Premier debut of 4 extraordinary new offerings at the Cannes Festival, among them two flagships, Azimut Grande and Atlantis. 20 boats on the water and the debut of the Yachtique Concierge Club, a 5- star service reserved exclusively for Group customers. The Success of Azimut Grande and Benetti: megayacht sector spurs Group growth and garners international awards.
Azimut-Benetti Group arrives at the first official event of the new boating year with 4 important new offerings, each one representing a specific market segment: the Azimut 40, Azimut 45, Atlantis 58, and the Azimut Grande 120SL.
The four boats are the crown jewels of the large fleet on display at the Cannes International Boat & Yacht Show, with Azimut-Benetti combined exhibiting 20 different models.
Expectations are high for the two flagships with Azimut Grande 120SL by far the largest boat built by Azimut to date and the Atlantis 58, while staying true to its sporty and punchy image, displaying a one of a kind versatility.
The Azimut Grande 120SL is the first megayacht in the Azimut Grande series to be really Sport Luxury, truly capable of uniting sportiness with elegance and comfort: the result is clear. The continuity between the inside and outside generates uniquely luminous and refined spaces enjoying the yacht and the sea without limits also thanks to the power of the water jets which can deliver cruising speeds of between 36 and 40 knots.
As the Atlantis 58, the sporty and care for ergonomics typical of the brand have in this new model their highest exaltation, making it the top of its class for dynamism and versatility.
About performance, Atlantis 58 differs from competitors by being able to reach 38 knots and keep the sea very well, thanks to its new hull design. A pioneer through the changes that have radically transformed the international boating market scene in just a few years: today, the Azimut-Benetti group has a hand in everything, taking a leadership role in all the most promising markets in the industry.
On this front, it is important to emphasize how quickly the Group has been able to redefine the scope of its business activities, and in turn, how this has altered the source of the Group’s sales. In pole position today is Brazil, followed by the United States (where the company continues to be the top importer), with the two countries accounting for over 50% total sales. The Group records also a continuous growth in the Middle and Far East markets, with a special focus on China.
The strong focus on internationalisation has generated extremely gratifying results for all Group brands. This has been reflected in the increase in sales of Azimut Yachts in the United States, numerous international awards - including being ranked first place in China by the magazine, China Boating - as well as the firsts related to the brand’s green approach, investing significant resources to adopting technological and construction solutions aimed at reducing environmental impact.
The revamping of the Atlantis series has been happily proceeding over the course of the year with 2 new models, the 58 and the 38; the latter is headed for a preview at the Genoa Boat Show.
Particularly noteworthy are Benetti’s excellent accomplishments, delivering 14 yachts (10 Class and 4 Custom) over the course of the year and receiving orders for over 17 new boats. These numbers are the real proof of the boatyard’s manufacturing and organisational capacity, the high quality of Benetti offerings, and how successful it has been in completely revamping the series.
In this regard, attention should be also drawn to the launch of the new series of custom yachts, the FB 800, a 50 metre fibreglass boat with aluminium superstructure. It represents an innovative combination that unites maximum design flexibility and space customisation with the substantial advantage of keeping the total weight below 500 tons.
Further indications of the excitement circulating around the brand can also be found in the recent opening of a service in the United States. This has been launched to better track the post sales phase in the North American market which is in recovery in terms of the mega yacht sector. In addition, a direct sales and service office is opening in Hong Kong to be work with the Asian markets which have also been very receptive to megayacht sector.
Regarding the development of new models, it should be noted that once again the Group has met its objective to continually renew itself; because of this, it is ready for the autumn season with over 9 new boats.
There are also new offerings in terms of service. The Group is working through Yachtique, a dedicated division that has chosen the Cannes Festival to present the world premier of the Yachtique Concierge Club.
Unique in the boating world, the Club is exclusively reserved for Azimut-Benetti boat owners who can take advantage of the 5-star service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The service ranges from booking reservations for restaurants, cars, and private chefs, to up to the minute weather forecasts worldwide. It also takes care of buying and delivering groceries as well as offering a wide range of significant discounts related to fuel, boating services such as winter storage, motor inspections, and supplying a tender.
"Our consistency continues to reward us," Group President, Paolo Vitelli says, adding, "Today we are stronger than ever, thanks to our ability to read the market ahead of our competitors, the extraordinary satisfaction that our boats are registering throughout the market, and finally to the excellent service that we are able to offer our clients around the world".
Azimut-Benetti is the leading and most prestigious builder of mega yachts in the world. The Group, which includes the prestigious brands Azimut Yachts, Azimut Grande, Benetti and Atlantis, each addressing a distinct segment of the boating market, and Yachtique, the division exclusively dedicated to boat owner services, also headed by Fraser Yachts. The Group operates in 68 countries around the world through a sales network of 138 offices.
