Azimut Reimagines the Fly 72 for Ferrari’s Hypersail Prototype

The collaboration between Azimut Yachts and Ferrari represents a rare convergence of Italian maritime and automotive mastery. When Ferrari set out to test its Hypersail prototype—a groundbreaking sailing system—the company turned to Azimut to create the perfect vessel for validation. The result is a Fly 72 that has been stripped, reimagined and calibrated with singular precision: to move through water at approximately 30 knots during the prototype's initial trial phases.

Engineering for a Specific Purpose

Every significant modification to this yacht flows from one objective. Six tonnes of weight has been removed through a disciplined programme of lightweighting—a reduction that touches every system without compromising seaworthiness or comfort. The engine configuration delivers 4,000 horsepower, matched precisely to the thrust requirement: not excess power for speed's sake, but the exact force needed to demonstrate Hypersail's capabilities during preliminary testing.

This is engineering at its most purposeful. No feature is decorative; every specification serves the mission. The onboard configuration itself has been fully customised to accommodate the Hypersail system and its monitoring apparatus, creating an environment where technology and nautical design coexist seamlessly.

A Platform for Innovation

The Azimut Fly 72 has established itself as a capable cruising platform since its introduction—a vessel known for its balance of performance, comfort and seagoing ability. This iteration neither dismisses nor merely extrapolates from that foundation. Instead, it serves as a floating laboratory, a proof-of-concept vessel where experimental automotive technology can be tested against the Atlantic's real conditions.

Ferrari's Hypersail represents a departure into marine propulsion concepts that challenge conventional sailing wisdom. For such ambition to succeed, it requires a partner capable of precision engineering and an understanding of how to integrate radical innovation into a yacht's existing architecture. Azimut has delivered exactly that: not a modified pleasure yacht, but a purposed instrument.

The Significance of Collaboration

This partnership signals confidence from both parties. Ferrari, celebrated for extreme automotive performance, recognises in Azimut a shipyard capable of executing complex technical demands. Azimut, in turn, demonstrates the breadth of its engineering capability: designing and building yachts is one challenge; re-engineering one around an entirely external innovation is another.

The result is a vessel that belongs neither wholly to the leisure market nor entirely to the experimental sphere. It occupies a space few yachts ever reach: the intersection of production excellence and cutting-edge research. In that liminal territory, luxury and innovation are no longer separate pursuits—they are one and the same.

As the Hypersail prototype begins its trials aboard this re-engineered Fly 72, every nautical mile travelled will be a validation of Azimut's craftsmanship and Ferrari's vision. The test phase is itself a luxury—the freedom to pursue innovation without compromise, supported by engineering of the highest order.

Key Facts

• Weight Reduction: Six tonnes lighter than standard Fly 72 configuration
• Power Output: 4,000 horsepower
• Target Trial Speed: Approximately 30 knots during Hypersail prototype testing
• Customisation: Fully customised onboard configuration and dedicated towing system
• Base Model: Azimut Fly 72
• Purpose: Test platform for Ferrari Hypersail prototype

The Simply Luxury View

This yacht represents a statement of intent from two of Italy's most celebrated makers. Rather than deploy an off-the-shelf platform, Ferrari and Azimut chose precision engineering tailored to an exact specification—a decision that speaks to the philosophy of both brands. For collectors and owners, it underscores how contemporary luxury yachting increasingly intersects with technological research and development.

The Fly 72 has undergone a transformation that is neither cosmetic nor arbitrary. Every kilogramme removed, every horsepower calibrated, every system reconfigured serves a demonstrable purpose. This is how luxury evolves in the 2020s: not through incremental refinement alone, but through bold collaborations that push the boundaries of what a yacht can be and do.

Official brand website: azimut.com

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Imagery courtesy of Azimut Yachts (@azimut_yachts).