First look inside Azimut's 26m Seadeck 9 yacht ahead of Cannes debut

Italian shipyard Azimut has offered a first look on board the first unit from its Seadeck 9 yacht model. The 26-metre new build hit the water at the yard's Avigliana facilities in February and is scheduled to make her debut at the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival.

Alberto Mancini is behind the model's exterior lines, while interiors are the work of Milan-based designers Matteo Thun & Antonio Rodriguez, both of which have been curated to transform owners and guests on board "back to nature". The Seadeck 9 stands as the yard's flagship model in its hybrid Seadeck series and was first unveiled at the 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival.

The yacht has been designed to elevate the classic outdoor-indoor experience, according to the yard, creating its "most open vessel". A key example is the aft deck, otherwise known as the "Fun Island", which is defined by a cascade of three terraces, an "amphitheatre-shaped" lounge, generous sunpads revealing a flush-deck pool and a large, descending swim platform. 

There are 270 square metres of living space here – accessed via twin symmetrical stairs drawn to echo a Mediterranean villa – intended as a place to share and experience with family and friends. The deck benefits from lateral unfolding wings, expanding the space for easy water access aboard Jet Skis, Seabobs and paddleboards.

Inside, the Seadeck 9 captures the series' conscious-led design through a "simple and elegant language centred on the relationship between people and the environment", according to the yard. Large, floor-to-ceiling windows, a "completely disappearing" glass door and a generous ceiling height add to the bright and calming atmosphere as guests step inside the main saloon - which acts as a natural extension of the terraces outside. 

Two interior palettes are available for the model, with a warmer option featuring a light walnut grain and a lighter alternative defined by pale oak. Both offerings, however, blend "tactile warmth with minimalism".

The lower deck's master cabin is conceived as a private retreat, with inspiration taken from eco-resort philosophy. Here, integrated sinks become part of the suite's aesthetic rather than being concealed from view and a desk has been built into the bookcase: both a nod to Thun & Rodriguez’s design approach. A VIP and two guest cabins complete the accommodation offering.

As the first unit launched from the flagship line, the new build now also marks the largest yacht ever built at the Azimut facilities in Avigliana. The yard benefited from a €50,000,000 investment plan in 2023, which redesigned spaces, processes and production flows, and enabled the construction of yachts up to 27 metres.

“Avigliana represents a unique reality in the industry: building boats at the feet of mountains has encouraged us to develop new solutions, to push our technical and engineering capabilities to the limit, and to manage the entire process, from fibreglass and carbon to the finished boat," said Giovanna Vitelli, chair of the Azimut|Benetti Group at the yacht's launch. "Seadeck 9 is the product of 50 years spent making the unthinkable possible, 50 years of challenges overcome."

The shipyard noted that the Seadeck 9 is ready to install the Volvo Penta IPS hybrid propulsion system. The Seadeck series aims to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 30 per cent in an average year of use compared to vessels of comparable size, both while sailing and at anchor. 

She is part of Azimut’s Low Emission Yacht family, featuring a hull specially developed for the series in partnership with Names - said to be "one of the most efficient planing hulls that Azimut has ever designed".

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The yacht was launched in February

Seadeck 9 also integrates Azimut's advanced hotel mode, supported by a dedicated 60 kWh lithium battery pack allowing the yacht to operate in complete silence with the generators switched off.

According to BOATPro, Azimut currently has 77 yachts under construction or on order. The yard unveiled the newest addition to its popular line of explorer-oriented vessels during boat show season last year.