A custom Fly 72 supports the Ferrari test programme
The partnership extends beyond branding. Azimut says its Technical Department has developed a custom Fly 72 x Ferrari Hypersail support yacht to assist the offshore project during its initial flight-testing programme and later test campaigns. The yacht will be used as a tow and support platform, giving the Ferrari team a stable, fast and comparatively spacious base from which to coordinate activity on the water.
For Luxury Yacht Guide readers, the choice of the Fly 72 is notable because the model sits comfortably within the sub-24-metre sector while offering the deck space, speed and systems capacity needed for specialist support work. It demonstrates how a mainstream luxury flybridge platform can be adapted for a technically demanding role without moving into superyacht territory.
Livorno becomes a shared operational base
Ferrari Hypersail’s operational base has been established at Azimut’s Livorno shipyard. That arrangement gives the project access to waterside infrastructure as well as Azimut’s engineering and production expertise, creating a practical link between the two Italian companies rather than a purely promotional relationship.
The partnership also places Azimut engineers close to the prototype-development programme. Offshore testing can demand rapid changes to equipment, logistics and support procedures, so having the yacht builder’s technical team nearby should make it easier to adapt the Fly 72 support platform as testing progresses.
The collaboration centres on applied marine technology
Azimut presents the partnership as an extension of its long-term investment in research and development. The builder maintains a dedicated R&D operation and has increasingly used lightweight structures, efficiency measures and alternative propulsion concepts across its yacht range.
Ferrari Hypersail brings a very different technical challenge, focused on high-performance offshore sailing and flight above the water on foils. The two programmes do not share the same end use, but they overlap in areas such as hydrodynamics, weight management, onboard systems, energy use and the practical demands of testing advanced marine technology at sea.
The Fly 72 gains an unusual second role
The production Fly 72 is normally positioned as a luxury cruising yacht, with a flybridge layout, multiple guest areas and accommodation for extended private use. In the Hypersail programme it becomes something different: a working support yacht expected to combine towing capability, crew coordination and rapid movement between test areas.
That dual use makes the partnership relevant beyond the immediate Ferrari project. It shows how adaptable a modern sub-24-metre yacht can be when builders treat the platform as an engineering base rather than only a finished leisure product. Azimut’s involvement begins with the current test programme, but the technical lessons may also influence future thinking around systems integration and yacht development.
Official sources: azimutyachts.com.
