It is nearly eight years since Azimut came out wit the first of these triple-engined beasts, the 55S in 2012, but I can still remember my amazement when I raised the hatch and caught sight of thos three IPS600s lined up across the engineroom.
The first point to ponder was how they managed to fit them all in. There barely seemed to be a cigarette paper’s width between them and virtually zero clearance overhead. The next question was why. It seemed impossible that thre small diesel engines and their pod drives could not only be lighter but also more fuel efficient than two big ones producing the same power. But so it was.
With the new S6, a stretched development of its original S model, Azimut has revisited the triple-engine concept but somehow managed to install the next size up, in a hull only 2in wider. If that seems a bold decision, it is one that Volvo probably helped to make: IPS600s are no longer available.
The three IPS700s, displacing 7.7 litres apiece compared with the IPS600s’ 5.5 litres, look like they must have been assembled in situ. There’s hardly any air down there, let alone room to move around. The centre unit nestles in the vee of the hull with just a couple of inches between it and the tender well.
To compare these 550hp motors with an equivalent pair of 800hp IPS1050s is to discover that in terms of weight and efficiency, the case for the three versus two is no longer quite so compelling as it was with the 55S. They are still superior in power-to-weight, though not by much. And they’re slightly thirstier. But such engineering considerations were never the whole story.
Which is, of course, that shorter engines need a shorter engineroom. And that means more space in the hull for cabins and bathrooms.
SPACE RACE
Denne historien er fra June 2020-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 2020-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Lofoten or Bust- Part 4- Grandezza owner Per Harrtoft heads back to Sweden after an epic 3500nm adventure deep into the Arctic Circle to visit the mythical Lofoten islands
After ten memorable days in the Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway, we are on our way back south towards Sweden. We have already made it as far as Trondheim, a charming place even if it was raining so hard we had to cycle round the city centre clutching umbrellas. But now we are back on board Deamare, our Grandezza 40 Fly, eating up the miles at a steady 31 knots.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YACHT TRANSPORT
As the name suggests it's a means of having your boat moved professionally from one location to another. It might be as simple as hiring someone to tow your RIB a few miles down the road or as complex as shipping a superyacht halfway around the world.
HANDLE A SINGLE SHAFTDRIVE BOAT PART 1
Single shaftdrive boats are relatively rare these days but the reduced costs of buying, servicing and fuelling such a simple but reliable drivetrain does mean they are making a bit of a comeback.
COCKWELLS MOTOR LAUNCH
There can be very few boats that have appeared three times at the Southampton Boat Show and been sold off the stand each time.
INSTALLING AN AUTOPILOT
Rick Channon makes solo boating simple with a Raymarine Evolution Autopilot
GOOD AS NEW
Why fit a brand new engine when Volvo Penta's remanufacturing service can rebuild you an old one to the same standard for a fraction of the price?
BENETEAU SWIFT TRAWLER 54
Alex Smith heads to France's Beneteau HQ for a UK exclusive on what might just be the best Swift Trawler yet
ΧΟ EXPLR 44
Can XO's all-new aluminium flagship really make it big in the Med?
BUYING OUR FIRST CLASSIC
Instead of whiling away their retirement playing bowls, Rob and Shona Adams decided to invest their time and money in a classic Silver gentleman's yacht. Would the gamble pay off?
PRINCESS S65
Torn between the V and F Class flagships? The new S65 might be the boat you've been waiting for...