AZIMUT SEADECK 9: AN OPEN ARCHITECTURE FOR LIFE AT SEA
With its expansive terraces, aft pool and technology designed to reduce consumption and noise at anchor, the new Azimut Seadeck 9 approaches yacht design through a different measure: not simply how much space can be created, but how naturally that space can connect people with the sea.
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The latest addition to Azimut’s Seadeck Series, the Seadeck 9 represents the largest model in the range and extends the series’ focus on openness, outdoor living and lower-emission cruising. Measuring 25.60 metres overall, the yacht is conceived around a continuous relationship between its exterior decks, interior spaces and surrounding landscape.
Its defining feature is found at the stern. What began in the smaller Seadeck models as the Fun Island has developed here into a 60-square-metre, three-level arrangement of terraces. The architecture draws guests towards the water rather than simply presenting the sea as a view, with the aft deck incorporating a pool, sliding sunbeds and a large platform that lowers towards the water.
The arrangement is particularly significant because of the way it changes the conventional relationship between yacht and sea. Twin staircases rise from the stern towards the Main Deck, creating a sequence reminiscent of a Mediterranean villa, while the lateral wings extend the usable outdoor area. A hammock and movable sunbeds contribute to an informal atmosphere, and the central pool can be covered when the deck is needed for other activities.
At the centre of this composition is the seven-square-metre transformer platform. It creates a direct connection with the water for swimming and water sports, while the surrounding amphitheatre-shaped seating is arranged towards the horizon. The result is an outdoor space intended to accommodate different rhythms throughout the day, from swimming and lounging to dining and socialising.
The exterior design is by Alberto Mancini, whose approach emphasises continuity between the yacht’s different levels. The profile remains deliberately clean, with the anchor concealed within the forward design and the stern shaped around both aerodynamic considerations and the demands of outdoor living. At the rear, a full-width light bar sits beneath the upswept tail, while a perforated section assists with extracting heat from the exhaust area.
Inside, the same principle of continuity continues across the Main Deck. Full-height glazing and a disappearing glass door allow the interior saloon to open directly towards the aft terraces. Rather than treating indoor and outdoor areas as separate destinations, the architecture makes the transition between them deliberately subtle.
The interiors were created by Matteo Thun & Antonio Rodriguez, whose work for the Seadeck 9 follows a philosophy centred on wellbeing, longevity and an attentive use of materials. A Bonacina bamboo chair at the entrance introduces a natural texture, while the available interior palettes use either light walnut or pale oak to establish different interpretations of warmth and brightness.
The interior language is restrained without becoming austere. The designers use a combination of material richness and visual subtraction, with 3D-printed elements appearing throughout the yacht. Perforated details reference the cooling vents found on the exterior, while the slim centre console incorporates components derived from the Valhalla and is angled towards the driver.
The lower deck continues this emphasis on considered living. The Master Cabin is designed as a private retreat with an atmosphere inspired by contemporary eco-resorts. Integrated washbasins become part of the cabin’s visual composition, while a writing desk built into the bookcase gives the space a residential quality. A VIP cabin and two further guest cabins complete the accommodation, with crew circulation arranged separately to maintain privacy.
The Seadeck 9’s relationship with nature is not limited to its architecture. It belongs to Azimut’s Low Emission Yacht family and uses a hull developed specifically for the Seadeck Series. The design is intended to achieve efficient planing at comparatively low speeds, widening the range in which the yacht can operate efficiently.
Carbon fibre accounts for around 40 per cent of the yacht’s construction, reducing weight, while propulsion comes from a triple Volvo Penta IPS installation, with the option of IPS 1350 engines. The official specification lists a maximum speed of up to 30 knots, with four or five cabins and two crew cabins depending on configuration.
Azimut states that the combination of its hull design, carbon-fibre construction and triple IPS propulsion can reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 30 per cent over an average year of use compared with vessels of similar size using a traditional hull and shaft-line propulsion. The Seadeck Series itself has emerged from more than two decades of research, including work with recycled and recyclable materials.
One of the yacht’s more distinctive technological features is Hotel Mode. Supported by a dedicated 60 kWh lithium battery, the system allows the yacht to operate at anchor with its generators switched off. Azimut states that Hotel Mode can provide up to four hours of daytime autonomy and eight hours at night while maintaining systems including air conditioning, stabilisers, selected galley functions, electrical sockets and entertainment equipment. The battery can be fully recharged in approximately five hours from shore power or four hours using the generator.
The Seadeck 9 therefore approaches efficiency as part of the onboard experience rather than as a separate technical consideration. Reduced noise at anchor, lower emissions and the ability to remain comfortable without running generators all influence how the yacht can be occupied. The emphasis is less on technology as spectacle and more on what that technology permits: quieter evenings, closer contact with the water and a more unobtrusive presence at sea.
The yacht’s origins are closely tied to Azimut’s manufacturing base in Avigliana, in northern Italy. Azimut was founded in 1969 by Paolo Vitelli, initially as a sailing-yacht chartering business. The company began developing yachts under its own name in the 1970s, launching the AZ 43’ Bali in 1975 before expanding into increasingly ambitious motor-yacht projects. Its acquisition of the Benetti shipyard in 1985 laid the foundations for the Azimut|Benetti Group.
That heritage remains closely connected to Avigliana. The company describes the location as the place where its vision for modern yachting developed, and a €50 million investment programme has expanded and modernised the site. The Seadeck 9 is the largest yacht built there to date, with the redevelopment enabling production of yachts reaching 27 metres.
Azimut’s wider range now spans yachts from 12 to 38 metres across the Atlantis, Flybridge, Grande, Magellano, Verve and S Series, supported by an international dealer and service network. Its current official network lists operations and shipyards across Italy, as well as international offices and facilities including Fort Lauderdale, Shanghai and Itajaí.
The Seadeck 9 sits naturally within that history while also suggesting where yacht design is heading: towards spaces that feel less enclosed, technology that operates more quietly and architecture that treats the natural environment as part of the experience rather than a backdrop.
Its most compelling quality may ultimately be spatial rather than numerical. Across its terraces, pool, saloon and cabins, the Seadeck 9 is designed around a simple proposition: that life aboard should not require withdrawing from the sea. Instead, the yacht becomes a framework for remaining close to it — allowing light, water, air and time to shape the experience as much as the architecture itself.