Aslec 4

The sea trial was pubblished on Superyacht 35 – Winter 2013

Aslec 4 is now Rossinavi’s fifth yacht built entirely in the Viareggio premises which has become a fully fledged Ship yard. Rossinavi has carried out therefore all architectural and naval engineering work as well as the yacht’s water lines which have been successfully tested in the Rome based naval tank owned by INSEAN.

Rossinavi’s website: contains the following sentence under the heading “Mission”: “A strong passion perceived by those of our clients who were pleasantly involved in complex construction work showing enthusiasm and participation”. To which was added: inspiration, intelligence and dedication: these are the qualities with which Rossinavi aims to “conquer the sea”.

Well Rossinavi has conquered a “sea-full” of admiration and trust from a very expert person who’s now at his fourth yacht even if he’s also the owner of a conspicuous super tanker fleet and was favourably taken in by Numptia this yard’s 70 metre flagship which in just one year has been collecting awards and prizes all over the world.

Federico Rossi declares “for a custom yacht builder – Aslec 4 has been the best result achieved so far in the line. The project was a very interesting one right from the beginning thanks to Tommaso Spadolini’s lines and to the interior decor produced by Rémy Tessier, The yard produced a 340 ton jewel in just 24 months. A jewel made up of precious materials and passion.

Some of the main characteristics that make Aslec 4 such a unique yacht, and a one off is the detailed project work, the aesthetical graceful silhouette, and her water lines; as well as the correct distribution of the loads she carries which were worked out only after we knew exactly how she was going to be. Ergonomics as well as scrupulous, manic attention to detail have largely contributed in making of this yacht something beautiful, original and comfortable to live on, in port, at anchor, as well as when cruising.

Aslec 4’s main features lie in the sturdy robustness of the hull which has been built in high resistance strengthened steel, and her displacement which make her look good in the water also thanks to the distribution of weights we’ve just mentioned. Aslec 4 boasts an all round Rossinavi build not just confined to principal structural work like hull and superstructure but also external accessories, grab-rails, hatches and ports, technical flooring, cabin soles, shower stalls, fender carrying slots, external and internal stairs and much more.

All of this was built in house and directed by Paride Rossi based on the owner’s own drawings and personal requests. A fitting brilliant example for instance is the garage hatch for which and to which we installed a made to measure tailor made mechanism in answer to a special mooring request”.

Aslec 4 is also the result of an eighteen year friendship and a twenty year long working relationship which Tommaso Spadolini and the owner have been sharing. They first met in Cap d’Antibes in 1992 which coincided with the owner’s trip there to view a 70 ‘. As the yacht’s name suggests this is the fourth Aslec version and the name derives from the owner’s initials, his wife’s, and their three sons’. The models which preceded were respectively 19, 26 and 34 metres long all conceived for the family to enjoy. Aslec I, II and III were fast but the desire to buy bigger brought with it a desire for greater comfort and an almost obligatory choice which pointed to a displacing hull.

Spadolini designed a series of highly characterising features such as a vertical bow, which mimics what’s become a growing trend, retroussé glass panels installed on the bridge with its helm/controls station which add a touch of enhanced professionalism to the yacht, and lateral cut glass window panelling along the sides which tapers off in the bow guarantees a more penetrating profile, and the almost vertical stern ensures a longer waterline as well. From a hydrodynamic view point the angle of deadrise is limited and almost flat from amidships to stern and a hefty skeg confer enhanced stability and sea keeping qualities.

An extensive full beam interior layout taking up the length of the deck adds considerable volume to the saloon and owner suite which is situated forward of the saloon. Both the owner and his wife were well aware of what goes into making a truly comfortable yacht. External spaces too are vast for a yacht of this size with a deck which boasts a 70 square metre open area from which one can enjoy a 180° uninterrupted view over the sea and surrounding panorama. The lateral window panelling running the length of the entire saloon translate into very bright interiors and eye pleasing decor outside. Aslec 4’s decor is truly contemporary, perhaps even minimalist, with a difference since it has been embellished by Rémy Tessier’s classy touch and widely experimented sense of taste which has created a masterful equilibrium between shades of light and dark, and clear cut straight lines which contrast the softness of curves, rare essences and precious fabrics.

The dominant woodwork on board of Aslec4 is whitened oak, and dark ebony which blend well in contrasting vey light fabric and by exclusive carbon fibre details, precious black chromium steel and above all by gold leaf which lines most of the ceilings and bulkheads. “ I wanted to come up with something really special for the owners- says French designer Rémy Tessier- by applying the idea of following the contours of the structure which we can perceive for what they are through the decor and fabrics, and I wanted to produce interiors which are both comfortable and functional, but also warm, welcoming and at the same time equally very personal”.

The internal layout foresees an ample galley with a dining area along the main deck beyond the saloon with a magnificent polished steel bar corner. The lower deck hosts four cabins, and as previously mentioned the owner’s suite is situated forward of the main deck in the bow. The dining room itself is situated in a very unusual place it is on the top deck and connected to the galley by way of a dumbwaiter, while an additional dining table is situated out in the open on the same deck, allowing one to chose whether to dine “al fresco” or not taking into account various parameters like the weather, surrounding view etc. Mr Tessier opted for gold leaf lining on the ceilings in such a way as to reflect natural light pouring in from the ample window panelling which produces a warm light underscored by browned polished aluminium panels like a mirror finish thanks to a Japanese technique, while the flooring is in brushed wengé which looks as if it has naturally aged due to the sun’s rays and sea.

White Carrara marble and backlit onyx adorn the bathrooms and the cabins’ bed supports shine with polished macassar ebony. Rémy Tessier also decorated the cabins with furniture from his own Shell line of furniture which he specially designed for the superyacht market.This Rossinavi bridge is an extraordinary example of pure ergonomics, beautiful, neat, clear and obviously functional. There couldn’t have been a better design or a more naval looking helm/controls station for any owner. The “retroussé” cut glass panels typical of a work boat allow to set all multifunction display screens for navigation aids and controls at a convenient angle furthering harmony with the original external lines of the bridge itself. The captain’s cabin is situated directly next to the bridge as is customary on all large yachts.

Usually very decorated yachts sporting many “embellishments” seem to neglect crew’s quarters but forerunning the probable application of new norms which will require more space allotted for crew, more even than that currently dedicated to guests, Aslec4 boasts marvellous crew quarters. The crew on Aslec4 has been with the owner for some time and in view of the quality of their life on board he’s wanted to dedicate generous volumes of space for them.

Since the captain’s cabin is situated on the top deck next to the helm/controls station, the crew’s quarters situated on the lower deck have more dedicated space. Quoting the owner’s own words on this subject “I work in shipping and our company philosophy has always been to make sure crews can enjoy decent quarters and I have not wanted to do anything different on my yacht. We must bear in mind that crews spend much time at sea and in stressful conditions too especially on these large yachts. It is important to me to know that when crew members have finished a shift of work they can retire to beautiful and comfortable cabins in which to rest and enjoy privacy”.

The engine room hosts two Caterpillar 3508C and two Caterpillar 125 KW generators backed up by a smaller 65KW gen. set for night duty. Aluminium and shining stainless steel and white paint distinguish this area for its rationality where all electrical plants, and control panels have been installed for easy access. The engineer in chief disposes of a sound proofed controls room equipped with A/C. Immediately astern of this there’s room for a 5.65 metre Williams D Jet tender in the garage which is powered by a 150 HP diesel inboard engine as well as other water toys and a pair of jet skis. “ Slow and quiet cruising is a great new experience” is the comment the owner gave when asked to comment – every one of my preceding yachts were fast but noisy. My preceding boats wouldn’t let me enjoy a dinner while cruising but on Alec4 it is simply a must.

To savour the taste of a steaming plate of knowingly cooked spaghetti while listening to the sound of the sea is a unique and new experience for me and my family. We’re all very happy with my Aslec4 and regret to inform Tommaso he’ll have to wait a while for number 5, but perhaps in a few years from now we’ll be ready for another amusing and entertaining fifth adventure”.

For further information: Rossinavi

Roberto Franzoni