking system to make maneuvering easy. In fact, twin-screw inboards are much easier to dock than many smaller boats.

Standard and Optional Features