Azimut 103S Review, the Waterjet S-Range Flagship

Azimut 103, the jet-driven flagship of the red-hulled S range

Every Azimut 103 is a 103S. There was no other Azimut by that number, and the S tells you it belongs to the sport range with its Bordeaux-red hull sides, shark-fin superstructure windows and rows of square hull windows. Power & Motoryacht reported that it replaced the 86S as the line's flagship and was the first S yacht with a flybridge, and that it made its debut at the 2007 Dubai International Boat Show with the Burj Al Arab in the background.

YachtBuyer dates the 103S from 2006 to 2013 and counts just 11 built, and lists a win in the World Superyacht Awards 2008 for the best semi-displacement or planing yacht between 30 and 39 meters. At 30.91 meters (101 feet 5 inches) with a 4-foot 5-inch draft, it is a big, fast yacht that can still reach shallow anchorages, thanks largely to its unusual drive system.

Two MTU V16s, two KaMeWa waterjets and four interceptors

Instead of propellers, the 103S uses two Rolls-Royce KaMeWa waterjets, each driven through a clutch by a 2,434 hp MTU 16V 2000 M93 diesel. Azimut said the yacht was designed to the High Speed Craft Code, which sets construction and material standards for the power installed. Trim is handled by four interceptors rather than conventional tabs. Power & Motoryacht relayed Azimut's estimate of a 39 mph top speed, and Yachting's Dag Pike saw up to 34 knots in light conditions.

Pike's overriding impression was the complete lack of vibration from the propulsion, a dramatic contrast to propellers, along with noise levels so low that the dressing area separating the master suite from the engine room was hardly needed. The full bow lifts at speed to present a fine entry that cuts cleanly through waves. YachtBuyer lists 3,263 gallons of fuel and 660 gallons of water.

• Twin MTU 16V 2000 M93, 2,434 hp each
• Rolls-Royce KaMeWa waterjets with dedicated controls
• Quadruple interceptors for trim
• Up to 34 knots observed in light conditions

Two-handed docking and half a turn lock to lock

Waterjets change how a yacht is driven. On the 103S each engine has a combined throttle and bucket control that can be operated independently, so close-quarters maneuvering is a two-handed job, with the controls on either side of the lower helm seat. At speed, both engines can be run from a single lever. The steering is extremely quick, with little more than half a turn of the wheel from lock to lock, which gives the yacht a sport-boat feel but takes time to get used to.

Pike called it an unconventional arrangement that works very well once learned. For a buyer, the implication is crew: an experienced jet-drive captain, or a captain willing to train on the boat, matters more on a 103S than on a propeller-driven yacht of similar size.

Crew routes, two galleys and a private owner's kitchen

Azimut designed the 103S around privacy. The crew quarters have external access from the port side deck, and a separate stairway from the cockpit lets crew reach the upper deck and pilothouse without walking through guest areas. There are two galleys: a crew galley on the lower deck and an owner's galley on an intermediate level between the main and lower decks with its own entrance. Power & Motoryacht noted that the full-beam master suite had a private galley designed by Boffi.

The standard plan has the full-beam master, a forward VIP and two further cabins with single berths, each with an en suite head, for eight guests. Pike described the master's lounge to port and desk to starboard under the large hull windows, and a VIP with an angled bed that makes the forward cabin feel square. Crew accommodation is forward of the engine room.

A power sunroof, a foredeck lounge and the first flybridge on an S

Huge side windows, a big windshield and a power sunroof flood the main deck with light. In the standard layout, a glass-top dining table for eight sits just aft of the lower helm, which has three leather-wrapped seats with an adjustable center seat for the skipper. Large doors open the saloon fully to the cockpit, where the flybridge overhang shades seating and dining for eight.

Up top, the flybridge has sunpads, chaise lounges, a bar and barbecue, and a second helm with forward-facing guest seats so passengers can enjoy the ride in the open air. Forward, a C-shaped settee with ottomans and a two-person sunpad sit in a protected well. Aft, the tender garage takes an 18-foot tender and a personal watercraft, with an integral launch system and a large swim platform.

The Mumbai test boat and how far owners customized the 103S

The yacht Yachting tested was built for an owner in Mumbai and differed from the standard boat in several ways. With warm weather guaranteed for much of the season, the owner prioritized open-air living, with a large retractable sunroof over the saloon, a bar counter just inside the saloon doors and a cockpit dotted with settees and tables. Below, one of the twin cabins was replaced by a lower saloon that also served as a foyer.

That level of customization is typical of a yacht built in such small numbers. When you look at a 103S for sale, do not assume the brochure layout; ask for the general arrangement of that specific hull and check that any changes were properly engineered and documented.

Owning a waterjet yacht, what to inspect and budget

Waterjets bring shallow draft, low vibration and excellent high-speed control, but they need specialist attention. On a survey, have the KaMeWa units inspected by a qualified technician, including impellers, wear rings, intake grids, steering and reversing bucket hydraulics, and the dedicated control system. Check the clutches between engines and jets, and review MTU overhaul records for both engines.

Expect annual running costs in the region of $700,000 to $1.2 million for crew, insurance, dockage and maintenance before fuel and depreciation, with waterjet and engine work adding to that in overhaul years. KaMeWa jets are widely used on commercial fast craft, and that is where much of the service expertise sits, so line up a qualified provider before you buy.

Azimut 103S for sale, 11 built and a thin market

YachtBuyer shows four of the 11 boats listed over the past three years and one on the market now, a 2010 yacht asking about $3.19 million. Recorded sales range from about $2 million for a 2008 boat in early 2026 to about $2.8 million for 2007 and 2010 boats. In practice, plan on $2 million to $3.3 million, and expect to search internationally, since none was listed in the US when we checked.