Founded in 1969 by Paolo Vitelli, Azimut was chartering sailing boats. In 1970 several prestigious yachting brands appointed the company to distribute their boats in Italy. Azimut quickly expanded its operations and apart from distribution, began to design new yachts. In a joint venture with Amerglass, it designed the AZ 43’ Bali, a mass-produced fiberglass boat, which was an immediate success.