Azimut Grande 27M Review (2021 Edition) by Aquaholic

On Deck

The Azimut Grande 27M is a 2021 build at about 27 metres in length, roughly 88 feet, so it sits right on the cusp of superyacht territory. From the quayside you see a high volume profile with huge saloon windows and cutaway bulwarks that clear the view from inside. 

At the stern there is a roll over transom that forms the beach area. Steps drop straight down from the aft deck to the platform on both sides once the telescopic passerelle retracts, so guests and crew can move between quay, deck and water quite directly. Behind a neat screen panel in the transom sits the tender and toy garage. It takes a Williams 385 jet tender or a jet ski and a lot of gear. When you lift the screen you do not find the daughter’s boyfriend Gerald, only a jet ski and general kit, which suits most owners.

The aft cockpit is the first main external social zone. It has a proper dining area served directly from the galley and pantry through the side door off the main deck lobby. A drop down privacy screen sits at the aft end; when the boat lies stern to the quay that screen gives a little extra cover from prying eyes. This particular yacht also has a television fitted back here so you can sit on the cockpit seating and watch a game at anchor. An ice maker lives in the same zone, and the tour pauses long enough to admire the ice itself, because sometimes you just want to see what the machine actually produces. A docking station hides in a cockpit locker so the skipper can control the boat from the stern during tight manoeuvres, with side deck access from here as well.

Side decks run forward from the cockpit with tall guardrails. On the starboard side the main deck lobby has a powered side door. Press a green button and the door powers inwards, disappears into the bulkhead as a pocket door, then closes again with another push so the surface ends up flush with the superstructure. From the outside that panel looks like a fixed section of wall, a neat bit of engineering that kept the presenter happy.

Further forward on deck, the bulwarks cut away beside the saloon windows. When you stand here you look straight out to sea rather than at a wall of GRP, which gives guests in the saloon and on the side decks a much clearer view. The huge windscreens ahead carry sun covers during the show, which dull the view from the inside until you imagine them removed at sea.

Up at the bow there is a sociable lounge under a fabric bimini that sits on carbon fibre poles. On this wet boat show day the cushions stay under covers, and nobody complains. Anchor handling kit in polished stainless steel fills the forepeak, with neatly grouped ground tackle and small stainless guards that stop mooring lines from rubbing along the gelcoat when ropes lead forward and out.

Overhead, a hardtop crowns the flybridge. It carries radar, satellite domes, Starlink for data, and a searchlight. A remote control FLIR camera sits up there as well, ready for night work. An awning extends from the back of the hardtop to shade the aft flybridge deck when required.

On the flybridge itself, the size of the space reminds you that this is a junior league superyacht. A large grill unit forms part of an outdoor galley, described as the real deal for a serious burger session. There is a freezer on the deck, tucked away but present, plus more refrigeration and storage in the bar module. The bar has sculpted timber fronts and bar stools with shaped wooden bases, so guests sit with a drink under the hardtop while the boat runs. Screens enclose the flybridge but you can remove them and run open in fair weather, or leave them in place with the big opening section in the hardtop slid back for air.

You enter the main deck saloon through three glazed doors. All three panes slide and stack behind a single leaf, so in harbour on a good day the entire aft bulkhead disappears and the saloon opens straight onto the cockpit. On this wet Florida day the doors stay shut, which shows how the space feels when closed up with air conditioning on.

Inside, the owner has upgraded much of the original loose furniture. The standard pieces would have matched the fixed cabinetry, but the new set-up uses bespoke sofas and units that look sharper and also give more storage. The large sofas lift to reveal hidden spaces for stowing gear, which helps when you cruise with a full complement and a mass of bags and toys. A custom sideboard unit against one side adds even more cupboard space.

The saloon has massive floor to ceiling side windows that match the exterior cutaway bulwarks, so you sit with an uninterrupted view at seated eye level instead of looking at GRP. The Italian build quality shows in the detail. Lighting runs in layers across the ceiling and along the furniture; dark wood accents line up against pale panels; curved timber sweeps along the bulkheads. None of it feels flat, the curvature and contrast add interest without fuss. Cupboards and drawers line the sides, with dedicated stemware storage in one unit so glasses stand safe under way. A drop down television hides in the overhead and lowers at the touch of a button.

Forward of the seating you move into a lobby and dining zone. The formal dining table sits by the starboard side deck door, so crew can move between galley, side deck, cockpit and flybridge without tracking through the saloon. The glass door by the table forms the powered pocket door, which opens and closes with that neat party trick for guests.

Galley

The galley lies forward and to port, split into a service pantry and main cooking area. The first space functions as a pantry or day service zone. A wine cooler lives here, plus additional storage for crockery and dry goods behind pocket doors and in deep lockers. It also has a secondary cooker, handy for light meals or for crew overnight. Doors at both ends allow the chef or stewardess to close off the pantry and the main galley from the guest side if you want a more private feel in the saloon and dining area.

Forward again sits the main galley with serious hardware. One of the biggest upgrades on this yacht sits here: a bank of colossal refrigeration that the yard had to crane into place. Full height fridges and freezer drawers stack together to form a proper cold store, far beyond the standard fit. Below and alongside you find further freezer space. Twin sinks sit under a skylight which pulls natural light down into the working area. Dishwashers and cooking appliances line the lower units, with more lockers above.

Bridge

The raised internal bridge sits on a mid level, reached by a flight of steps from the main deck. It carries multi function displays across the dash, which in the tour show the boat’s operating system screens but can display radar, chartplotter and other navigation data as required. Engine controls, bow and stern thruster levers and a joystick sit to hand, together with the main wheel that the presenter grumbles about for sitting upside down. The bridge even has a sofa so off duty crew can rest while staying close to the action on passage, which in practice means more sets of eyes near the helm. A side door from here leads straight out to the flybridge helm, so the skipper can move quickly between closed bridge and open helm without detouring through guest spaces.

Owner's Cabin

This Azimut Grande 27M has its owner cabin on the main deck. A sliding door at lobby level closes the suite off from the traffic flow. Immediately inside, a wardrobe space holds an unusual extra: a domestic scale washer and dryer. Full professional laundry kit already sits down in the crew area, but the owner has specified this private pair so they can freshen clothes without sending them to the crew.

From the entrance you step down into the main cabin space. Large windows fill the hull sides, reaching high up so the owner can sit with a book beside the glass and look straight out at the water. Fabric blinds drop for shade, with blackout blinds tucked behind them for full darkness at night.

The design matches the rest of the boat yet has its own feel. Timber panels run across the ceiling and down the walls, with curves that blend into upholstered sections. Around the bedhead the wall uses a textured fabric that the presenter likens to a hessian finish. Bedside tables sit on each side with neat lights above that match the rest of the cabin’s gentle lighting scheme.

The bed itself hides one of the smartest bits of space creation on board. The whole bed base lifts and cantilevers to about forty five degrees to reveal a deep storage void. Steps lead down into that space, and the locker runs under the cabin floor and forward towards the bow. On a busy embarkation day when six guests arrive with large suitcases, you drop all of them down here and forget about them until disembarkation. It is not a locker for constant in and out use, but as a place to clear bulky luggage out of sight for the whole trip it works perfectly.

A television hides behind a mirror panel opposite the bed, so when it is off you just see a mirror and cabin styling, and when it is on it becomes a standard screen.

The en suite bathroom runs forward. Marble tops and shower surfaces stand out straight away. Storage fills the vanity and side cupboards, with towel lockers in use during the tour. A further pocket door slides across to separate the toilet section when needed, so someone can shower while another person uses the other half without fuss. The shower itself is large by any measure for this size of yacht, more walk in wet room than cramped cubicle.

Across from the bathroom door sits a dressing area with a walk in wardrobe. Drawers line the lower surfaces, hanging rails fill the upper side, and the whole wardrobe uses cedar linings rather than plain laminate. The point is simple and practical. Cedar discourages moths, so clothes stay safer for long periods aboard. Even under the wardrobe there are drawers for shoes and smaller items. Another pocket door allows you to close this dressing zone away from the main cabin if you wish.

Guest Accommodation

Taken together the lower deck carries two twin or double capable guest cabins and two VIP doubles, each with en suite, plus the main deck owner suite.

The lower deck guest area sits down a lit stairway from the main lobby. At the foot of the stairs you first find two guest cabins amidships. On one side there is a twin cabin with two single berths, a hull window, and its own en suite. The cabin has pale woods, mirrored panels and subtle indirect lighting, plus a television behind a mirror. Wardrobe space sits along one bulkhead, and the en suite hides behind the cabin door. The bathroom matches the style of the day heads and owner en suite in miniature, with a proper shower.

The opposite guest cabin started life as another twin. The current owner swapped that set-up for a double bed. That change suits couples or older children, and it shows how Azimut can tweak the layout during build. The rest of the cabin mirrors the first guest cabin with a hull window, wardrobe, en suite and integrated television.

Further aft on this deck the passage leads to two VIP cabins. They are essentially mirror images of each other and a size up from the twins. Each has a double berth with bedside tables and reading lights, hull windows with blinds, wardrobe space and a television built into a mirror panel. Light switches and air conditioning controls sit by the bed, so guests can adjust climate and lighting without getting up.

The VIP en suites are larger than in the smaller guest cabins. They have separate shower cubicles with proper glass doors and rainfall heads, plus the same marble and timber detailing as the owner bathroom. One of the lockers in this area serves as a housekeeping cupboard, somewhere to stash spare linen and cleaning gear near the guest spaces without encroaching on wardrobe volume.

The engine room sits ahead of the tender garage and beneath the aft deck. You can access it through the crew area, and there is another direct deck hatch that allows a quick step down, which doubles as an emergency exit or a fast route in for an engineer with tools. The engine space itself is well lit and you can walk right around the machinery, not just shuffle sideways along one narrow passage.

The yacht runs on a pair of MAN V12 diesel engines rated at 1,900 horsepower each. Flat out they push the Azimut Grande 27M to about 28 knots, which counts as lively performance for a 27 metre yacht in this class. In normal use the boat sits more often between about 18 and 24 knots, which gives a sweet spot for passage times and comfort. Drop speed back to about 10 knots and the boat will likely cover 700 to 800 miles on a fuel load, depending on sea state and how heavily you load the yacht. The presenter describes it as a proper sailing boat in the sense that it feels like a real passage maker at that point, even though it is, of course, a planing motor yacht rather than a sailing yacht.

The driveline uses V drives. Instead of sending the propeller shaft forward from the gearboxes, the engines drive aft. Power exits at the forward end of the engine, runs through the V drive gear case which reverses direction, then heads back towards the stern along the propeller shaft to exit the hull further aft. On a conventional straight shaft set-up the engines would sit further forward with the shaft line running directly aft. With V drives the engines move further back, above the shaft exit point, and that frees up central volume for accommodation. In practice it means this 27 metre yacht squeezes in a main deck owner cabin and generous guest spaces without stretching the hull.

Azimut backs its yachts with a builder warranty when new, typically three years on structural items, plus the MAN engine warranty and the standard coverage on generators, electronics and hotel systems. They deliver their yachts into a large global support network with authorised service centres across Europe, the US and key cruising regions, so owners are not left hunting for niche technicians when the boat moves between marinas. Azimut’s network is one of the stronger ones in the production superyacht world, and the brand has long been tied into good spare-parts supply and aftersales help, which matters once you are managing a boat of this size.

Value wise, the Grande 27M holds its place reasonably well on the brokerage market. It sits at a strong size point, offers a main deck owner suite, a proper crew layout and a walk-around engine room, and carries a recognisable big-boat profile without jumping into the cost spread of a 30 metre plus build. Upgrades such as the big cold store, the modified guest cabin layout and the powered side door can lift resale appeal if kept tidy.

Running an Azimut Grande 27M puts you squarely in the same league as boats like the Sirena 88 and the Sunseeker 90 Ocean Enclosed, which means costs and expectations sit firmly in superyacht territory.

Everywhere you look, the boat mixes style with practical touches. Powered pocket doors, suitcases hidden in the void under the owner bed, cedar linings, curved joinery, and that beach club transom all build a picture of a yacht that aims to be beautiful and usable in the same breath. Altogether this makes the Azimut Grande 27M a worthy step into the small-superyacht league.