Italian shipyard Azimut has reached a huge turning point in its decades-long goal to become an eco-friendly innovator. In fact, thanks to the new Azimut Seadeck Series, a conscious owner will be able to cut their emissions by up to 40 per cent over one year of typical use compared to a flybridge yacht of the same size. Seadeck is the culmination of Azimut's 20-year R&D drive to implement sustainable innovations to reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption, delivering the shipyard's most efficient series ever.
As the eco-awareness of yachtsmen grows together with a noticeable desire of reconnecting with nature, the cutting-edge Series has come at the perfect time and is set to make a grand impression on next year’s show circuit, starting with boot Düsseldorf 2024 where the Seadeck 6 will be presented for the first time.
Available in three size ranges – Seadeck 6, Seadeck 7 and Seadeck 8 – the Series’ exceptionally low fuel consumption, evolutionary design and following key features will no doubt see the yachts fly off the shelf.
Connected to nature
Behind the Seadeck Series is Alberto Mancini for the exterior design and interior concept, and architects Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez for the interior style and decor. The team advocated for a “return to nature” theme through their design choices and selected sinuous lines and an open aft lounge to embrace the sea.
Building on the desire for a nature-immersive lifestyle, as already done with Benetti’s bestselling Oasis Deck™, the Seadeck features an aft terrace called the “Fun Island”. The open-air space, which can be extended thanks to the fold-down side terraces, offers a unique setting for al fresco dining and sunbathing facing the horizon without any boundaries. The Fun Island uses broad openable glass windows and doors to create a blended interior and exterior, as if each space melds into the other. This also transforms the yacht into a highly social place, where guests can easily come together wherever they are onboard.
"Seadeck is a new starting point for future generations,” Azimut Benetti chairwoman Giovanna Vitelli says. “We wish to chart a course that will be an inspiration for the entire industry so that the theme of respect for the environment is interpreted – as it is for Seadeck – with a concrete approach made up of investment, technological research, and the courage to introduce a new lifestyle that embraces the sea."
“With the introduction of the Fun Island, Seadeck is actually a floating island where owners can get away from their daily routine and live in total contact with the sea,” explains designer, Alberto Mancini.
Powered by green energy
Azimut’s approach to conserving energy onboard a Seadeck yacht is multifaceted. The yacht’s Volvo IPS propulsion system paired with the high-efficiency hull by Names and Azimut and the extensive use of carbon fibre – that covers 40% of the boat’s surfaces, an unrivalled percentage – are large contributors towards reducing the yacht’s overall carbon emissions. In addition, the Seadeck Series will be the first yacht family in the world to be equipped with Volvo’s electric hybrid system to further reduce CO2 emissions. Plus, when operating in Zero Emission Hotel Mode, a battery pack produces electrical power for stabilisation, air conditioning and other amenities. It can maintain the yacht for a total of eight hours overnight or four hours during the day while at anchor with solar panels supplementing the yacht’s battery packs at any time.
Functional aspects of the yacht’s interior, such as entertainment centres, appliances and onboard systems, all operate in Eco Mode to ensure the yacht minimises its energy consumption wherever possible. Elsewhere, anti-UV films on the windows act to lower indoor temperatures and the subsequent need for air conditioning. Furthermore, the thermal energy recovered from the engines helps produce hot water more sustainably on board.
Natural and recycled materials
The yard’s Low-Emission yachts now make up half of Azimut’s fleet, with all models delivering a 20 to 30 per cent reduction in emissions. To increase this figure, Azimut’s R&D Department has masterminded a new design and substituted several materials to create the Seadeck series.
The conscious design concept by Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez uses several design elements to empower Azimut’s sustainable focus – a key feature being the environmentally-friendly cork that lines the decking instead of teak.
For the bulkheads, a new material was developed by the shipyard from plastic bottles. By recycling around 15,000 bottles for each yacht, PET material was formed. Other natural and recycled materials situated throughout include the eco-gel coat for bulkheads and decks, and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood.
“We wanted to create a boat that puts maximum emphasis on the concept of openness and transparency, and that also represented a radical change in terms of the relationship with nature,” adds Mancini.
With the first sights of the series scheduled to happen within the next 20 months, the completed Seadeck 6 will premiere at Düsseldorf in 2024, the Seadeck 7 will be on show at the 2024 Cannes Yachting Festival and the Seadeck 8 will be available later that year.
To find out more about Azimut’s growing fleet, contact the yard directly here.
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