Azimut Grande 27 Metri Review, Specs and Buyer's Guide

Where the 27 Metri fits in the Azimut Grande range

Azimut Grande is the Italian builder's line of large planing and semi-displacement yachts, and in 2026 it runs from the Grande 26M through the 27M, 30M and 36M to the Grande Trideck and the 44M flagship. The Grande 27 Metri is the model that changed the series. When it debuted at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September 2017 it replaced the Azimut 88, a conventional flybridge, with a raised pilothouse design and a full-beam owner's stateroom on the main deck.

That change of format is why the 27 Metri matters to buyers. Moving the helm up into a raised pilothouse frees the forward main deck for the owner, so the master gets picture windows on both sides and its own space away from the guest cabins. Azimut describes it as the first of its kind in the range to combine the raised pilothouse with a main deck owner's suite and four guest cabins below. The idea clearly landed: the first ten hulls sold before the debut.

Stefano Righini outside, Achille Salvagni inside

Longtime Azimut stylist Stefano Righini drew the exterior with an increasingly sharp, muscular look: a snub-nosed bow, squared-off stems and full-height hull windows that rise into the superstructure. The forward seating and sun pad are tiered, almost terraced, which is only possible because the bow flare creates the room. Aft, the garage door folds down to create a teak beach, and Azimut describes the transom as one that transforms into a terrace at anchor.

Inside, Rome based architect Achille Salvagni set the tone. His style relies on fluid lines and large radii, curved bulkheads that frame the sea, and a mix of matte walnut, high-gloss mahogany, whitened oak soles, lacquer, leather and brushed bronze. Salvagni's studio also drew much of the free-standing furniture and several lamps exclusively for Azimut owners. Yachting's tester summed the interior up in one word: calm.

The main deck master and the double helix stair

Forward of the open salon and dining area, two mirrored doors split the main deck. To port is a long pantry and galley; to starboard is a lobby with the day head, the stairs and the door to the owner's stateroom. The master sits three steps down from the lobby with near floor to ceiling glass on both sides, broken only by a horizontal frame at the rubbing strake line.

Stairs to the lower deck spiral down in a double helix that turns right and then left, an art deco touch that reviewers single out. Below, owners choose three or four staterooms. On the four cabin plan, two doubles amidships have inboard-facing berths and two twin cabins forward have the outer berth angled 15 to 20 degrees, which makes them feel less like bunk rooms. Choosing three cabins converts one twin into a VIP suite.

Crew quarters aft are minimal by American standards. Azimut's standard plan has two cabins for three crew, and Yachting noted crew layouts for three or four with one or two heads, plus direct access to the engine room. Headroom in the machinery space is reduced to allow a taller garage above, something to note if your engineer is tall.

• Full-beam owner's stateroom on the main deck
• Three or four guest cabins below, all en suite
• Two crew cabins for three crew aft
• Raised pilothouse with pilot berth sofa and excellent visibility

Carbon, MAN V12s and a 28 knot top end

Azimut's Carbon Tech approach puts carbon fiber in the upper structure, lightening those laminates by up to 30 percent and, by the builder's figures, reducing roll moment by up to 15 percent. The weight saved high up is what lets the 27 Metri carry a tall raised pilothouse and flybridge without becoming tender. The hull itself is a resin infused deep-V from Pierluigi Ausonio, with 16.8 degrees of deadrise amidships and 13.6 degrees at the transom.

Power is a pair of 1,900 hp MAN V12 diesels driving through 3 to 1 V-drives and five-blade propellers. On test at half load, with the engines at their maximum of 2,355 rpm, Yachting recorded an average top speed of 28 knots over reciprocal runs, impressive for a yacht that displaces about 93 metric tons at full load. Azimut quotes a cruise of up to 24 knots.

Yachting's figures, which hold back a 10 percent reserve from the 2,510-gallon tankage, give at least 1,000 nautical miles at about 10 knots, at least 700 nautical miles at 12 knots and around 340 nautical miles at a maximum continuous cruise of about 24 knots. That works out to roughly 160 gallons per hour at 24 knots. Humphree interceptors manage running trim automatically, and current boats use Stabilis Electra fins and Dualis Electra thrusters.

Crew requirements and charter appeal

The Grande 27 Metri is designed for a captain plus two crew. In practice a private program runs with a captain, a mate who handles engineering and deck work, and a stewardess who cooks or a chef who also serves. Owner-operators with big boat experience can run it with one professional aboard, but at 88 feet and 93 tons a qualified captain is the norm and most insurers expect one.

On the charter market, 26 to 28 meter Italian flybridge and raised pilothouse yachts generally earn about $55,000 to $85,000 per week plus expenses in the Mediterranean and the Bahamas. The main deck master is a strong selling point for charter clients because it gives the principal guest privacy. The limited crew space caps service levels, though, so this is best positioned as a family charter yacht rather than a full luxury service boat.

• Crew: 3 is standard, 2 is the practical minimum
• Crew salaries: roughly $250,000 to $350,000 per year
• Estimated charter rate: $55,000 to $85,000 per week plus expenses
• CE Category A and NMMA certification

Running costs at 10 percent of value

The superyacht rule of about 10 percent of value per year fits this boat closely. For a 27 Metri valued around $7 million, plan on $600,000 to $950,000 a year including crew, insurance, dockage, fuel, maintenance and a refit reserve. Salaries are the single largest item, followed by maintenance on the MANs, generators, stabilizers and hydraulics, then insurance at roughly 1 to 1.5 percent of hull value.

Owners who cruise hard at 24 knots will see fuel climb fast. Running at 10 to 12 knots for most passages, and saving speed for weather windows, changes the fuel line dramatically.

Prices across the Azimut Grande range

Buyers comparing the Grande family should understand how steeply prices climb. A new Grande 27 Metri typically lands around $9.5 million to $11.5 million in 2026, while used examples from 2017 onward ask about $4.6 million to $9 million. The Grande 35 Metri, at 114 feet 10 inches with twin 2,400 hp MTUs, a 26 knot top end and 21 knot cruise, roughly doubles that budget. The Azimut Grande 44M flagship is a different league again, with new prices that typically run well beyond $30 million.

For most first time big yacht owners the 27 Metri is the sweet spot of the range. It is large enough for a main deck master and genuine guest space, yet small enough to run with three crew and to fit in a far wider choice of marinas than the 30 meter and larger Grandes.