AZIMUT VERVE 42
The newest Verve negotiates waterways at a breakneck pace, and looks good doing it.
There’s nothing subtle about the Azimut Verve 42. The baby sister of the enormously popular Verve 47, she made her international debut on the face dock of the Ft. Lauderdale boat show, surrounded by yachts three times her size. And to her credit, she more than held her own. Her lines do more than their fair share in that regard. The tip of the bow and the delicately cambered arch of her sheerline work in tandem to call to mind a finger pointing forward with exuberance. You can almost hear her designers in Viareggio shouting, Avanti!
And she is certainly forward-thinking in terms of her accouterments. Or as Federico Ferrante, president of Azimut-Benetti Americas, put it on our recent sea trial off Dania Beach, Florida: “We are now fully in the hands of technology.” He was referring to the boat being pinned into position by its Skyhook system, and pinned into a stable position by a Seakeeper. With no one at the wheel, we bobbed placidly on the surface of the water despite a ripping current, blustery winds and nasty, chopped up 3-footers with more blowing off the top. We were in good hands, even though no hands were involved.
Besides her lines, the other piece of the Verve that you can’t miss, both visually and audibly, are her powerplants. Triple 450hp Mercury Racing outboards sitting on her transom, which at speed ring out a fitting snarl.
And the engines aren’t all bark either. On the pins, the 42 skipped across the waves at an impressive 45 knots (not miles per hour). Please make note of that difference, because one is merely fast, while the other is flying.
At high speeds, those sitting in one of the three race-car-style helm seats would be wise to take in one of the boat’s coolest features: side windows in the gunwales that are even with the helm. One can look down and see the water blazing by, particles of foam sizzling like tracer rounds.
This boat is unapologetically built for speed. She’s 14 tons at full load and has a Michael Peters hull with a classic deep-V, twin steps and a central stern tunnel. Coupled with those powerful engines, her ride is what I’d call racy. She’s a sportboat through and through, and in a chop, the freewheeling nature of her ride might be a tad much for a jaunt out with the family. But on smoother waters, like Biscayne Bay for example, while hurtling toward some chic sandbar raft-up, I suspect everyone on board will be smiling ear to ear.
Because make no mistake, this boat was also built for a party. Her cockpit has two fold-out terraces that greatly enhance the deck space and subsequent entertainment possibilities. A large sunpad and U-shaped seating area in the bow make for both a private place to gather when docked stern-to and the best place to enjoy the high speeds the Verve is so capable of. A grill and fridge in the aft end of the console ably service an L-shaped table and convertible dining settee. Also, the boat is absolutely awash with cup holders, an acquiescence the Italian builder makes to the American market. After the drinks are healthily downed, a convertible V-berth in the forepeak of the cabin complements a queen-sized berth amidship, while a shower with 6 feet, 6 inches of headroom provides further opportunities to freshen up.
After all, stepping off a boat like this requires a certain amount of style. If you’re pulling up to the docks in what amounts to a go-fast boat dressed up in her finest Italian goods, you better make sure you’re suitably matched.