Azimut Grande 26M
After her launch at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2022, the numbers of Grande 26M, Azimut’s new 26-metre Low Emission Yacht, are growing exponentially: 22 owners have already chosen Grande 26M, following in the footsteps of Grande 27M which, after being launched in 2018, has achieved such public and market success for Azimut that the model has become the reference yacht in its category.
The features of a superyacht are all there: such as the 5 cabins, including the full-beam owner’s suite on the main deck, the completely separate pathways for guests and crew, and a single-level 50-square-metre flybridge. But Azimut has also added the stylistic and technological innovations that have met with huge success, such as the Deck2DeckTM deck and the first Large POD propulsion system, which allows for a 20% reduction in consumption and CO2 emissions.
The Deck2DeckTM Terrace is the jewel in the crown of the Grande 26M’s design. By exploiting the extension of the transom through the raising of the teak-covered garage door, it allows for an 18-square-metre space for the walkaround table which, when extended, can seat eight people in a cool dining area overlooking the water.
“The project was driven by the enthusiasm to create a compact superyacht, with five cabins, an enormous flybridge and a larger cockpit than usual for the category, which we wanted to extend to give the yacht a fully-fledged dining area overlooking the water,” comments Alberto Mancini, the designer of the Grande 26M’s exteriors.
Grande 26M – Interior
The design is in the details, and this is at the heart of Achille Salvagni’s idea. He filled this superyacht with design elements and playful, eye-catching colours, such as the cobalt blue of the sofa plinth and the lamp suspended over the dining table, the orange of the coffee table, or the chromatic details inside the cabins.
The shapes are sinuous, recalling the marine environment which completely envelops the context thanks to the enormous full-height windows of the main deck and the owner’s suite, which is flooded with light thanks to the two full-height windows, creating greater depth, in a sort of contamination of the environments. All this is united by the trait d’union that is the oak flooring, which recalls the warmth of teak and with its skilfully laid 45° slats visually expands the spaces.
Large POD 4600 production, emissions reduction and high performance
But there’s more, because in addition to the obvious splendour sought in the Large 26M, in this superyacht Azimut has concentrated over ten years of research into innovative solutions aimed at reducing the environmental impact of its yachts.
This research has resulted in the new Large POD 4600 propulsion system, developed together with ZF, which, combined with a 30% lighter superstructure thanks to the extensive use of carbon fibre, guarantees a 20% reduction in emissions at the most frequent speeds of use.
The aim of the ZF POD 4600 is to achieve high levels of efficiency for the first time even on larger yachts with top speeds of between 20 and 30kn. This is achieved thanks to the thrust of the POD thrusters, which can in fact be directed in any direction, guaranteeing manoeuvrability and speed: the Grande 26M easily reaches up to 28 knots.
Last but not least, the Grande 26M was created as a Hybrid Ready system and joins Azimut’s fleet of Low Emission Yachts, which includes more than half of the brand’s models, all characterized by reduced fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions achieved thanks to three factors: weight reduction through the extensive use of carbon, the development of increasingly efficient hulls and the use of innovative propulsion systems.
All concrete signs that Azimut’s future will be increasingly sustainable.
