Boat Review | Azimut 103S

Cabins with a view

The world caught its first glimpse of the 103S’s silhouette at the Dubai Boat Show in deference to what has become one of Azimut’s most important markets. The 103S is the flagship of the S series from Azimut Yachts and combines sporty exterior lines with sumptuous on-board comfort. Like its smaller sisters, the 103S features a new Bordeaux hull livery and a sleekly aerodynamic form lightened by an deckhouse that’s largely glass. The result is a stunningly elegant yacht. Freedom and intimacy are the two leitmotifs running through Stefano Righini’s design. “I wanted to ensure that the owners really would get the freedom they wanted and needed, so the saloon and cockpit can be converted into one big open plan area simply by opening the big door between them. The fact that the crew quarters is completely separate also means that guests really do get to enjoy an intimate atmosphere. High-tech instrumentation also ensures safety under way too.” The first thing that strikes one aboard is that the interior decor really does reflect the exterior styling, both of which are courtesy of the expert pen of Carlo Galeazzi. This is particularly the case on the main deck where, courtesy of the three-panel glass sliding saloon door, the saloon and cockpit seem like one luxurious, sophisticated, sun-filled space in which the same fabrics and colours are used both inside and out. The colour scheme ranges from cream to various browns, creating a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere in clear contrast with the sunlight flooding in. Wenge, glass tables and Armani Casa lighting features add an extra flourish of elegance to the space too. The galley, on a middle deck, is the work of Boffi while the lower deck is home to four staterooms. The owner’s is amidships and full-beam and is the largest of its kind. The bed is centrally situated and faces forward. The VIP is foremost with a 45°bed. The staterooms all feature wonderfully soft night-time lighting, courtesy of backlit fibreglass panels and can also be dimmed at will. One of the most striking things about the 103S, however, is how exceptionally bright its interiors are during the day. The main saloon, for instance, takes its light from the windshield and side windows as well as so-called “scenic windows” on the deckhouse plus a hard top made up of three glass panels totalling 14 square metres (two of the panels are sliding too). The staterooms also enjoy plenty of natural light thanks to the series’ trademark square picture windows along the central hull area, trapezoidal bow windows and two new trapezoidal windows for the guest cabins. Another major plus of the 103S is the 120 square metres of deck space it offers. Unusually for an open cockpit model, the upper deck not only has an extra sun pad area but also a steering position that doesn’t interfere with the guests’ fun. The bow, with a spacious sun pad, is also very wide and gives more volume to the VIP cabin. A touch screen at the pilot station allows every single room aboard to be checked for safety. The 103S is a high-performance craft (twin 2,434 hp MTU engines coupled with twin KaMeWa Rolls Royce water jets deliver 34 knots) and meets RINA’s toughest standards for high-speed boats.
(Yacht Capital, n.5/2007)

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