Azimut 44 Atlantis Buyer's Guide and History

What people mean by "Azimut 44"

Search for "azimut 44" and you will usually land on this boat, the Atlantis 44, an open hardtop cruiser launched in autumn 2010 by the Atlantis division of the Azimut-Benetti Group. When it was new it wore the Atlantis badge on its own; Azimut began putting its name on the Atlantis line a few years later, which is why brokers now list the same boat as an Azimut Atlantis 44, an Atlantis 44 or simply an Azimut 44.

Two other boats can muddy the search. The Azimut Grande 44M is a 44-meter (roughly 144-foot) superyacht at the opposite end of the range, and the Atlantis 43 of 2015 is the boat that took over this slot in the lineup. Neither shares a single spec with the 44, so check the hull identification number and the builder plate before comparing prices.

From Gobbi to Neo Design

Atlantis grew out of Gobbi, the family-run sport cruiser yard in Piacenza province that Paolo Vitelli's Azimut-Benetti absorbed in the early 2000s. Under Carla Demaria the yard was rebranded as Atlantis, and its first boats (a 42, a 47 and the glass-domed 55) leaned on Stefano Righini and Carlo Galeazzi styling.

The 44 belongs to the next chapter. Barche reports that Atlantis handed Milan studio Neo Design, the young pairing of Filippo Salvetti and Marco Biaggi, a complete renewal of the range starting with the 48, followed by the 44, then the 38, the 58 and finally the 34. Atlantis CEO Luca Sburlati said the 44 and 48 were both presented in autumn 2010, with the 38 and 58 following at Cannes and Genoa in 2011.

So the 44 is one of the two boats that set the template for every Atlantis since: high topsides, a trapezoidal hull window, a light but aggressive hardtop, and an open deck that blurs inside and outside.

An open boat with a roof, not a coupe

Barche called the 44 a pure open. The hardtop wraps only the forward part of the cockpit and is open at the back and the sides, so with the electrically operated sliding roof pulled back the whole deck lives outdoors. That is very different from the enclosed coupe cruisers that took over this size bracket later in the decade.

The cockpit is simply furnished: a long sofa around a dinette table, a bar unit with grill, a sun pad aft and a second sun pad next to the ergonomic helm console. A third pad sits on the foredeck, reached by side decks that Barche found fairly wide and comfortable. The sole is teak.

• Standard: electric hardtop roof, 3.5 kW Mase generator, trim tab indicator, VHF with DSC, combi microwave and grill
• Options: 6 hp bow thruster, 7 kW Kohler generator, hidden hydraulic telescopic passerelle, Raymarine E120W plotter, autopilot, teak side decks, closing aft cockpit cover, gloss cherry interior

The owner sleeps amidships

Below decks the layout is the opposite of the later Atlantis 43. On the 44 the owner's double is a full-beam cabin amidships under the cockpit, and the guest double is in the bow. Each has its own head, which is unusual for a 44-foot open boat of that era and a big plus for two couples.

Between them is a saloon with a dinette that converts to a double, taking the sleeping count to six, and a compact but well equipped galley on the port side. Barche noted generous use of wood throughout, paired with white in the heads. Buyers coming from a single-cabin 38 will find the 44 a real step up in privacy.

Sea trial numbers from Savona

Barche tested the 44 off Savona with four people aboard, about 300 liters of fuel and 200 liters of water. With twin Volvo Penta D6-370s on sterndrives and stainless counter-rotating G3 props, the boat climbed onto plane in about seven seconds at 2,500 rpm and reached its top speed of more than 33 knots in 21 seconds. At a 3,000 rpm cruise the pair burned about 110 liters per hour (roughly 29 gph), good for more than 250 nautical miles.

Handling impressed. The testers carved tight repeated turns to build up a confused sea and found the boat stable on course and level, landing without violent slams even when it left the water. Noise never exceeded 83 dB(A) on their meter.

For the 2012 season Atlantis added twin D6-400s, and the yard said that version passes 36 knots while cruising at lower rpm for better economy. If you want the boat to feel quick with a full load and air conditioning running, that is the engine to look for.

Light hull, lighter bills

Barche lists the 44 at 9,240 kg (about 20,400 lb), a light figure for a 44-foot diesel cruiser, helped by vacuum-infused construction. That lightness is what lets 740 hp feel lively, and it also keeps fuel bills down compared with heavier coupe rivals.

A realistic US budget runs about $22,000 to $42,000 a year once you add slip, insurance, haul-out and bottom paint, annual sterndrive service and D6 maintenance. The 238-gallon tank is modest, so plan longer runs around fuel stops.

Finding a good one

The 44 was a short-lived model. It was built from 2010 and had gone by the time the Atlantis 43 arrived in January 2015. That means a small used pool, mostly in Italy, France, Croatia and Greece. Expect asking prices between about $170,000 and $290,000, with the 400 hp boats and fully air-conditioned examples at the top.

Because there is no large US owner base, insist on a survey by someone who knows Volvo D6 sterndrive installations and confirm that the boat's VAT status and CE paperwork are in order before you buy abroad.