ARES Yachts is proud to have completed its 62m flagship, the elegant ketch SIMENA. The yacht has demonstrated its potential during extensive sea trials off Antalya, Turkey, where she has exceeded expectations for speed and handling. SIMENA is now for sale through Northrop & Johnson and attracting potential owners from around the globe.
From the start, this has been a passion project for ARES Yachts Chairman Kerim Kalafatoğlu. After establishing solid roots for the business in the fast patrol boat sector, he is seeking to broaden operations with a series of high-profile superyacht builds over 50m. Simena is both the first to be launched and the largest currently on the books.
“I am both proud and excited to see SIMENA launched and sailing,” said Kalafatoğlu. “My family has built boats for generations, so I was eager to express that heritage in a superyacht project. She is at once a calling card of the highest quality and evidence that Türkiye has emerged as a superyacht superpower, with the capacity to design, engineer and build top-drawer boats.”
Classic looks
ARES Yachts worked closely with Istanbul-based Taka Yacht Design for SIMENA’s exterior and naval architecture. It marks a new record for the Turkish superyacht sector as the largest sailing yacht both designed and built in the country. The result is a ketch that combines traditional good looks with a modern hull shape and appendices below the waterline for optimal performance.
Following a brief to evoke and update traditional yachting forms, Taka has drawn inspiration from a number of different sources. SIMENA sports a distinctive clipper bow with the twin headsails reminiscent of a cutter rig and modest overhangs more typical of a gentleman’s yacht. The mainmast towers 59m above the waterline, while the smaller mizzen still reaches 48m.
Though the hull itself is built in steel, the low-profile superstructure is a composite construction, reducing weight and lowering the centre of gravity for a more stable ride. There is a generous flybridge here, but it has been so artfully designed that it contributes almost nothing to the bulk of the superstructure.
“SIMENA’s exterior is inspired by the elegance of classic sailing yachts, interpreted at a much larger scale and with modern proportions,” said Taka Yacht Design founder Tanju Kalaycioglu. “The design centres on a sweeping sheerline, a clipper bow with bowsprit and a traditional ketch rig, all of which give the yacht a strong and recognisable silhouette.
“SIMENA represents a significant achievement in terms of both scale and complexity. Delivering one of the world’s largest ketch-rigged sailing yachts as a first project in this segment is a strong demonstration of capability. More importantly, the project establishes a new benchmark for what can be achieved in Türkiye in the large custom sailing yacht category, both in engineering and execution.”
Outdoor entertaining
Guests will approach SIMENA either aft via the hydraulic pasarelle or up from the fold-down bathing platform on the starboard side. Either way they will be struck by the exquisite styling and flawless engineering that characterise this yacht.
The large six-square-metre balcony that folds out of the yacht’s hull just above the waterline is designed for alighting from SIMENA’s custom limo tender in comfort. But it also serves as a sophisticated sunbathing spot or swimming platform. It can give direct access to the guest accommodation on the lower deck or be enclosed so that guests can reach the deck via a hydraulic staircase.
Boarding via the aft deck brings you quickly to the social centre of the yacht. First there is a circular Jacuzzi surrounded by raised sun pads, before moving on into the cockpit proper. Here there are deep, comfortable seats that span nearly the full beam of the boat, arranged around two gleaming mahogany tables that can be combined to form regal dining for up to 14 guests. A wet bar, grill and pantry area mean that refreshment is never far from hand.
Wide side decks lead forward to a cosy foredeck lounge nestled between the wheelhouse and the main mast. Another elegant mahogany table here is perfect for coffee, cocktails or a light informal meal in more intimate surroundings. Or to relax with a view, the flybridge is the prime spot. Reached up a broad companionway, it is sunken into the superstructure, nestled behind a slim mahogany coaming. Custom seating rings two smaller tables, while extensive sunpads lie out behind.
Taka has borrowed from the traditional use of gleaming brightwork mahogany to give the boat a real sense of its classic roots. But it has tempered this with contemporary features such as stainless steel and brass detailing, while the upholstery is sharp and in neutral tones. Loose armchairs combine practicality and modernity, as their gleaming stainless-steel frames fold for easy storage.
Contemporary classic interior
This blending of classic prompts with contemporary forms continues inside, where Design Unlimited has styled spaces to showcase the breadth of the yard’s capabilities while continuing the narrative begun outside on deck. Twin doors lead you into the warm, almost clubby ambience of the bright saloon. Darkened oak panelling is used to good effect, contrasting with cream carpet and pale upholstery.
Underlining the continuity of the design language, brass detailing plays an important cameo role - from the beams supporting the superstructure to the legs of the coffee table. Design Unlimited realised a whole range of fully custom furniture to fit with the interior concept, often working with high quality Turkish materials to underline the yacht’s backstory.
This is particularly evident in the choice of beautiful Turkish stone to decorate the spacious guest bathrooms. Greys, lavenders and a striking brass colour to the delicate marbling elevates the space and contrasts beautifully with the black and brass finish of the fittings from Gessi.
All these elements reach a crescendo in the owner’s cabin, which fills the bow of the boat. Positioned down a private corridor that can be closed off from the rest of the guest areas, the focus is the large king-sized bed in the middle of the room, screened from the door by an intricate panel of brass mesh encased in glass. The bathroom is half open to the cabin, so that the person soaking in the tub can speak effortlessly to someone lounging on the bed. There is also a deep walk-in wardrobe, a sofa and a vanity or desk area with fine views out through the portholes.
Four generous guest cabins, including two VIPs and one flexible twin, fill the accommodation deck. Subtly different headboards distinguish each one, while the key elements of woven leather, glass-mesh sandwich and lustrous mahogany panelling create continuity and flow. A flexible fifth cabin aft of the dramatic central staircase can be turned to occasional guest use or for crew.
The staircase itself is a key feature of the boat, separating the crew and guest sections on the lower deck. Design Unlimited has created a magnificent moulded handrail recessed into the walls, playing with the brass finish seen all around the boat and pairing it with textured wall panels. A custom light fitting hangs over its axis, crafted from metal mesh in curves that replicate the oceanic currents of the Mediterranean.
“Marrying traditional yachting values with contemporary technology and design, SIMENA’s interior styling aims to create a relaxed and refined sanctuary fit for escapism and the entertaining of family and friends when required,” said associate designer John Everett. “We wanted to reinvent the wheel with a modern take on the classic look.”
A powerful performer
As a ketch, SIMENA’s auxiliary power is the wind, and she spreads an awesome amount of canvas. The mainsail covers 470 square metres, the mizzen is 249sqm, and there is 596sqm of genoa plus a 356sqm staysail – all by Doyle. With the flexibility that this rig offers, the sails can be trimmed for a wide range of conditions to give the best speed and handling possible.
Under sail, SIMENA can reach 16 knots in 20 knots of wind at a 100-degree wind angle, as proven during her sea trials. Seven captive winches hidden below deck enable the captain to trim the sails at the push of a button, while custom Antal winches make it quick and easy to raise, reef and furl the sails.
ARES Yachts has also engineered a hugely flexible propulsion system based on three 86kW CAT generators and an 882hp MAN diesel engine. In sailing mode, the system allows the motion of the water past the propeller to generate renewable electricity for running the boat’s systems – something it can do from around 7 knots of boat speed.
A 220kW electric motor can draw power from the generators for near silent manoeuvring at up to 7.5 knots – giving SIMENA a range of over 6,000 nautical miles. For greater speeds up to 14 knots, the MAN engine kicks in with a power take-off option that allows it to generate the electricity necessary to run all the boat’s navigation and comfort systems.
Fully built to RINA class, SIMENA will be able to deliver her unique brand of elegance and comfort to charter guests as well as her owners. She is designed to cross oceans and cruise from high latitudes to the equator in fine style. With her timeless blend of classic looks and modern performance, there can be no better illustration of ARES Yachts’ stated ambition of crafting eternal moments.