About two weeks ago, I attended the Azimut Ski Spree, a gathering of Azimut owners at Stratton Mountain in Vermont. That’s where I took the picture you see here. While the site of an Azimut 43S at the base of a snowy mountain is pretty unusual, it was a genius marketing move. Azimut and the Northeastern U.S.-based brokers for its U.S. dealer, MarineMax, performed research that showed not only do some of their clients enjoy skiing, but friends of theirs who also ski are interested in boating, and skiers in general tend to be interested in boating and other water pursuits.
One of the water pursuits that the owners and their friends in attendance learned about was the Azimut Charter Club. Established within the past few years in Europe, the Club is just coming to U.S. shores. It offers Azimut owners the chance to cruise aboard other Azimuts–usually choosing ones larger than they currently own, whether for pure fun or to more thoroughly evaluate a particular model if they’re interested in stepping up.
The Azimut Charter Club is open specifically to owners with yachts built within the last three years as well as Azimut charter guests who have booked at least one trip through the Club. To date, 10 yachts and megayachts are in the program, ranging to 116 feet, the largest size Azimut builds. Nicolas Valin, manager of Azimut Charter Club, tells me the 98 Leonardo has proven most popular.
All 10 yachts are in the Med, though with the Azimut Charter Club now hitting American shores, the Caribbean and Mexican Riviera will be added to the mix. And since some of the American owners who Valin has spoken with thus far are receptive to putting their yachts into charter and even chartering themselves, more boats will become available.
The Azimut Charter Club draws on the experience and expertise of the staff at Fraser Yachts, which is owned by Azimut’s parent company, Azimut-Benetti. The brokers assist the Club’s team with ensuring the yachts comply with all security and legal regulations, crew placement and withholding taxes (when applicable), and maintenance and other technical issues.
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