There’s no doubt: the best producer of recreational yachts is Azimut- Benetti. What is less known is that Azimut owed its success to flyboats, at first smaller, then up to 60 feet, with 300 units sold between 62 and 64 feet over the last ten years.
So, the starting point were these comfortable boats, ideal for family cruises and vey “human”, later followed by S-line and some aggressive but elegant models like Leonardo 100, one among the most beautiful big boats ever built. 
Testing new Azimut 66 Flybridge has consequently a particular value, since it means to board on the best of the best. Of course, Azimut has stepped forward in technological terms over the last years and this last creations marks a further step forward.
First of all, there’s a smart use of carbon in the upper parts of the boat, the hard top, the fore part of the fly bridge and the radar arch, where weight have a greater effect on stability. This means better performances but not exaggerated costs.
The carbon on the fly bridge has also allowed to obtain an important living space: this material, in fact, encumbers structures less than normal fiberglass but with the same strength. So, the floor space “upstairs” is 28 square-metres, the biggest of the category.
The technological soul of Azimut 66 Flybridge is also evident in many other elements and some solutions coming from home automation and automotive fields, such as the innovative electronic wheelhouse which can set up according to the shipowner’s driving style and speed.
The panel which divides the kitchen from the living zone can be matted electrically for more privacy and the intensity of all lights can be regulated. The boat is provided with Raymarine software which can communicate with most of on-board systems: engines, bilge pumps, engine room ventilation, audio systems and air conditioned. Everything is even accessible from a tablet.
Interiors, designed by Carlo Galeazzi, are extremely modern, flooded with light and welcoming. On the main deck, a salon has two opposite sofas, large lateral windows and very elegant details: a storable 55” tv, a backlit glass showcase, a illuminated wine cooler in the bar zone and a lunch area next to the pilot house. On the lower deck, we find the cabins: the huge shipowner’s one with a large private bathroom, a V-shaped VIP cabin and two twin-bed cabins with large portholes. The three bathrooms have a separated shower.
Azimut 66 – Sea Trial
One among the advantages of being a test-man? That you can drive a 2-million-euro yacht and you’re free to do what you want.
Next to you, the captain which pretends to be quiet (but it’s clear that he’s trying to understand if you are a fool or an expert). Behind you, an equally “quiet” manager of the shipyard. He’s caught between the devil and the deep blue sea: he wants to satisfy the journalist (who, in his turns, wants to understand and exaggerate at the same time) without forgetting the shipowner who is there to take the boat and his crew home safe and sound. 
The tables below represent the basic numbers of Azimut 66’s performances. Essential numbers. But if you want to understand a boat, you have to exaggerate. And this is the hardest moment for both the captain and the manager but the funniest one for the test-man. 
This is our long introduction to say that, this time, we have really exaggerated. Do you remember the beginning of the article? Flyboats are ideal for family cruises: it may take a moment to forget it.
Partly because of the electric wheel, partly because of the excellent bottom design or the perfect interaction with the two CAT 1150 HP engines, Azimut 66 sails with her 41 tons and a length of 20 metres completely undisturbed. Stability is always excellent.
We’ve also appreciated the comfort and the view you can enjoy from the pilot’s seat and the total absence of vibrations even in the most exciting moments.
Top speed is even greater than what the shipyard promises and we reached little more than 33 knots. Cruising speed is 28-29 knots, with a consumption of 350 l/h.
Azimut 66 – Technical File
Overall Length: 20.80 m
Waterline Length: 16.47 m
Max Beam: 5.10
Draft: 1.60 m
Unladen displacement: 33 tons
Laden displacement: 41.6 tons
Engines: 2 Volvo Penta D13- 800 HP
Transmission: V-Drive
Fuel Tank Capacity: 3,900 l
Water Tant Capacity: 1000 l
Cabins: 4+1
Builder: Azimut Yachts
Exterior Design: Stefano Righini
Interior Design:Carlo Galeazzi
Design Category: A – 14 people
Builder: www.azimutyachts.com
Price from: € 1,750,000 VAT excluded
Construction : balsa sandwich, fiberglass with vinylester resin for the first layer, isophtalic resin for the other layers, infusion technology. Carbon deck and superstructure. Warranty against osmosis: 5 years.
Waterlines: deep V with double line of sustaining elements; deadrise: 17° (aft), 20° (midboat)
Engine: 2 x 6 cylinder Caterpillar C – 18 Acert, 847 KW – 1,150 HP
Transmission: ZF
Rudders: steel
Propellers: 5 blades
Azimut 66 – Performances
| Rev/min | Speed(kn) | Consumption(l/h) | Noise in the pilot house dbA | Noise in the shipowner’s cabin |
| 1,000 | 10.5 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| 1,200 | 11.3 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| 1,400 | 14.9 | 140 | 140 | 140 |
| 1,600 | 18.9 | 190 | 190 | 190 |
| 1,800 | 22.4 | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| 2,000 | 26.4 | 320 | 320 | 320 |
| 2,200 | 30.4 | 380 | 380 | 380 |
| 2,360 | 33.1 | 440 | 430 | 430 |
Sea Trail Conditions : flat sea, 7 passengers, fuel tank at 50%, water tank at 90%. Min. surfing speed: 13 kn (110 l/h); surfing time: 7” – time to reach maximum speed: 20′
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