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The Azimut 103S offers owners the freedom “to be me”.
by Jill Bobrow
photography by Filiberto Rotta
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10/01/2007
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| Azimut 103S |  |
There is the guy who chooses to be chauffeured in a limousine enshrouded with windows so dark he doesn’t know if it’s day or night. He
doesn’t care that his conveyance can’t negotiate a U-turn, and he is
oblivious to the problems of parking such a behemoth. He relinquishes his
destiny to a driver and becomes simply a passenger. Then there is the guy who
gets behind the wheel of his sporty convertible. With the wind in his hair, he
is fully engaged with the great outdoors. He can reverse his direction as easily
as he can change his mind. He can park his car himself or give the keys to a
valet. He is in control, and he likes it that way.
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Snazzy, swank and subtle, the 103S—flagship of the Azimut Open
S
series—reigns sublime for the independent-minded person.
"This boat is focused on freedom," says Paolo Vitelli, chairman
of the Azimut-Benetti Group. After examining the boat with Vitelli, I couldn’t
agree more. She is a boat for the young and the young at heart. She embodies the
familiar slogan "Free to be me."
The cockpit and salon flow seamlessly into each
other and embody the term "outdoor living." Photography courtesy of Azimut. (Click images to enlarge)
The Azimut 103S will make her North American market premiere at
the Miami boat show next February. I had the pleasure of touring the first of
the series last March when she made her splashy debut at the Dubai International
Boat Show. A Dubai debut? Honors for the launch were awarded to Dubai’s ART
Marine because Azimut Yachts named the company its best overseas dealer last
year. The U.S. market makes up 17 percent of all Azimut sales. Europe comprises
52 percent. But an emerging market like the Middle East, which accounts for 12
percent of overall sales, is among Azimut’s fastest-growing markets.
Azimut, along with ART Marine, organized a stupendous world
debut. The venue was the chic Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club. International
yachting journalists attended a press conference led by Federico Martini, chief executive of Azimut Yachts, and Vitelli. The night was magical. Following a
stunning spectacle of four white-clad artistes dancing on the water in floating Plexiglas bubbles and illuminated by a laser light show, the Azimut 103S made her grand entrance up the creek. Fireworks lit up the sky. The
evening was warm, but the music was hot. Lebanese pop star Nancy Ajram and her
14-piece band enticed people to gather and groove. A Who’s Who of the Arab world
and a strong international guest list of nearly 900 were wined and dined on
global gourmet delicacies such as hummus, foie gras and aged Parmesan,
exemplifying the diverse cultures represented at the evening’s event.
 The midships master spans the full beam. Large
windows bring in views of the ocean. Photograph courtesy of Azimut. (Click image to enlarge)
It was fanfare befitting a superstar. The 103S is certainly a
luminary and the ultimate extension of the Azimut Open series, deriving its
roots from the 68S, which debuted in 2003. That model begat the 86S in 2004, the
43S in 2005 and the 62S in 2006. The 103S is the first to have an upper
deck.
The largest builder of megayachts in the world, Azimut-Benetti
consistently strives to push the envelope with each new build, offering a high
level of technological prowess in every aspect of construction and gear.
Designed to RINA standards for high-speed craft, the 103S is put together with
multi-axial fibers and sandwich construction. The inner linings comprise honeycomb floating panels that help absorb noise and vibrations. Underwater
exhausts further noise reduction. Twin 2,434-hp MTU diesels power the
Rolls-Royce KaMeWa waterjets that propel the boat to a whopping 34 knots.
Automatic dynamic interceptors fitted to the transom enable the longitudinal
trim to be adjusted for optimum performance. Every aspect of this boat has been
well thought out. The garage is large enough to house a 19-foot Castoldi tender
plus two Yamaha WaveRunners and still does not impinge on the interior space.
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