Golden year

Azimut Benetti celebrate its fiftieth anniversary by reporting solid growth.

11 September 2019

The Azimut-Benetti Group celebrated reaching 50 years of age in style at a gala event at the famous Eilenroc Villa with over 500 people, including at least 250 clients participating. The event went on long into the evening and included a bespoke fashion show by Giorgio Armani.

Azimut Benetti Group reported that the company closed the 2018/19 fiscal year with value of production standing at €900 million, up about 10% on last year. Furthermore, 260 units have been delivered.

Breaking down total sales, the leading market is the United States, where Azimut Yachts is one of the top-selling brand in the segment over 40 feet^[1]. Taken as a whole, the Americas represent 50% of the total, followed by Europe (29%), the Middle East and Africa (14%), and Asia Pacific with 7%.

This year too, superyachts have played a central role in Group performance, with total sales of 51 units breaking down 35 Azimut Yachts and 16 Benetti.

The superyacht segment has grown faster than the average in the pleasure boat market (+15% vs 10%, according to the latest Deloitte Boating Market Monitor).

At the Cannes Yachting Festival, Azimut Yachts launched the new Grande collection flagship S10, representing the brand’s 50 years in business. Making their debut alongside the S10 are S8 and 78 Fly, while Verve 47 will be visiting the Miami Boat Show in February 2020, and the new Grande Magellano 25 is planned for launch next spring in the Art Yacht Project version by Vincenzo de Cotiis.

The brand is already hard at work on the development of its new generation flagships. Due out next season are a 38-metre Trideck, the largest yacht ever built by Azimut Yachts, of which three units have already been sold off-plan, followed by a 30-metre Magellano collection flagship.

Turning to Benetti, the Group’s Fiftieth Anniversary year saw the launch of three superyachts in the space of just 100 days, with the flagship 108 metres yacht delivered last July and two more awaiting delivery.

Benetti too, which has sold a full 10 yachts in the last 60 days alone, is gearing up to extend its range, adding not only new models but new product families too. The Class line will have a new flagship in 2020, the new Diamond 145, as well as being joined by the new Oasis line. Three units have already been sold of the first 40-metre model in the line, which will be available next year.

After two years of project analysis with the B.Yond project, a line of Smart Travellers that are ideal for long cruises, Benetti rediscovers the appeal and luxury of the 1960s and yachts built from steel, reinventing a product category of timeless yachts that will stay up-to-date for their entire lifetimes. The collection will be made up of three models (30, 37 and 44 metres) with the 37-metre yacht planned for launch in 2021.

In order to implement this ambitious program, the Group expects to invest €115 million over the next three years to develop new products and upgrade production capacity.

The company has reported that the R&D office is at present focused on developing an agreement with one of the major international player of the electronic industry to produce an innovative hybrid system for the Group’s brands.

“This wonderful year has made me both happy and proud, as well as keeping us busy on so many fronts: new collaborations, new products, the Giga Season, our Azimut S6 at Times Square, and so many moments with our customers all around the world, who have testified to their confidence and esteem,” said Giovanna Vitelli, Azimut Benetti Group Vice President.

She continued, “Today more than ever, I am grateful to my father for having imprinted on this company the distinctive features that make it unique in the yacht industry: stability, reliability, quality and continuity. With the collaboration of a competent and capable management team, we are looking forward to a new season, confident that our business model will continue to bring rewards.”

azimutbenetti.it

dalboramarine.com.au

^[1] Source: United States Coast Guard new boat registrations database