Azimut Verve 40 with triple outboards is a game changer

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

According to Azimut, 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.

The Verve 40 is the first entry from Azimut in the outboard-powered sporty dayboats and weekender category. We have seen this new genre of powerboat from Scandinavian and North American yards, but now the Italian luxury marques are embracing outboard power, too.

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, there are the advantages of lower maintenance, reduced draft for better shallow-water access, and very impressive speed.

Azimut talks of a 44 knot top end and 37 knot cruise with its stylish Verve 40 and 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 knots from an IPS pod-driven boat. The hull is a moderate vee design with 15 degrees of deadrise.

The key deck features include an open 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 wing swim platform.

There’s a hardtop for sun protection, but an otherwise open sports helm with triple seats and a 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 an 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.

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 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.