Azimut Verve 40 is a game changer with triple outboards

In case you needed reminding that outboard power is transforming the sportsboat market, Italian luxury motoryacht manufacturer Azimut has just released and unleashed a triple 350hp Mercury Verado-powered Verve 40 that is a real game changer.

According to the big Italian luxury motoryacht yard, the Verve 40 is more sophisticated than a walkaround, more stylish than a centre console, and more spacious, safe and sturdy than a day cruiser. We think the lines, a collaboration between Neo Design and Azimut's in-house team, look pretty cool, too.

Adding impetus to the genre, the Verve 40 is the first entry from Azimut in the outboard-powered sporty dayboats and weekender category. A predecessor to this new model was released back in 2013 and designed for the American market. This new rendition was set to launch at the 2016 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show opening November 3.

We have seen these larger outboard powerboats from Scandinavian and North American yards for sometime, but now the Italian luxury marques are embracing the power shift and doing it in a smarter and more inclusive way.

Essentially a walkaround with a step-down cabin, the Verve 40 ticks the boxes that are being demanded by today’s time-poor boaters seeking a quick just-add-water fix. With triple 350hp Mercury Verado outboards, you gain the advantages of lower maintenance, reduced draft for better shallow-water access, and very impressive speed compared with inboard power.

Azimut talks of a 44 knot top end and 37 knot cruise with its stylish Verve 40 with triple 350hp Verados, which is considerably more than the mid-30 knot top speed we might expect with inboards and, for that matter, the typical 30-35 knots from an IPS pod-driven boat. The hull is a moderate vee design with 15 degrees of deadrise and what looks like a deep forefoot.

The key deck features include an accessible bow with sunpad and inbuilt lounge, wide walkaround side decks, simple open cockpit, with direct access to the water at the transom and via a revolutionary fold-down side wing swim platform to port.

There’s a hardtop for sun protection, but an otherwise open sports helm with triple seats and a sporty dash replete with Mercury’s Smartcraft digital boat-management system, which includes such things as fly-by-wire throttle and shift, digital engine and systems' monitoring, Skyhook GPS ‘anchor’ and a Joystick for piloting and parking.

Down below, you score full headroom in a large forward cabin with sleeping for two on an island double berth, plus two more when you convert the dinette opposite the galley. The separate head with shower compartment is positioned near the companionway. Think fast dayboat, overnighter and weekender rather than plodding cruiser.

Reflecting the market trend away from inboard power and lots of accommodation, the new outboard Verve 40 is designed to offer more fun, functionality, performance and practicality in today’s fast changing sportsboat market. Definitely a game changer for Azimut and another entry in the growing outboard market.

At-a-Glance: Azimut 40 Verve
LOA: 12.97m
Beam: 3.84m
Draft: 0.97m
Fuel: 1300lt
Water: 250lt
Sleeping: 2+2
Engines: 3 x 350hp Mercury Verado
Maximum Speed: 44 knots
Cruise Speed: 37 knots
Details: Azimut Yachts, see www.azimutyachts.com and importer 5 Star Motor Cruisers.