You do not forget a yacht the color of a private atoll. Axioma’s turquoise hull still catches light like a lens flare as she leaves port, and the news is simple enough: the 72-meter, first-of-its-kind build from Dunya Yachts has cut its asking price to €55 million. Listed with Richard Higgins at Northrop & Johnson, this is not a discount on the idea of yachting. It is a sharpened price on a specific experience that helped define today’s big-boat charter playbook.
Designed by Sterling Scott with interiors by the late Alberto Pinto, Axioma was conceived around guests rather than gadgetry. Step into the double-height main salon and the effect is architectural, not ornamental. An open mezzanine frames floor-to-ceiling glass so daylight falls in soft layers, the sea reading as a moving mural. Underfoot, the teak has the warm grain of a well-made club, while above, sightlines are uncluttered and serene.
The layout stays human at scale. Six staterooms for 12 guests sit on the main deck or higher, so no one sleeps below the waterline. The upper-deck owner’s suite has wraparound glazing, a circular skylight and a private terrace where the breeze slides in quietly through the doors. A full-beam VIP forward on the main deck gives a second couple genuine privacy. The atmosphere is not shouty luxury. It is modern comfort, clear eyes and good light.
Axioma’s amenities are the sort that turn a week at sea into a rhythm. There is an eight-seat cinema where the sound softens to a hush when the doors close. A wellness area carries a massage room and a steam room that looks outward so the mist hangs against a horizon line. Outside, a main-deck infinity pool bleeds into the view, a bridge-deck Jacuzzi adds a swim-up bar, and the sunpads upstairs take heat with an even, forgiving warmth. You can hear the small, constant sounds of water meeting water. That is the point.
The engineering brief is steady rather than showy. A steel hull and zero-speed stabilizers are built for comfort at anchor. She cruises at 14 knots and can run to 17, with an ocean-crossing range beyond 5,000 nautical miles at 12. An elevator serves every guest deck, which is thoughtful for multi-generational trips and simply civilized for everyone. A crew of 20 supports the service that serious charterers expect.
Crucially, the yacht is not trading on past glories. Axioma completed a major refit at MB92 La Ciotat across 2024 and 2025, a program that went past cosmetics. The hull and superstructure were fully repainted. Engines, stabilizers and generators were overhauled. HVAC and electrical systems were renewed. Earlier updates in 2020 refreshed tenders, decking and toys. The sensory difference is immediate. Fresh paint has a certain crispness in the sunshine. Machinery that has been properly gone through sounds like a promise rather than a question.
So what does the new price say? At €55 million, Axioma sits in the space where top-flight refit meets patience for a new build. Delivery slots for custom projects stretch into years, costs are not forgiving, and interior design at this level requires discipline and time. A turn-key, charter-proven vessel with a recognizable profile and current shipyard work behind her offers a different kind of value. It is less about novelty and more about certainty.
There is also a cultural note here. Yachting’s center of gravity has shifted toward experience over specification. Axioma’s influence is visible in how many large yachts now prioritize communal volume, wellness, and views you actually inhabit rather than only admire. The combination of a double-height salon, proper cinema, sea-facing spa, and a true infinity pool on a 72-meter platform is still uncommon in one package. That is why she remains part of the conversation.
If you collect cars, you understand provenance and maintenance records. If you collect timepieces, you respect a full service with original parts. Axioma is the nautical equivalent. The number is lower, yes, but the story is intact and recently edited. For an owner who values hosting with ease and charter income potential without fuss, this is a pragmatic moment.
Serious buyers can speak with Richard Higgins at Northrop & Johnson. Everyone else can take note. When a yacht that helped set the tone for modern charter life recalibrates its ask after a proper yard period, it says something about supply, demand and taste. Less hype, more substance. The sea will decide the rest.
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