Good things happen when Stefano Righini combines his exterior styling with Achille Salvagni’s interior design, and this engineering and artistic fusion is again in full evidence in the Azimut Grande 25 Metri.
The Azimut Grande 25 Metri premiered at Cannes last September and arrived in Singapore this year
The 87ft motoryacht has been nicknamed the ‘Baby Grande’, as it’s the smallest of Azimut’s superyacht collection, and has already earned accolades including Best Motor Yacht in Asia (25-30m) at this year’s Christofle Yacht Style Awards.
Azimut prides itself on the being truly representative of the finest marine products Italy has to offer. It’s easy to throw superlatives around when describing this latest Grande, but let’s just say the yacht is ideal for Asian waters, whether it be hanging out in Phang Nga Bay, cruising through Hong Kong harbour or entertaining folks in the waters off Sentosa.
After its world premiere at Cannes last September, the model made its Asian debut earlier this year in Singapore, where Paul Grange, Director of Marine Italia, gave Yacht Style a personal tour.
The aft cockpit offers a popular dining option
Grange knows Azimut and knows boats, having already been in the business for two decades before moving to Hong Kong in 2012 to sell Azimut yachts for Simpson Marine. Three years later, he partnered with Thomas Woo to create Marine Italia, the Azimut dealer for Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Taiwan and – since 2018 – Singapore.
The Englishman says the 25 Metri’s wide, airy exteriors are great for holding parties, socialising and entertaining, while a variety of options are available including a jacuzzi on the flybridge or fixed furniture.
It’s also among the new Grande models launched in the past two years that feature an interior by Salvagni, the renowned Rome-born designer who established his reputation with his work in residences and furniture.
Achille Salvagni has put his stamp on another Grande interior, with splashes of red accenting otherwise neutral tones
“Achille [Salvagni] used individual pieces of furniture in different shapes and colours, to create a home environment or the feel of a luxury apartment,” Grange said. “The reaction we’ve had so far is that it feels like a property not a boat.”
OPTIONS AND INNOVATIONS
In fact, the yacht feels customised due to the elegant curved furniture, although much of the décor and design is standard. Another of the appealing features of the 25 Metri is a flush main deck, so there’s no need to step up or down, and little risk of embarrassing – or dangerous – stumbles.
The main deck is available in two layouts, although both feature sofa seating to starboard as you enter the saloon and an elegant cabinet to port, which sits in front of a pop-up television.
The saloon can feature a formal dining table or an extended seating area with adjustable table
As seen on the yacht in Singapore, the standard layout includes an aft-facing double sofa to enclose the seating area, while forward is a formal dining table for eight. This layout is expected to be the more popular version in Asia where communal dining is so important, although both the cockpit and flybridge also offer dining areas.
The ‘Lounge’ version of the main deck doesn’t include a fixed dining table and instead features sofa seating along the entire starboard side of the saloon, stretching forward to a rounded seating area that creates a three-sided conversation area. When needed, the rectangular coffee table can be raised and folded out to provide dining for eight with the addition of loose chairs.
It’s also worth noting that this forward part of the saloon benefits from extra light as there are full-height windows and cut-outs in the bulwarks on both sides.
The galley is situated just beyond the dining area and can be open or enclosed. The mirror on the bulkhead is actually a hatch that can be opened if guests wish to share conversation and eye contact with whoever’s in the kitchen, such as if the owner, guests or a celebrity chef is cooking.
The stunning staircase to the guest cabins
A very innovative option is the specially designed partition with sliding doors that can switch between transparent and frosted glass, so allowing the crew to move freely between the helm station and the galley without disturbing any of the guests.
Even though this is among smaller superyachts, the 25 Metri is designed so the crew can be as unobtrusive as possible. Situated aft of the master suite on the lower deck, the crew quarters have a Captain’s cabin and another for up to two crew, plus a mess, and is accessed by a stairway at the aft end of the port side deck, so they can move to the helm or galley without disturbing the owner and guests.
Forward of the dayhead on port side is the guest staircase, which is one of the standout design features of the yacht, an artfully lit, beautifully glossy combo of brown, red and white, with gold handrails for added effect.
The full-beam owner’s suite enjoys great natural light from the large hull windows and features beautiful furniture design throughout
The full-beam owner’s suite is midships and has a forward-facing double bed in the centre of the room and two raised areas on either side below large hull windows, including an attractive arrangement of circular chairs and a coffee table to starboard, with walk-in wardrobes either side. Aft is a large en-suite bathroom with his and her sinks, an enclosed head and a double-entry shower.
POWER AND PERFORMANCE
Like in the other new Grande models, carbon-fibre lamination has been used extensively, such as in the superstructure and transom, and also up top in the flybridge, hardtop and radar arch.
Accessed by portside stairs from the cockpit, the flybridge features a C-shaped sofa, a flexible table and a large lounging area to port. The helm station is to starboard and sits in front of an open bar area, while the hardtop has a sliding sunroof.
The large flybridge has a helm station to starboard but otherwise offers a lot of options for fixed or movable furniture
The flybridge can be customised, although the standard layout already includes a clean aft area that can be used for sun loungers, bean bags or toys, which can all be moved if there’s demand for a yoga session or more room during a party.
The foredeck offers another social area with a large C-shaped sofa and folding table, plus a forward sunbathing area, while the aft end of the boat offers a swim platform and a garage that can house a 4m tender.
The yacht is as dynamic as she looks, powering up to 28 knots and cruising at 24 with twin 1,650mhp Man engines and a sleek hull by Pierluigi Ausonio Naval Architecture. Hull resistance also benefits from Humphree automatic trim control, which works at all speeds and benefits both speed and fuel consumption.
The twin-seat main helm station has great visibility, as well as a dinette
The yacht also features Optimus electronic power steering, which enables the Captain to configure the responsiveness of the helm by regulating wheel turns and steering effort according to speed, a feature typically seen on high-end cars.
Other appealing technology includes the integrated control system by Raymarine, which has been customised to enable control of engine data, alarms, bilge and water-discharge pumps, tank levels, engine-room ventilation, sound system, air-conditioning and more. The system can be accessed from both helm stations and even remotely from a tablet.
The 25 Metri sits well below the 100ft mark that originally distinguished the Grande collection, but it offers all the technology, comfort, pioneering interior design and customisation possibilities that characterise the biggest models from one of the giants of luxury motoryachts.
The original article appears in Yacht Style Issue 47. Email subscribe@lux-inc.com for print subscription enquiries or subscribe to the Magzter version at: www.magzter.com/SG/Lux-Inc-Media/Yacht-Style/Fashion/
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