For some American boat buyers, a yacht like the Azimut 84 defines the Italian mastery of aesthetic and design. But it isn’t always easy for Americans to embrace all the features intended for a cruising lifestyle that isn’t quite like ours. In that spirit, Azimut collaborated with MarineMax, its North American distribution partner, to tweak the 84 specifically for US tastes.
One thing about the US version of the 84 does not change is its overall look, which might best be described as stunning. Notice the use of multiple hullside ports, large stateroom windows, and large saloon windows to bring natural light into the boat, while maintaining sleek, sexy lines.A big change for the US market is in the galley. Because Americans like to make cooking a social activity, the galley is now completely open to the salon. It’s also larger and designed with a bar counter and stools. Guests can relax on those stools, or at a round dining table for eight that doubles as a place for cards and games.Notice that the bar’s solid surface matches the Azimut 84’s interior’s light, airy decor. As with most yachts of this caliber, that decor can be adjusted to fit the owner’s individual desires.There are changes on the accommodations level, too, which is designed with four cabins (each with en suite head) to sleep eight. Not only are the cabins larger; so are the ports, for even better views from each stateroom. One other notable change is in the master suite (now fitted with a king berth rather than a queen), which the owner can access from his own staircase. Privacy, it seems, is something U.S. boaters want more of.MarineMax has determined that Americans like to entertain on the flybridge, so the space has been modified from the Italian version seen here to include new features: a marble-topped bar with a fridge, freezer, plus an outdoor barbecue, tables and more seating than before. Double liferafts are fastened outside the deck area so they don’t take up entertaining space. This version of the 84 comes equipped with a hardtop and stabilizers, unless otherwise specified.Fortunately, many of the nicest features on the original 84 are on this American version, including a hydraulic platform for a tender, crew quarters for three, and two elegant dining areas—one recessed into the foredeck and another in the cockpit that opens to the salon. That swift and exciting Azimut performance is here, too. When powered by a pair of MAN V-12s, the Azimut 84 should hit 26 knots at top end.
The American version Azimut 84 seems to be the result of a good collaboration. It couples features and a layout created expressly to meet American tastes with the style, quality, and performance one would expect from one of the biggest Italian motor yacht builders.
Jeanne Craig has been covering powerboats since 1988. She spent ten years as a senior editor at Boating magazine and ten more as executive editor at Motor Boating. She’s now an independent writer based in Rowayton, Connecticut, where she’s close to the cruising grounds she most enjoys.
