Who says expedition yachts have to be for expeditions? Azimut’s Magellano 74, which was launched late 2009, broke the mold on the mini explorer yacht, which typically was a displacement-style trawler or tug-style boat with a spartan interior and fairly rough living quarters. The Magellano, with a range of 1,100 miles at 12 knots, can also reach speeds up to 24 knots, thanks to its deep-V hull. But the boat was also designed for the comfort of its owners, with a gyroscopic stabilizer to limit rolling at anchor, a large master suite, and open salon. The interior is simple but elegant, with the use of dark woods, light-colored fabrics, and 360 degrees of natural light. It’s an interior that a couple could live in for weeks at a time on an extended cruises that would also make an excellent venue for a social gathering. Azimut believes in the Magellano so strongly that it sent noted marine explorer Dag Pike on a 1,000-mile shakedown cruise to prove the concept. Pike had the cruise of his life, and lived the life of Magellan in true luxury.
