Bill Dixon’s name is certainly familiar to anyone who follows the megayacht market, particularly sailing craft. Performance Yachts may not be so familiar, but if you do a little research, you’ll soon find that “Performance” is the operative word. Not only are all of its models designed by Dixon and his team, but its first delivery, a 65-footer, won the 2002 ARC race.
To further expand its reach into the megayacht market, Performance Yachts has teamed with Azzura Marine to build its new 125- and 115-foot models, with the 125 (above) serving as the flagship.
Adrian Nicolle, Performance Yachts’ founder, says he selected Azzura Marine because it shares his philosophy of employing advanced lightweight construction materials and methods. Azzura’s founder, Iain Murray AM, is a four-time America’s Cup helmsman, an Olympian, and a 10-time World Champion sailor, so it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about getting the most out of a boat. Based in Australia, Azzura builds both sail and power yachts and employs composites.
Both the PY-115 and PY-125, as they’re being called, will have low-profile deckhouses and uncluttered facades, thanks to semirecessed headsail furlers, roll over cleats, deck-recessed genoa tracks, and concealed hatch hinges. But the 125 particularly stands out because of a lifting keel option, similar to one found on the Performance Yachts 100 model. The keel is unusual but reportedly quite effective, reducing draft from 5.25 meters (17’2”) to 3.75 meters (12’3”) when it’s up and having no impact on interior accommodations, including three guest staterooms and a full-beam owner’s suite, plus three cabins for the captain and crew.
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