Superyacht
ROSSINAVI FLYING DAGGER: THE UNEXPECTED
Predictable is one thing that Rossinavi isn’t and with the launch of Flying Dagger, the shipyard has created a new breed of craft: the ‘minimalist sport’ superyacht.
Steve Chalmers
You never quite know what style of yacht you’re going to get with Rossinavi. In 2017, the Italian shipyard released the futuristic Aurora, a sleek sport yacht built for a young owner. Two years previously, Taransay touched water, a classically styled reproduction of an early 1900’s yacht, and this year, at the Monaco Yacht Show, they premiered the 50-metre Flying Dagger, which is best described as ‘minimalist sport’.
SPEED
Built entirely from aluminum, Flying Dagger was created for speed and thanks to her fast displacement hull, she’ll top-out at a heady 31 knots. Cruise speed is not much lower at 24 knots (remember, she’s 50 metres long), both figures exceeding the original calculations. Originally, the Rossi brothers estimated a top speed of 27 knots, but thanks to the modern technologies employed by the shipyard in the design stage, Flying Dagger edged past the magic 30 knots.
The Owner was used to speed, with his previous two aluminium hulled ‘Daggers’ producing plenty of horsepower, but without the staying power. Rossinavi’s ‘Dagger’ can not only handle coastal cruise with ease, but also long sea crossings, thanks to her 3300 nautical mile range.
NVH
Rossinavi also put a lot of effort into NVH (Noise Vibration and Harshness), and despite the triple MTU 16V2000 M96L/ Rolls-Royce Kamewa water jet combination, the noise levels are relatively hushed. Serious sound insulation in all of the partitions helps drop the decibels, as does separating the guest zone from the engine room with the garage.
For her exterior, Rossinavi turned to Team For Design in Venice. Headed by Enrico Gobbi, the studio gave Flying Dagger a sporty silhouette, which reflects the superyacht’s powerful performance. Aggressive and masculine, her hull lines smoothly connect with the superstructure – itself reminiscent of a classic GT coupe.
Flying Dagger’s interior design was developed by the Rome-based Lazzarini Pickering Architetti, who’s brief was to merge the interior and exterior spaces and give a sense of being at one with the ocean. For this, emphasis was placed on the correct lighting of the interior, both natural (courtesy of the large glazing) and artificial, once the sun goes down.
Flying Dagger is an incredibly versatile superyacht, perfect for long cruise navigations or for simpler, shorter trips.
COCKPIT
On the main deck, the spacious cockpit features a large four-person sunpad aft, with a C-shaped sofa at its base. It’s pretty much a standard motor yacht cockpit layout, however that changes as you head into the main salon. Here, the curvature of the superstructure creates a deep ‘tunnel’. It’s a fresh look and a clever use of space.
MAIN SALON
It’s all about connecting with the outside world in Flying Dagger’s interior, with the floor-to-ceiling glazing surrounding the main salon. The exterior doors can also be completely hidden when folded, creating a true open-air experience. Talking of open, Claudio Lazzarini and Carl Pickering worked to create a minimalist interior in keeping with the Rossinavi’s sporty exterior. It would be architectural sacrilege to outfit such an aggressively styled yacht with a grandiose interior – one filled with golden thrones, red dralon elbow chairs and the odd stuffed tiger. Instead, we have a subtle, open design filled with loose semi circular sofas, armchairs and tables, with most notably, no dining area. The dining table is placed on the open deck and folds up when necessary. Interestingly, the designers literally cut it into two parts and each of its halves can function as a bar counter, dresser or side table. Polished metal and mirroring has also been used to create visual space, with the lobby’s winding staircase, which connects the three decks, extending into infinity thanks to light hatches and mirror reflections. This technique really removes the feeling of closed space.
Thanks to clever planning, the entire internal volume of the Rossinavi is used to the maximum. This becomes especially noticeable as you walk down the wide aisles. To fit into the required gross tonnage, a shipyard will often shave ten centimeters of width and height from the walkways, corridors and other ancillary facilities. But not so on the Dagger, with the main deck corridor, which leads to the Owner’s suite, seemingly stretching to the horizon.
Flying Dagger’s interior design has been realised with the idea of feeling the water from every corner of the yacht.
THE OWNER’S SUITE
Here in the Owner’s suite, the minimalist décor is perhaps at its most impressive. Many yachts go over the top when it comes to the Owner’s suite, but here in Dagger, simplicity rules, with mirrors and polished metals working in harmony with the light colourway. An office at the entrance can be closed off for compete privacy, with the bedroom suitably private with seating surrounding the bed itself. A large terrace can be found to port, offering the Owner an unmatched view of the sea. Forward are the ‘his and her’ bathrooms, which connect via the centrally located shower.
LOWER DECK
The ambience of the lower deck is subtler than that of the uppers, mainly due to the lack of super-large glazing. Soft, subtle colourways give each of the cabins a dream-like feel, with wall panels made from the finest wood veneer, imitating a sky awash with clouds. Again, the use of mirrors adds extra elements of space both in the cabins and the bathrooms, but the overall feel stays true to Dagger’s minimalist mantra. And after all, with such an intriguing yacht to explore, the cabins should be used only at bedtime.
Lazzarini and Pickering worked to create a minimalist interior in keeping with the Rossinavi’s sporty exterior.
SKYLOUNGE
The Owner kept the sky lounges on his previous yachts simple and open plan and it’s no different here on Flying Dagger. Six comfy chairs with matching footrests are the basis of the skylounge, with little else in the way of clutter. Positioning of the seating is up to the Owner; either face each other for some family time/business meetings, or spin around and watch some movies on the large plasma screen. Should even more space be required, the sliding doors can be opened to combine the best of the indoor and outdoor worlds. Out on the deck there’s a 12-seat dining table, which is sheltered by the flybridge above it, with slightly less protection for those enjoying the comforts of the aft sunpads.
SUNDECK
Due to Flying Dagger’s sleek coupé superstructure, you would think the sundeck would be quite compact, however, nothing could be further from the truth. Up on the yacht’s highest point there is a huge amount of space to take advantage of, especially if you like to sunbathe. There are two sunpads forward, with a huge sofa aft, with the dining area located in between. There’s plenty of room for guests here and courtesy of the radar arch, they can dine in relative shade.
The use of light: Rossinavi focused on the use of natural and artificial light in Flying Dagger’s interior spaces.
FOREDECK
Joining the sundeck as one of Flying Dagger’s most relaxing outdoor areas is the foredeck. Again, large for such a sporty yacht, this area at the base of the wheelhouse has ample space for lazing around in the sun. It may appear to be one huge solarium, but the zone can be transformed into a dining area; ideal for when you’re docked stern-to. An electric roof can be deployed for extra privacy, which also fully hides the foredeck from the rest of the yacht. There was an option of fitting a Jacuzzi on the foredeck, but the Owner instead opted for an additional space for two personal watercraft and a hydraulic davit.
CONCLUSION
Flying Dagger is a very personal yacht. Built for an Owner who wanted a sporty, minimalist look, with a subtle interior ambience. It is 50 metres of refined style. Whereas other yachts are crammed to the flybridge with furnishings, gadgets and ornaments, Flying Dagger keeps it simple, with the end result being a masterpiece of understated design.
Photography Sandro Bertozzi, Michele Chiroli, Samuele Malfatti
