Azimut Seadeck 7

Reducing environmental impact. Design solutions developed to bring down the barriers between exteriors and interiors. A reinvented aft space to host a new lifestyle that’s all about wellbeing. The second model in the Seadeck line by Azimut Yachts builds on the holistic concept inspired by a collaboration with Alberto Mancini and Matteo Thun & Antonio Rodriguez – and Volvo Penta’s hybrid-electric technology means it’s even greener by

Désirée Sormani

- ph. courtesy by Azimut

e wanted to create a yacht that marked a radical change in the relationship with nature. Seadeck is a floating island that enables owners to break away from everyday life and live in total contact with the sea”, says Alberto Mancini, originator of the concept and exterior design of the innovative Seadeck line for Azimut Yachts (part of the Azimut|Benetti group). There are already two Seadeck versions available – the 6, presented at the Milan Design Week 2024 and the Venice boat show in the same year and the 7, unveiled at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2024. They will soon be joined by the Seadeck 9, the new flagship. Seadeck embodies everything we wished for during the Covid period – a yacht that is a safe island, to be enjoyed with family and friends, somewhere we can enjoy the moment to the full.

Seadeck 7 is the world’s first yacht to combine hybrid propulsion with the Volvo Penta IPS system, based on Volvo Penta’s revolutionary hybrid-electric pilot technology. The hybrid-electric package is the result of a collaboration between Azimut and Volvo Penta, and the prototype installation was completed in parallel with the development of the Seadeck 7 to ensure total integration. This system enables the Seadeck 7 to sail in full-electric mode at up to 11 knots and remain at anchor with zero emissions for a maximum of 12 hours. This provides a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 40% during an average year of use. The designers’ work was driven by a desire to maximise contact with the sea and respect the yacht’s environment. This progress towards sustainability, based on technological research and development, has been a crucial element in Azimut’s operations for 20 years. The result is Low Emission Yachts, technologically advanced models that provide reductions in emissions of between 20% and 30% at the most frequent speeds. This progress towards more ecologically-aware craft now reaches a peak with Seadeck. The heart of the Seadeck is the Fun Island. This on-board space has been reinterpreted and redesigned to offer an immersive experience in nature and a new way of being together on board a yacht. The swim platform is not just an open-air terrace, it blends seamlessly into the interior and is fully a part of it – when the large deckhouse windows are open this creates an integrated space and guests inside, in the open air and even in the water can interact with ease and enjoyment. All the physical barriers are lowered

to create a celebration of sociability. Two opening wings, inspired by Benetti’s Oasis Deck® concept, further expand the aft area. On Seadeck they serve to help remove the visual barrier created by the bulwark. Respect for the environment underpins the concept – the use of materials like cork instead of teak, varnishes made from natural products and fabrics obtained from eco-sustainable, recyclable or recycled sources (like the carpet made from fishing nets recovered from the sea). They are also light, in order to cut weight and therefore consumption. A mechanism aft reveals a striking staircase – this descends into the water at various levels, facilitating access to the water. One striking detail highlights the Seadeck 7’s relaxed spirit – the hammock on the starboard wing, which invites guests to board the yacht and leave their worries and stress behind them. Seadeck 7 differs from her sister, especially in her dimensions, 21.7 metres against the 17.25 metres of the Seadeck 6. The result is an exterior design with deckhouse further towards the bow and a living area with open galley beside the helm station, further integrated into the exterior terrace. The intense attention to detail is augmented by a careful study of light –together with the colour palette of light, calm tones, this enhances the concept of on-board wellness. Azimut chose Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez for the interior styling (Seadeck 6 marked their yachting debut and influences the entire line). “We thought they were the best people to interpret the Back to Nature and Wellness concepts”, says Giovanna Vitelli, President of the Azimut|Benetti Group. The two architects took a subtractive approach to the task, implementing a Conscious Design approach. “We prefer to talk about awareness rather than sustainability”, he says. “What we do is all about removing and simplifying”. It’s a redefinition of luxury with an emphasis on well-being, using natural materials. It means finding elegance in simplicity and practicality with a stylistic coherence throughout the yacht, from the main deck down to sleeping area, whose layout comprises four cabins (a VIP forward, a Master cabin aft and two guest cabins amidships).

The flybridge of the Seadeck 7 is designed not as a sun bridge but a crow’s nest like those on board old-time sail ships and some modern megayachts; it is a comfy, intimate sanctuary where guests can tuck themselves away and scan the sea horizon. azimutyachts.com

Seadeck 7 differs from her sister in a number of aspects, especially her dimensions: 21.7 metres against the 17.25 metres of the Seadeck 6. The result is an exterior design with the deckhouse located further forward. The Seadeck 7 is also the world’s first yacht to combine hybrid power with Volvo Penta IPS propulsion, based on revolutionary Volvo Penta hybrid-electric pilot technology. This marks the first time a yacht combines Diesel engines, electric motors, and batteries with the efficiency of Volvo Penta IPS drives, allowing it to cruise in pure electric mode at up to 11 knots and remain at anchor with zero emissions for up to 12 hours without a generator on board. At the moment it is still in the prototype stage, but Volvo Penta will soon be making it available on the market

The living area and terrace form an integrated space. The intense attention to detail is complemented by a careful study of the welcoming, suffuse light that emphasises details. Together with the palette of calm, warm colours this enhances the concept of on-board wellness. Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez took a subtractive approach to the task, implementing a Conscious Design approach

Seadeck 7 is a floating island. The drop-down bulwarks aft are not designed to obtain an extra metre of floor space, but are intended to expand the view and create a closer connection with the yacht’s surroundings. This effect can also be enjoyed inside the yacht

Interior Design

Matteo Thun Antonio Rodriguez

The Seadeck concept complements our approach to architecture, where the indoor and outdoor areas always integrate smoothly. For us the exterior context is important and we always try to make it extend into the exteriors, whether in a residence, hotel or hospital. Bringing nature into the interior is a part of our philosophy of architecture – all despite the fact we had never worked in the yacht-building industry. We found the research involved in developing a contemporary, light and aware solution for the whole Seadeck line was extremely interesting. It was a new adventure for us, but was also simple, because it meant transposing the concepts the studio already offered onto water – the desire to strip elements away to allow the heart of the space to emerge, creating somewhere where it’s easy to feel good. The shell created by Alberto Mancini was optimal. The large windows and immediate connection between interior and exterior enabled us to work in a style that was coherent with our way of thinking. The great luxury of the yacht isn’t the yacht itself, it’s the opportunity to go

wherever you wish. We’ve created a simplicity of style where the exterior spaces are always different during the cruise. Stripping away is our narrative method. But take care – this does not mean that we like minimalism. Stripping away means allowing an object’s spirit to emerge, because in reality our striving for formal cleanness lacks nothing – spirit, welcome, comfort and elegance. And we prefer that everything has a material presence. Matteo Thun always says, “You have to touch it with your eyes”. This is fundamental, because it’s the eye that first tells you if a sofa, for example, is comfortable. We also democratise spaces. Even the cabins are designed to complement the yacht’s style: the owner’s suite is larger than the other cabins, but it has the same identity, the same spirit, the same care. Everything is designed to measure, down to the smallest detail. Light is also extremely important for us – soft and suffuse, it generates a deep sense of relaxation. It’s our sense of welcome – hospitality is a field we often work in and it’s where we are at ease.

Everything is designed to measure down to even the smallest detail, with a stylistic coherence throughout the yacht that has democratised space. This is true in the cabins, too – although the owner’s cabin (above) is larger than the others, they have the same identity. The materials are all sustainable – the fabrics are by Dedar and Rubelli, the washbasins (left) are by Marmo design

The Shipyard

Federico Lantero Head of Product Design Azimut Yachts

Seadeck is the result of a careful study of an evolving market, so owners today are exposed to cultural developments and different lifestyles in various design fields - residential, automotive or accessories. The special trend I’m talking about is authenticity of experience, which always becomes more central. In the yachting sector it means thinking of yachts as a means to experience the sea in a direct, more genuine way. The Fun Island is one of the basic concepts in this project, and we sought to add the enjoyment of life in the family to this. Seadeck is a yacht that provides an experience of on-board life, encouraging relaxation and serenity. Mancini has

provided a complete interpretation of a mission that was perhaps more distant from his DNA, linked to a car design heritage that was all about speed. However, he succeeded in reflecting the philosophy of our yachts, surprising us positively with the Fun Island concept. Seadeck is full of challenges. One of these is giving new life to regenerated or recycled materials, transforming them into visually attractive elements. Everyone in the company felt involved in this challenge. Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez did exceptional work on the interior design: with just a few elements they created a super-relaxing interior and their Conscious Design blends perfectly with our philosophy. Seadeck 7 ushers in a new era for Azimut and the fourth level in our progress towards electrification and greener sailing. We’ve made the first, Zero Emission Hotel Mode, available for several years now, and we’ve received positive feedback from clients who can now spend eight consecutive hours moored in a bay in total silence, with generators turned off. The second level, currently available on Seadeck 6, is a boosted Hotel Mode with alternator. This makes it possible to sail with generator turned off, rendering consumption more efficient. The third level of electrification, suitable for larger yachts and installed on the first Azimut Grande 44M, is the Mild Hybrid Plus. This means you have two electric motors (not for propulsion) also capable of providing rapid charging for the batteries. In this way the time the yacht can spend with the generator off, at anchor or under way, is extended, for increased comfort and reduced consumption. The fourth level, the Full Hybrid System, the result of the partnership with Volvo Penta, has been given its international debut on the Seadeck 7, and now, together with the other solutions installed on board, it enables an aware owner to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% in an average year of use. At the moment it’s still a prototype installation, but Volvo Penta is to make it available on the market as a result of the development carried out during the collaboration.

The helm station of the Seadeck 7 features Volvo Penta’s revolutionary hybrid-electric “helm-to-propeller” package. This is the fourth level of Azimut’s progress towards electrification and greener sailing