Azimut Yachts for Sale

From charter desk to shipyard

Paolo Vitelli started Azimut in 1969 as a university student, renting out sailing yachts. According to BoatTEST, he was 20 and had funded it by selling a nightclub he owned with friends. Within three months he decided brokerage paid better, and he won the Italian sales concession for the Dutch builder Amerglass at the Genoa Boat Show. Azimut moved into a Turin headquarters in 1973.

The first boat under its own name was the AZ 43' Bali in 1975, built with Amerglass and designed by Bernard Olesinski and Terry Disdale. It was one of the largest fiberglass yachts of its day and ran twin 300 hp Volvo Pentas.

In 1985 Vitelli bought the Benetti shipyard in Viareggio, which had nearly gone under building the 86-meter Nabila for Adnan Khashoggi. That gave him Italian production, and the Azimut Benetti Group became the largest private builder of yachts and megayachts. Designer Stefano Righini is credited with features like frameless windows, covered flybridges and tender garages.

The Fly 53

The current Fly 53 is 55 feet 1 inch overall with a 16-foot-3 beam and weighs 63,714 pounds at full load. It carries 634 gallons of fuel and 156 of water. Exterior design is by Alberto Mancini. There's one engine package: twin Volvo Penta IPS 950 D11s at 725 hp each. Layout is three cabins and two heads for guests plus a crew cabin.

Azimut's Lloyd's Register-witnessed trial lists a 31 knot top speed and a 26 knot fast cruise at 7.8 liters per mile, for 279 nautical miles of range. YachtBuyer's test agreed: 31 knots top and 26 knots cruise, with range near 300 nm, and it called the 725 hp D11s a good match for the soft-riding hull. Voile & Moteur tested one in rough weather and reported it took a head sea at 12 to 13 knots without pounding and held over 25 knots in a following sea, helped by a gyro.

What they cost

Most Fly 53s for sale in late 2026 were 2022 to 2024 boats in Europe. Boats.com showed a 2024 in Split at €1,399,000 and 2024s in Cannes at €1,950,000. Boat24 had a 2023 with 186 engine hours in Split at €1,590,000. Older 53 Flys of the previous generation are far cheaper: a 2013 in Miami and a 2011 in Destin were listed around €568,000 and €538,000.

Buying checks for an Azimut

Know which 53 you're looking at. The name covers two generations. A 2011 and a 2023 boat share a length, not a hull or a price bracket.

Check VAT and tax status. Many listings are in Europe or the Gulf. Ask whether VAT is paid and what it will cost to import and document the boat in the US.

Service the IPS pods. Ask for Volvo Penta service records on the pods and joystick system, and have a Volvo-certified tech inspect them.

Ask about the gyro. Some boats have a Seakeeper and some don't. It makes a real difference at anchor, so price boats with and without one separately.