A production flybridge becomes a specialist test platform
The starting point is Azimut's Fly 72, a 22.69-metre flybridge model normally offered as a four-cabin cruising yacht. For the Ferrari Hypersail programme, Azimut's R&D and technical teams have converted that platform into a dedicated high-speed tow boat rather than simply fitting extra towing hardware to a standard production yacht.
The conversion reflects a very different operating brief from leisure cruising. Ferrari's prototype initially needs to be accelerated without its mast and sails, so the support yacht must deliver sustained pulling force, precise control and enough speed to help the foiling craft transition onto its foils in a repeatable test environment.
Six tonnes removed and power raised to 4,000hp
Azimut says the project removed roughly six tonnes from the Fly 72 through an extensive weight-saving programme that uses carbon fibre and other structural changes. The objective was to improve the power-to-weight ratio while preserving the strength and control needed for towing loads at speed.
The modified propulsion package develops 4,000 metric horsepower, substantially more than the standard Fly 72 installation. A dedicated tow post and supporting engineering were added for the Ferrari programme, creating a boat intended to pull the prototype to around 30 knots during its early foiling development runs.
Ferrari Hypersail gains an on-water engineering partner
The boat forms part of a wider technical partnership announced in Genoa on 1 October 2026, with Azimut becoming Technical Partner and Official Yachting Partner of Ferrari Hypersail. The arrangement extends beyond supplying a support craft, because Azimut is contributing engineering expertise and facilities to the sailing project's development programme.
Ferrari Hypersail's operations base has also moved into Azimut premises in Livorno, placing the sailing team close to the yacht builder's technical resources. That proximity should make rapid changes easier during sea trials, where tow speed, structural loading and launch behaviour can require repeated adjustments between test sessions.
Why the project matters inside the LYG market
At 22.69 metres, the Fly 72 sits inside Luxury Yacht Guide's 12.00-to-23.99-metre coverage and shows how a premium production yacht platform can be adapted for a specialist technical role. The underlying model already uses carbon fibre in its superstructure, giving Azimut a useful basis for further weight reduction and performance-focused modification.
For the wider luxury-yacht market, the project is notable because it transfers racing and foiling development demands into a familiar owner-yacht size class. The finished tow boat is not a production derivative for sale, but the engineering work demonstrates how lightweight construction, power density and integrated control can be pushed far beyond a model's normal leisure brief.
Official sources: pressmare.it; azimutyachts.com.
