I think it must be something in their water because only the Italians are able to create a design that looks Italian. Other designers can try to capture the so-called Euro-styling (which is really Ital-styling), but they always miss by a little. Whether it's a car, a yacht, or even such mundane devices as a motorscooter or a cappuccino machine, Italian designers sing an aria while other designers simply hum the tune.

The Azimut 65 is no exception to this rule and, in fact, the designer of this particular yacht is no less a name than Pininfarina, who is arguably the most famous Italian designer since Leonardo DaVinci. The result is a yacht that looks like it's going fast even at anchor, and there is a thoughtful continuity and flow to every line. It took the Pininfarina design studio nearly two years to create the sculptured lines for the 65 and, from the sweep of the sheer line to the aggressively raked windshield that blends into the flybridge with its sweptback electronics arch, the Azimut 65 fairly screams Italiano.

So let's cut to the chase here: what's an Italian boat doing on American shores? The answer lies in Don and Micki Benyas, a pair of boating enthusiasts from Michigan. As a businessman and entrepreneur, Don was no slouch, building an insurance business into an 800 employee operation over a quarter of a century. When he retired, he moved to Florida and, like many other corporate racehorses, he found that the pasture was boring him to death after years on the track. When he went looking for a boat, he simply couldn't find what he wanted until he happened upon an Azimut during a trip to Europe. The result was one of those moments of propinquity: Benyas reasoned that other boat buyers had the same requirements, so why not provide them with a solution.

But that's only the starting point for this story, because the Azimut line was built for a European audience, which has distinctly different tastes than the American market. Europeans, for example, are willing to put up with interiors that lend themselves to lots of people living in many small cabins, while Americans tend to carry fewer guests while demanding far greater privacy.

Europeans, and Italians in particular, are willing to put up with some inconvenience in return for a high level of style but Americans are used to products that not only work perfectly but are comfortable as well. You may look great in a Ferrari but they're often difficult to enter, which is one reason that you don't often see them in grocery store parking lots. Don Benyas is the first to agree, recalling that his first experience with Italian yachts showed him that the doors were often hard to open and the mechanical systems were, well, very Italian.

Coming to America

To bring the Azimut to an American audience, some changes had to be made, but Don Benyas had built his business by delivering what he promised, and he knew he could turn the Azimut into a yacht that had a flair not available from American builders at a level of quality that would satisfy Stateside buyers as well.

Azimut, of course, is no stranger to the world yacht market. Founded in 1969 by Dr. Paolo Vitelli, who actually started the company while still in college, Azimut initially imported a line of British motor cruisers to Italy. Seeing that his market was growing steadily, Vitelli then began building boats to fit that particular market and, after developing a concept for a yacht, he would have the design created and then subcontract the actual boatbuilding.

It wasn't long, however, before he had his own boatbuilding plant near Turin, turning out a line of 25- to 45-foot yachts. Every year, the Azimut line grew in size, and the company was soon a leader in the Italian marine industry. In 1985, Azimut acquired the century-old Benetti yacht building firm and overnight had the ability to build yachts to 100 feet in fiberglass, and to well over 200 feet in aluminum or steel.

In fact, Benetti had already built the 282-foot Nabila, at the time the largest private megayacht in the world, which was later acquired by Donald Trump before his fall from grace. Azimut was audacious, promising to build Christina Onassis a 105-foot yacht from bare fiberglass hull in just 100 days ... and meeting the deadline. Azimut was also competitive, and they built the Atlantic Challenger which would have set a new transatlantic record (and won the coveted Blue Riband for passenger vessels) if it weren't for a sudden mid-ocean storm that slowed the crossing. To qualify for the passenger-carrying status, the speedy Azimut, steered by Cesare Fiorio who heads up Lancia's racing program, carried a single passenger: Winthrop Rockefeller. But it was neither audacity nor speed that intrigued Don Benyas: it was the high level of quality in the semi-production fiberglass Azimuts.

He insisted on two areas of change for his American customers: layout and systems. As an example of the layout changes, Europeans want the galley out of sight, while Americans prefer the galley to be part of the living area since the cook is usually a family member rather than a hired hand. In the area of systems, Benyas eliminated any equipment that didn't have a network for parts and service already established nationwide. This meant that everything from generators to toilets either bore a Made in America label or had worldwide distribution. You may not be able to repair your Ferrari at any gas station, but the Azimut can find parts and service in every marina.

Speaking of Ferraris, the Pininfarina drawing boards have long been associated with Ferrari designs as well as Lancia and Alfa Romeo. The founder of the design firm, Pinin Farina, produced a number of lovely Ferraris dating from the 212s of the early 1950s to the Lusso and the desirable racing GTO as well as the still beautiful (and highly valued) GTBs. Pininfarina-bodied Ferraris have maintained both their beauty through the years, and the Azimut 65 is likely to be just as striking in 2015 as it is today.

Boarding the 65 is easy from either floating or permanent piers, since there is both a curved staircase from the swim platform (for floating docks or from the tender) and a built-in gangplank that extends hydraulically from a concealed locker. The cockpit floor is covered in natural teak, and it's a calloused visitor who doesn't give a sigh of pleasure on entering the main salon. Paneled in cherry wood that is buried under layers of glass-like varnish and accented with ultrasuede and soft leathers, there is no question that this is a yacht for those who want sheer luxury. Two settees curl along the each side of the salon, providing a comfortable area for entertaining or for curling up with a good book. Overhead, the fine woodwork mirrors the shape of each sofa, creating a theme of elegance and style.

Just forward is the galley area that, as previously mentioned, is open to the salon so the cook can be a part of the social gathering. Calling it a "country kitchen" seems a bit rough-hewn when you see the flawless workmanship of the granite counters and black lacquered cabinetry, but this galley is an area where friends and family will feel comfortable. Opposite is a dining area large enough to seat eight guests and, since it is near the lower helm, this is a fine place to lounge and watch the world go by while underway. The helm on our test boat is a realm unto itself, with an array of instruments suitable for the Concorde and an equally impressive collection of electronics that Benyas had added. The dash is burled cherry, with electrical panels overhead and to the right with illuminated push button switches for the electrical system.

In fair weather, the flybridge is reached via a curving staircase from the salon, and features spacious sun pads and lounge as well as a built-in barbecue and wet bar with ice maker and refrigerator. The upper helm is just as comprehensive as the lower station, both in electronics and instruments and, at the aft end of the flybridge, a boatdeck holds the 13-foot tender as well as a davit for launching it. Going down into the salon, the beautifully engineered flybridge door closes behind you with a satisfying thunk.

Most guests want to start with a tour of the master stateroom, which is located under the salon with a private stairwell to starboard. The walk-around queen-sized berth is in mid-cabin, with a desk of beautiful burled wood (including a built-in fax) and drawers to starboard, while the opposite side has a comfortable couch and built-in bureau. Three huge closets fill the entire aft bulkhead except for the central flush-mounted television and entertainment center. The master head is tiled in black onyx, with twins sinks in a marble countertop. A lucite enclosed shower has a curved door, and there is a separate Jacuzzi bathtub as well.

Forward, a VIP cabin gives nearly the same comforts as the master suite with a queen-sized berth, private head with shower, and plenty of drawers and lockers. A third guest cabin is tucked to starboard, with a pair of single berths and yet another private head with shower. A full-sized washer and dryer are tucked into a locker in the "lobby" area outside the guest and VIP cabins. There is also a captain's cabin with access only from the deck that is a self-contained area with berth and head.

Construction throughout the Azimut is high quality, with a solid fiberglass hull below the waterline and Divinycel foam coring above the waterline to provide extra strength and insulation at minimal weight. The hull carries a 10-year warranty against blistering, since only expensive Epacryn resins are used in the finish.

To give you an idea of the dedication of Azimut to achieving a flawless finish, there is a room at the factory dedicated just to the final finish of the furniture. To achieve the glossy layers, the air is completely filtered and seven layers of polyurethanes are applied and carefully hand-sanded.

Azimut used automotive technology to solve another design problem: windows. Yacht windows are normally installed using aluminum frames, which not only limit the shapes available but are bulky and graceless. Instead, Pininfarina designers drew freeform windows which used automotive methods to glue the window directly to the cabin, providing a waterproof and uncluttered look.

Not only is the 65 luxurious, but the performance is as potent as you'd expect from the Pininfarina/Azimut lineage. Our test boat had a pair of German MTU diesels that produce 1,150 horsepower each (standard power is a pair of MAN 820 horsepower diesels). With lumpy seas, ten people aboard and a half load of fuel (the tanks hold 1,100 gallons!), the Azimut 65 topped out at 31.9 mph and cruised effortlessly at 26-28 mph. When Benyas picked up this particular boat, he had to face 11' seas from Portofino to Rapallo but the boat shouldered the rough waves aside with no problems.

Azimut "floats" many of the floors using rubber mounts at any connection between hull and deck. Says Dr. Vitelli, "Quality of life is increasingly important, and nothing adds more to comfort underway than low noise and vibration levels." For just that reason, Azimut uses only German-made Schaffran propellers, developed for modern submarines where noise suppression is vital. Adding to the silence is a sophisticated underwater exhaust system and extensive insulation in and around the engine room. The ZF transmissions are V-drives, which allows the engines to be mounted near the stern to further reduce noise and vibration. For the mechanic, the engine room is a delight with standing headroom and diamond-plate flooring for full access around the engines. Our test boat carried a pair of 20KW Kohler generators to provide electrical power for the air conditioning, galley and other systems.

Only four of the 65s will be built each year, but the Azimut line ranges from a 36-footer up to the new queen of the company, a 118-foot Terry Disdale design. Benyas has just taken delivery of a new Azimut 56, and others are under construction.

For the Azimut 118, Disdale not only was able to add a third deck without compromising the clean lines, but his solution of a glass-enclosed "penthouse" on the upper deck can be used either as an ultra-luxurious master stateroom or as a skylounge for entertaining. The first Azimut 118, for a Venezuelan owner who previously owned both an Azimut 71 and 90, is finished in Italian burled walnut with marble inlays. Museum-like display cases house antique ship models to serve as dividers for the salon areas, and there are other special touches such as the lapis lazuli inset into the white tasso marble in the owner's bath.

For most buyers, the Azimut 65 will be more than enough since it can easily be handled by an owner and his wife (as demonstrated by Don and Micki Benyas), yet it has the luxury and accommodations of a larger craft. So what does all this cost? Don't ask the price in lira, because the zeros will scare you. Delivered and commissioned in American waters, with a full complement of equipment including electronics, the Azimut 65 is priced at between $1.8 and $2 million, depending upon the exchange rate and the options.

And while Don Benyas merely smiles at compliments about his yacht, Micki is upfront with her enthusiasm. "It's a dreamboat!" she says and I have to agree.