“2022 marked our 20th anniversary and was the best year we’ve ever had,” says Ömer Malaz, Chairman of Numarine. “And it looks like the next 12 months are just going to mimic it.” Numarine looks back on a successful 2022 and forward to the next 12 months that are looking just as promising.

Inside Numarine’s 35,000-square-metre, climate-controlled production facility near Istanbul, there are currently 13 yachts total under construction in the 22XP, 26XP and 37XP ranges (the 37XP made its boat show debut last year). In the past five years the company has found a successful niche in crossover-style explorer yachts.

A winning strategy

That change of focus has proven to be a winner and last year Numarine became the first yacht builder in the country to be accepted into Turquality, the Turkish government’s brand accreditation and grant support initiative. Only the most efficiently managed businesses are accepted into this programme, which requires rigorous vetting by independent auditors.

“We’ve delivered over 170 yachts to date, so we now have a very credible pedigree with a niche product”, says Malaz.

He adds that exports account for around 70 per cent of Numarine sales with 20 percent in Turkey, 35 percent in the US, 25 percent from other European countries, and the remaining 10 percent from elsewhere.

Turkey is now challenging the top yacht-building nations of Italy, the Netherlands and Germany. According to SuperyachtTimes’ report State of Yachting 2022, the country’s shipyards rank third in the world, with 70 new builds over 24m under construction in 2022. The nation also overtook the Netherlands in terms of most yachts built between 30m-40m.

Expanding production

The brand has also acquired land to expand its production with a new waterside facility, where Numarine will build its new flagship, the steel and aluminum tri-decker 45XP expected to enter serial production. Having delivered an average of eight boats a year for the past two decades, today Numarine is delivering a dozen yachts per annum and soon the tally will be nearer 15 once its new waterside facility is fully up and running.

“We are about to deliver our 37XP number 8 with another five in production and, down the line, we hope to have six 45s in production,” says Malaz. “I don’t think there is anything that a 60-metre or 70-metre yacht can do that a 45-metre cannot. That is why we’re staying under 50 meters for the foreseeable future.”

Keeping it in-house

Despite the imminent expansion, Numarine fully intends to keep construction in-house to ensure consistent quality and optimum flexibility. In addition to the hull and superstructure production using the latest in vacuum infusion technology and composite materials such as kevlar and carbon fibre, Numarine has glass, cabinetry, upholstery and metal workshops.

Moreover, it is prepared to start hulls on speculation to shorten delivery times and maintain efficient production flow. Given the reputation for self-sufficiency the company trades on, its explorer specifications tend to be higher than more mainstream yachts, which means add-on costs are relatively low, rarely adding more than around 10% (excluding engine choices) to the final price.

Ongoing challenges

Post-Covid, the supply chain is still an ongoing concern for all shipbuilders, but Numarine has been able to mitigate the effects by ordering critical components in advance. “We have gone so far as to order engines for yachts scheduled for delivery in 2025,” says Malaz.

Sustainability is another key issue that will only become more important in the coming years as prospective owners increasingly expect more sustainable building practices and greener onboard technologies. “If we do not address the problem, we become part of it,” says Malaz. “We are trying to be a leader in sustainability, not a follower.”

In fact, Numarine has expanded its product range with an innovative new model, the diesel-hybrid 30XP, the first for the company with hybrid propulsion, which is scheduled to launch in 2024.