The new Sportfly version of the S6 is making some serious waves.
As part of the company’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Azimut Benetti was given leave to turn downtown New York City into a boat showroom, for a few days at least, and took the opportunity to mount an S6 Sportfly on a pedestal, right underneath the Wicked billboard.
Like all Azimut’s S-boats (except the 94-foot S10) the S6 Sportfly has a triple installation: three IPS700s, producing 1,650-hp. The idea behind using three short engines rather than two long ones is primarily to maximize hull volume; shorter engines need a shorter engine room. Fortunately, counter-intuitive as it sounds, three IPS700s are not just shorter than two IPS1050s producing the same horsepower, but also slightly lighter and more frugal.
Triple engine installation allows for a comfortable L-shaped seating plan around the folding table, and although this does slightly compromise access to the starboard side deck, there is a cunning cut-out in the seat back that makes it straightforward to clamber through.
A three-cabin, two-head layout down below is dominated by the midships master suite, with its offset double berth, a breakfast dinette along the port side, generous head and shower compartment, and those dramatic hull windows. It’s spacious and luxurious. By contrast the VIP up in the bows feels rather small, although in fact it’s perfectly comfortable and quite well-off for stowage space. The third cabin is a twin-berth on the starboard side.
The interior of the S6 Sportfly was designed by Francesco Guida, who is better known for his pioneering work at Arcadia Yachts. With enormous windows on either side as well as overhead, the deck salon is exposed to light, with muted veneers and pale upholstery given a bit of an edge by contrasting areas of darker leather. Externally, Azimut gave the gig to the redoubtable Stefano Righini, whose bold shapes have become such a signature of the shipyard’s output.
Azimut S6 Sportfly
Specifications:
LOA: 59’1”
Beam: 15’7”
Draft: 5’3”
Displ: 65,036 lbs. Fuel: 686 gal.
Water: 155 gal.
Cruise speed: 30 knots
Top speed: 35 knots
Standard power: 3/550-hp Volvo Penta IPS700
Price: Approx. $2 million
