Azimut Atlantis 43, the 140-Hull Sterndrive Hit Reviewed

The Azimut Atlantis 43 in one paragraph

The Azimut Atlantis 43 is a traditional open sportscruiser: no aft doors, a saloon below decks between two en suite cabins, and a pair of 400 hp Volvo Penta D6 diesels on sterndrives. Azimut premiered it at Boot Dusseldorf in January 2015, positioned in the middle of an Atlantis range that then ran from 34 to 58 feet, and it went on to become the best seller of the modern Atlantis era. Azimut says more than 140 hulls were delivered in four years before the Atlantis 45 replaced it in 2019.

That popularity is the first thing a buyer should understand. It means there is a real used market, plenty of comparable sales to argue price with, and a known list of quirks.

The 45-foot gap it filled

MBY framed the launch well: by 2015 the British yards built either 40 or 48 footers, Sealine's S450 was an acquired taste and Sessa had dropped its C43. A premium 45-foot open boat with Italian finish had very little direct competition, and the 43 landed squarely in that space.

It also marked the point where Azimut put its own name on the Atlantis badge. MBY noted that the range's credibility rose sharply once the boats carried the Azimut name, and Power and Motoryacht's tester stressed that the 43 was not a stripped-down version of the bigger Azimuts. The stitching, the gauge of the stainless and the soft-close drawers all say the same thing.

A cockpit built for Italian summers

The 43's deck is its centerpiece. Aft, a wide sun pad with an adjustable backrest sits over a garage for a tender of about 6 feet 9 inches (2.2 meters) with a dedicated outboard bracket, and the optional hydraulic platform will launch something larger. Lift the sun pad cushions and you find molded bins for lines and fenders.

To starboard a U-shaped settee wraps a teak and stainless table that Power and Motoryacht says seats up to seven. The port wet bar splits into a grill unit and a top-loading cooler. Forward to port is the clever bit: a raised bench whose two-piece cushion flips to make either a forward-facing seat for two or a full-length chaise, and whose height creates headroom in the guest cabin below.

An electric fabric sunroof closes over the helm in under a minute, and an opening side window helps ventilation. The trade-off for all that deck width is narrow side decks, though handholds are well placed.

• Four lounging zones: bow pad, aft pad, helm-side chaise and the dinette
• Liferaft stowage built into the dinette base
• Two-person helm seat with flip-up bolster and a teak footplate for standing
• Single-pane windshield with no center mullion

Two cabins below, and the better one is amidships

Below, long hull windows and a broad skylight make the saloon bright, with a galley that MBY called larger than usual for the class and a full-height fridge-freezer. The forward master has a berth 6 feet 6 inches long and close to 5 feet wide for half its length, two hanging lockers and a lifting berth base.

Most testers preferred the midships guest cabin. Its twin berths slide together into a double, it has its own head and separate shower, sitting headroom over the berths, and a unit at the foot that can take a cushion to become a third berth. Power and Motoryacht measured about 6 feet 3 inches of headroom below and 6 feet 10 inches under the hardtop.

One small irritation MBY found: the mid cabin's power sockets sit on the wrong side of the berths, so phone cables cross the pillows.

What the D6-400s deliver

Power came from one package only, twin Volvo Penta D6-400s on DPH Duoprop drives. Power and Motoryacht's US test with full fuel and water saw 35.0 knots at 3,560 rpm burning 42.3 gph. The useful cruise band runs from about 2,700 rpm (23 knots, 22.4 gph) to 3,100 rpm (29 knots, 29 gph, roughly 213 nm of range). MBY, in calm Mediterranean water, saw a whisker under 37 knots.

The hull is a variable-deadrise V with 15 degrees at the transom. In stacked 4 to 5 foot seas that reminded him of his old Long Island Sound home waters, Power and Motoryacht's tester held plane at 14 knots and stayed dry with the sea slightly off the bow. MBY found the grip from the DPH drives limitless in full-lock turns, with light and perfectly weighted steering and no need for trim tabs in calm water.

The engine room is the weak point

Every review agrees on one flaw: access. Daily checks go through a hatch in the cockpit sole into a tight space where you cannot get over the engines or easily reach the outboard side of the starboard D6. For serious work the entire tender garage floor comes out, which gives good access to both engines and drives but turns a routine job into a half-day.

In practice that means a survey should include a hard look at the outboard side of the starboard engine, where neglected leaks and corrosion hide, and owners should budget for a technician's time rather than parts on every service.

Running costs and the used market

At a 29-knot cruise the pair burns about 29 gph, so a 75-hour season uses roughly 2,000 gallons. Add sterndrive service every season, D6 maintenance, bottom paint, insurance and a 45-foot slip, and a realistic US budget is $26,000 to $50,000 a year before depreciation.

Used 43s typically ask $280,000 to $460,000. Boats with the comfort pack (hydraulic platform and more), generator and air conditioning, a well documented drive history and good gelcoat command the top of the range. Because roughly 140 were built, take your time: there is usually a better one coming.

Search terms such as "2016 azimut atlantis 43" or "2018 azimut 43 atlantis" all point at the same boat; there were no significant model-year changes, so judge each one on condition and equipment rather than year.

Predecessor and successor

The 43 effectively replaced the Atlantis 44 of 2010, a slightly lighter open boat on D6-370 or D6-400 sterndrives with its owner's cabin amidships. In 2019 Azimut replaced the 43 with the Atlantis 45, keeping the two-cabin concept but moving to Volvo IPS pods, a flush main deck and the vertical bow of the Atlantis 51. Buyers who want joystick docking should look at the 45; buyers who love sterndrive handling and a lower entry price should stay with the 43.