Azimut Grande 30M Wins Fort Lauderdale Best of Show Award

An award during the American debut

Azimut's Grande 30M received the 2026 Best of Show Award in the superyachts over 60 feet category at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, where the model was making its American debut. The Italian builder confirmed the result on 30 October, during the exhibition that ran from 28 October to 1 November. The award is an assessment by the show programme, not an independent sea trial or a measurement of sales, but it gives the new model added visibility in an important North American market.

The recognition brings attention to a particular balance the Grande 30M is designed to strike: the volume and entertaining spaces associated with a larger superyacht, inside a length that remains below 30 metres overall. Azimut describes a 28.69-metre yacht with five guest cabins and accommodation for three crew cabins, arranged around generous indoor-outdoor areas. In the context of a busy show, the prize gives potential owners a reason to inspect how those spaces actually work when the yacht is used, rather than judging solely from its silhouette.

A 28.69-metre platform with a broad beam

Azimut's published principal dimensions are 28.69 metres in overall length, a maximum beam of 7.3 metres and a full-load draft of 2.02 metres. The quoted displacement at full load is 120.5 tonnes. These are the builder's specifications, which owners and captains should compare with the final vessel documents and berth requirements before making operational decisions. The beam is particularly relevant to the layout: it creates opportunities for full-width gathering spaces while also making marina suitability a question to resolve early.

The accommodation plan is for five guest cabins with ten guest berths, plus three crew cabins and five crew berths. Azimut lists six guest head compartments and two for crew. Such separation matters on a yacht intended for extended private use because crew circulation, laundry, provisioning and guest privacy compete for space. The Grande 30M is not simply an enlarged sports cruiser; its proportions invite buyers to assess the service arrangements and onboard routines more commonly considered on considerably bigger yachts.

What the award-winning design sets out to achieve

Alberto Mancini is credited with the exterior design, with interiors by m2atelier and the hull developed by P.L. Ausonio Naval Architecture and Azimut's research and development department. The principal outdoor idea is continuity. Azimut's Deck2Deck terrace creates an adaptable area at the stern, while the Infinity Skydeck is configured as a walkaround upper deck, connecting spaces that are sometimes divided into separate seating or circulation zones.

An upper-deck Glass House, with large glazed areas, is designed to connect the protected lounge with the surrounding views. Inside, m2atelier's approach uses sculptural furniture and restrained architectural lines instead of relying on decorative complexity. The promise is a yacht that can switch between sociable open-air use and enclosed comfort without forcing guests through narrow transitions. How well this works in practice will depend on the selected options, furniture arrangements and onboard operating habits; the show's award does not eliminate the value of an owner-led walkthrough.

Carbon construction and a D2P hull

Beyond the hospitality areas, Azimut identifies carbon-fibre components in the upper structure, combined with glass-reinforced plastic construction. Its Carbon Tech approach is intended to reduce high-level structural weight and maintain a lower centre of gravity even with expanded superstructure volume. The builder describes up to a 30% reduction in the weight of selected laminated elements, rather than claiming the entire yacht is 30% lighter. That distinction is important when interpreting technical marketing claims.

The hull uses Azimut's D2P, or Displacement-to-Planing, concept. According to the builder, the hull form and composite construction can reduce fuel consumption and associated carbon dioxide emissions by 20% to 30% compared with vessels of equivalent size and weight using a traditional chine hull. This is a manufacturer-stated comparative estimate, not a certified emissions result for a particular voyage. Real fuel use will depend on speed, loading, weather, sea state, hull condition and route.

Twin mtu power with pod propulsion

The Grande 30M is specified with two 1,800-horsepower mtu engines paired with pod propulsion. Azimut quotes a maximum speed of up to 25 knots and cruising speed of up to 20 knots under its stated performance conditions. The builder also credits the propulsion arrangement with improvements in efficiency and manoeuvrability relative to conventional shaft drives. For prospective owners, these claims should be assessed against the operating profile they actually plan, including slower passages and time spent at anchor.

Fuel capacity is listed at 12,000 litres and freshwater capacity at 2,100 litres. These figures describe onboard storage; they do not establish a reliable cruising range without a speed-specific fuel-burn curve and reserves. A realistic passage plan also needs allowance for generator use, weather, contingency fuel and the captain's safety margins. RINA Class Pleasure is the certification cited in the technical summary. Buyers should seek the final class and flag documentation and a sea trial before relying on published performance figures.

Why Fort Lauderdale matters for Azimut

Azimut has used major American boat shows to establish its models with owners, brokers and marine professionals, and the Grande 30M's American debut gave the brand an opportunity to present the yacht directly to that audience. The show award was presented in collaboration with Fox Sports and singled out innovation among displayed vessels. Azimut Benetti Americas president Federico Ferrante also connected the occasion with the company's history in the United States, recalling the group's introduction of a large fibreglass yacht in Miami in 1982.

The immediate consequence is recognition, not a confirmed order book or delivery forecast. There is no basis in the award announcement for inferring how many Grande 30M units were sold during the show. For the wider superyacht market, the design is nevertheless an example of how sub-30-metre projects are borrowing ideas from larger vessels: upper-deck transparency, wide-beam guest spaces, more flexible stern areas and propulsion-efficiency claims. The next meaningful tests will be ownership experience, detailed measured performance and how the layout performs over a full season.