Fly away
British firm Dixon Yacht Design has presented a new 37-metre sailing superyacht concept Project Fly.
07 December 2020
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One of the big conundrums that has been puzzling the yachting industry for an eternity is how to make a flybridge-style yacht look sleek and desirable. Achieving this was the clear objective of the team at Dixon Yacht Design and has led them to develop the design concept Project Fly.
They chose to design a concept sailing superyacht with an overall length of 37 metres. With a significant number of production/semi-production sailing yachts around 100 feet, it was felt that at this length they could offer the volume and comfort that many customers aspire to without losing the yacht’s intimacy and it feeling like a floating hotel.
In the early 2000s, there was a trend to design and build increasingly complicated sailing vessels. Cruising yachts were built with racing technology masts, expensive sail handling systems and complicated lifting keels as a matter of course, often without consideration of budget.
These were expensive items that could account for up to 25 percent of the build price and, although there will always be a demand for high-end technology, the question is suitability of application.
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With Project Fly, the Dixon team has taken a more pragmatic approach to the design. Although her moderate sail area/displacement ratio will certainly reward the helm, she is a cruising yacht that will perform comfortably while providing excellent interior volume and ample lifestyle deck space.
Her contemporary styling offers a gross tonnage of 200 tonnes, which equates to a typical 33-metre motor yacht.
Her accommodation provides an owner’s stateroom that has direct access to the large beach terrace and the sea.
The three guest cabins are located aft with the crew and galley forward of the central engine room. The large open plan saloon is bathed in natural light through the expansive windows.
Project Fly’s exterior has a variety of living spaces extending from the recessed cockpit in the foredeck, the enclosed flybridge and command stations to the exterior dining area beneath the flybridge tail and her beach terrace.
The hull and superstructure will be constructed in composite material incorporating the environmentally friendly natural fibre AmpliTex, thus lessening the carbon footprint of the vessel.
According to Dixon Yacht Design, Project Fly is a “lifestyle statement that will deliver unforgettable experiences” and “won’t look out of place in the Norwegian Fiords or moored off the Italian Riviera.”
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