It's the beginning of May and I'm in Viareggio at the Versilia Yachting Rendez-Vous, a small but exclusive boat show that takes place every year in this northern Italian coastal town. It rained last night and the carpet on which we walk to our test boat is dripping with moisture. The sun does the rest, it is incredibly humid. Arriving at the mooring, the golden hull of an Azimut Atlantis 51 shines out at me.
Atlantis is actually the sports division of Azimut, but there is also the S-Collection, which also focuses on a sporty character, but also on elegance. Azimut-Atlantis is now placing more emphasis on realising customer wishes, and in addition to the in-house design office, neo-designers Marco Biaggi and Filippo Salvetti have also been commissioned. The result is the new flagship Atlantis 51.
It also goes by the name Open, which is due to the hardtop with sliding roof and open cockpit. A glass partition that opens like sliding doors is currently being planned. Below deck, three cabins, two bathrooms and a galley with dinette promise living comfort for six people.
The exterior and interior workmanship is of a high standard. Safety is ensured by the fire extinguishing system, two manual bilge pumps and water alarm sensors in the fuel pre-filters. For a better grip, however, more handrails would be desirable. Remarkable: In an emergency, the boat can glide with one engine, so one tank of fuel is sufficient for 160 nm plus 15% reserve.
If you enter the Atlantis 51 from aft, the path leads via a retractable gangway to the cockpit, past a large stern sunbed. A wide gangway for this class of boat leads to the saloon, which is covered by a hardtop. Here you will find the seating area with an adjustable table on the port side and a sofa opposite, which is quite literally something to behold.
There is a large flat screen behind the backrest, and the seating area consists of two stools that can be easily pulled up to the table to increase the number of seats. The skipper can get fresh drinks from the cockpit galley, which is located directly behind the driving position. Opposite, you can make yourself comfortable on a small divan. The hardtop protects you from the sun, wind and rain, but still allows plenty of light in through the large windows.
A wide companionway provides access to the living area below. There you will be surprised by the galley and dinette that extend across the entire width of the boat. From here you can access the forward cabin. The amount of space is astonishingly lavish with plenty of light. The reason: this is the owner's cabin, which of course also has a large bathroom with a separate shower cubicle.
The two other cabins behind the galley and dinette also have access to a day bath and are equipped with extremely high-quality and finely crafted materials. The cabin to starboard has two single berths that can be pushed together to form a large queen-size berth. The third cabin opposite is equipped with two bunk berths with a view of a flat screen at the foot end.
Overall, the amount of space below deck on the Atlantis 51 can be described as opulent, putting it at the top of its class. Absolutely successful designer collaboration, chapeau!
The engine compartment access, on the other hand, is a design sacrifice in favour of the large tender garage, as it is located on deck in the cockpit floor. The access is so narrow that it is difficult to get down to the engines. Once you're down there, it's a tight squeeze, but it's enough for daily checks and servicing.
Two Volvo Penta diesels with IPS drives provide the propulsion. IPS also means that there is always a joystick with which the boat can be driven and manoeuvred anywhere at slow speed. This makes mooring and casting off manoeuvres easier in particular. However, IPS also means that nothing spectacular happens during the journey if you provoke extreme manoeuvres.
Turn diameters are dependent on revs and speed - if you want to take tight turns, you have to ease off the throttle. In addition, the bow lifts upwards while travelling, which sometimes impairs visibility. On the test boat, however, this is prevented by a fine automatic trim system, which ensures the correct trim angle and the best foresight.
However, the automatic trim also influences speed and consumption, which is why I first measure with and then again without. The difference is noticeable from 1600 rpm, the start of the boat's glide, and is absolutely marginal. While the shipyard postulates 27 kn as a cruising speed, I find that 1800 rpm or 14 kn can be used as a consumption-optimised speed.
And the difference between sailing with and without auto trim is 16 nm in range, which is 216 to 200 nm plus 15 % reserve. Our requirements are therefore not met.
Due to the lack of rough water, this chapter remains unanswered. At least the Atlantis 51 makes a good impression when travelling through its own waves. When cornering over port, an open sunroof provides better side visibility; when closed, it becomes a blind flight, which is almost normal for boats with a deep V-hull and hardtop. However, there is no feeling of insecurity and the handling characteristics can be described as safe and family-friendly.
The equipment of the driver's cab leaves nothing to be desired, electronics dominate, an analogue compass is available and the seating is comfortable.
Only the pushbutton panel under the steering wheel for ignition and start should be moved to a different place, as the buttons can be pressed unintentionally with the knee - which also happened during the test.
CONCLUSION
The Atlantis 51 has class. Apart from the engine compartment access, it is a very successful boat with plenty of space on and below deck. Safe handling characteristics round off the picture. Fuelling stations should be stored in advance if you are travelling long distances.
You can read this test in the January issue 2019 from BOOTE.
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