50-meter gentleman’s crossover

In July 2024 Italian Rossinavi shipyard delivered the 50-metre custom yacht christened Bel 1 to her owner

Today by "custom yachts" we mean the vessels built on the basis of a pre-engineered platform. They boast a really high level of customization from outfitting to interiors, while their delivery time is shorter, which makes these individually tailored projects even more precious. M/Y Bel 1 is one of them. In addition to Rossinavi team, she owes her exterior to Fulvio De Simoni Yacht Design and the interior to Team For Design – Enrico Gobbi.  

Construction and design

Bel 1 is a displacement yacht with shafts and diesel engines – nothing newfangled, no hybrid propulsion, everything is quite conventional for the type. At the same time, she is all-aluminium, which obviously makes her a lot lighter than other displacement yachts of the size, most of which feature steel hulls. Does that add to her speed? It certainly does. But we will come to it a little later. 

Borrowings from car industry are nothing new for yacht design today. Normally it is more applicable to the boats that are not very large. Nevertheless, the 50-metre length has not stopped Bel 1 from drawing on the sport lines of crossover vehicles. 

The yacht has a powerful hull, which makes her look visually compact. Although in reality, it is quite the opposite. If you take a closer look, the superstructure is extended, which allowed for an impressive sun deck of 145 sq.m. According to the yard, it is a "truly unusual size relative to the size of the boat".  

The parallel with crossovers is quite relevant, as such cars look sporty, not too high and not too large, but if you look inside their saloon or a boot, you will be surprised how much space there is. In this respect Bel 1 is quite similar, but with necessary adjustments to her scale. 

Talking about the aesthetics, Bel 1 features a couple of elements that will definitely make her unmistakably recognizable. Great emphasis has been made on the design of the bow. And the second point is two huge openings in the hull, which bring light into the saloon and the owner's suite. 

Layouts 

“In addition to a design inspired by sporty SUV cars, M/Y BEL1 offers an exceptionally large amount of both interior and exterior space in terms of square meters,” explains Federico Rossi, Chief Operating Officer of Rossinavi. We should add here that the space has been used in a really smart way. For example, the unusual design of the stern section makes all the exterior deck areas (and there are a lot of them here) feel like one single space. But let us have a look at them one by one…

Main deck 

After the open aft cockpit, there is a main deck saloon with opening balconies. It is followed by the owner’s suite at the bow, which boast amazing natural light thanks to the huge leaf-shaped opening in the hull. 

Mezzanine deck 

Located halfway between the main and the upper deck, this is a a level for more intimate and private moments of relaxation. 

Upper deck 

The key feature of this deck is an all-season aft veranda with a dining area protected by sliding glass panels. Inside there is a lounge with a bar and a gym.

Sundeck

The sundeck is divided into several areas: there is a sunbathing area aft, a pool forward, and in the centre there is a shaded seating with a bar, a BBQ and a huge retractable TV that serves both the bow and stern areas.

Lower deck 

Below deck there are four guest cabins and a beach club, which can be enclosed (and private) or transformed into a spacious  terrace with the help of fold-out side “wings” and an opening transom. Besides, this deck is home to toy storage accessible both form inside the beach club and from outside. It may be considered a garage with a balcony, which opens to allow for faster and easier watercraft launch and usage. 

Interiors

The interior design created by Team For Design – Enrico Gobbi  in collaboration with Carlo Lionetti blends warmth and modernity. Two kinds of wood – brushed American walnut and light matte-finished Thai wood – create a balance of luxury and relaxation, while soft, stitched nappa leather on the walls adds tactile pleasure. 

The design features a wide range of colours. The gradient from black, grey and coffee to lighter shades enhances visual depth and elegance and contrasts beautifully with the bright blue sea. An interesting solution is the use of blue accents, which blurs the line between the interiors and the outdoor environment, removing the walls and literally letting the sea in. 

The same goal of creating a consistent stylistic thread from interiors to exteriors and ensuring a seamless and unified look throughout the vessel is complemented by meticulously selected art pieces, including Murano glass works. One of such artistic focal points is the staircase in the lobby, made from honeycomb aluminum in a brass color with a backlit panel. 

Specifications

For comfortable navigation Bel 1 is equipped with four stabilizer fins. Thanks to the all-aluminium construction the yacht can boast the performance characteristics that are rather good for the displacement segment. Twin Caterpillar engines can accelerate Bel 1 up to 18 knots. The cruising speed is 14 knots, and in the economy mode of 10 knots the yacht can cover 4000 nautical miles, which allows her to cross the Atlantic easily.