Azimut|Benetti Group at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2013: a fleet of 21 yachts including a world premier, and new offerings for the USA. Benetti bolsters its sales and after-sales services for the Americas.
With the European boat show season barely over, the Azimut|Benetti Group is already flying to the other side of the ocean with important new offerings. Benetti’s Vision 145’ “Checkmate” will be making its world premier, while Azimut Yachts will be introducing the new Azimut 80 for the first time in the United States. The Group is also growing on an organizational level, with the naming ofEng. Fabrizio Scerch as the new Americas Country Manager for Benetti brand only, and significant changes in Benetti after-sales services. Avigliana, October 28th 2013. The Azimut|Benetti Group fleet will make a sizeable showing at the 54th edition of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, USA, scheduled for October 31 to November 4, 2013.
One of the most important international shows, it is traditionally considered a ‘testing ground’ for industry companies, even more reason for the Italian Group’s wholehearted participation; and, the Group has plenty of surprises in store for the US public. The majestic Benetti Vision 145’ “Checkmate” is making its world debut in Fort Lauderdale and will be one of the stars of the brand dedicated to super and mega yachts. 43.6 meters by 9.26 meters, the 18th model in the Vision collection and the top of the line of the Class Range, this yacht sports an elegant black and white two-tone color scheme. This is a reference to chess (one of the boat owners great passions), and a theme which recurs throughout the furnishing details. Timeless design, superior construction quality, attention to onboard safety and services: all this translates into a design concept that doesn’t skimp on relaxation areas, both inside and out. Among these are: the majestic main sundeck towards the stern designed to accept a solarium; a dining area; a barbecue area; and an open, circular lounge; and on the upper deck, an incredibly dramatic indoor/outdoor dining area with sliding doors. Checkmate’s four cabins can accommodate up to 10 guests plus one for the owner. There are also accommodations for 10 crew members in four cabins plus one for the captain. The overall exterior concept and design is by Stefano Righini, with the interior concept and design by Francoise Zuretti; the interior design, furnishing, and décor is by Joan Brown Interiors. The “very finest” materials have been used to create an ambiance which is at once austere and highly evocative, with combinations of Madrona Burl and Cherry woods, dark neoclassical carvings, and fine marble. Azimut Yachts will present the US public with one of the season’s greatest new offerings: the Azimut 80. This is a yacht which first caught the public’s eye at the European boat shows, and further confirmed its popularity by winning the prestigious 2013 World Yachts Trophy, for “the most functional yacht in the 24 to 50- meter category.” The new 24-meter yacht features a layout hinging on four different stylistic proposals, each one distinct in terms of its colors and furnishing: Portofino, Dolce Vita, Firenze, and Riviera.With 4 cabins and 5 bathrooms, it accommodates a total of 8/9 guests, together with 2 cabins for the crew and captain, and a 42 m2 flybridge designed for maximum flexibility of use. Among this impressive yacht’s key features are the two full-height windows in the dining area and the dramatic boatowner bathroom at full beam. The latter is located astern of the cabin and has two entrances, a Jacuzzi, central glass shower stall, and double sink in marble, making it practically a SPA. The flagship of the Azimut Yachts fleet is the Grande 100; its 31 meters encompass a distinctive character and dynamism all its own among the Azimut Yachts collection of planing yachts over 100 feet. Yet the news that will have people talking at Fort Lauderdale won’t just be about the “products”; most of all it will be about the Group’s development and reorganization strategy, underway for several months now under the guidance of Ferruccio Luppi, the recently appointed CEO of Azimut|Benetti Group. The Azimut|Benetti Group has always paid special attention to the USA which it considers to be a strategic and critical market. Today, this attention takes on a new form, specifically with regard to Benetti’s sales and after-sales areas. The goal is to reinforce broker network relationships and significantly bolster the after-sales and “Lifetime Customer Care” processes to better support the boatowner throughout the entire lifecycle of the yacht. The management of sales, marketing, and customer satisfaction processes has been entrusted to Fabrizio Scerch, who as of 1 September 2013 is the Americas Country Manager at Azimut|Benetti USA Inc.; Tommaso Bilotta and Alberto Perrone da Zara are respectively, the Americas Area Manager and Benetti Sales Director. There is a new operating area for after-sales services coordinated by Alessandro Gallifuoco as Quality and After Sales Manager which is staffed with 23 professionals. “We pay close attention to brand enthusiasts and boatowners in the USA and around the world,” says Francesco Ansalone, Marketing Director Azimut|Benetti Group. “Over the years this has led us to carry out significant improvements to our services and the quality of our customer support, ensuring a service network which is increasingly diffuse, dependable, and efficient. To accompany and support our clients with their Azimut or Benetti yacht at every point along the way is one of the cornerstones of our philosophy. We are completely committed to satisfying every need to ensure excellent and always accessible service. These are positive values and ones which are inherent to “Made in Italy” quality. Indeed, starting this fall we have launched a marketing campaign based on the simple and effective concept of “Being Italian”, an identity of which we are enormously proud.”
