Transfer of Power
Turquoise builds a yacht for one family that ends up being ideal for another.
Razan, now named ROE, is a case in point. The 154-foot (47-meter) Turquoise launched in 2017, made her world debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September and garnered the attention of a gentleman who was not actually in the market for a yacht of her nature. Once aboard, he became so smitten that he made a repeat visit at the Monaco Yacht Show. Subsequently, a deal was struck for the turnkey yacht.
The sale was an important milestone for Istanbul-based Turquoise Yachts, which was founded in 1997 as ProteksanTurquoise and delivered 20 superyachts from 131 feet to 236 feet (40 meters to 72 meters). In 2014, MB Holding Company became the majority shareholder, changed the company’s name to Turquoise Yachts and invested in new and expanded facilities. Mehmet Karabeyoglu, one of the founders, remained as CEO.
The restructured company then acquired an in-build hull and superstructure from an Italian yard, moved the pieces to Turkey and continued the build as the first Turquoise project.
“While she was a very well designed boat to start with,” Karabeyoglu says, “we didn’t use any of the existing drawings. Along with H2 Yacht Design, we designed everything from scratch with
Can one family’s dream yacht translate into a dream yacht for another? If the yacht has pedigree and all the right ingredients, then the answer is yes.
fresh, clean, sharper lines.”
Jonny Horsfield, owner and creative director at H2 Yacht Design, says the brief was, first, “to maximize all possible space, making it functional and practical for an owner with a large family, and two, to produce a boat with sufficient wow factor to propel the new Turquoise brand back into the eye of the industry pundits.”
As Razan progressed at the yard, Mohammed al Barwani, chairman of MB Holding, became excited about keeping her as his personal yacht, at least until a buyer could be found. (Razan is the name of his eldest grandchild.) Barwani and his wife, Sharifa, were involved in the yacht’s redesign, layout and décor. They wanted natural light; a soothing, uncluttered feel; and a neutral palette that was simultaneously rich.
“All windows were increased in size to help maximize that seductive connection with outside environment,” Horsfield says. “The most successful example of this can be found in the full-beam owner’s suite, with its enlarged windows providing impressive vistas from the bedroom, bathroom and office.”
Craftsmanship aboard the yacht is exemplary. Marble, leather,
mother-of-pearl and dark woods alternate with light, white furniture, plush Turkish carpets and enhanced lighting to create a quiet elegance.
During the build, the yacht increased in length from 151 feet (46 meters) to 154 feet (47 meters). The Barwanis cruise with their extended family, so an overriding parameter of their design brief was versatile sleeping areas and common spaces.
Soon after Razan’s launch, the Barwanis took a family cruise through the south Turkish seas, Greece’s Aegean Islands, the Corinth Canal, Greece’s Ionian Islands and the Croatian coast.
“Razan proved her competence during our extensive family cruise in the Mediterranean,” Barwani says. “We are a large family: grandparents, parents and grandchildren. We were a party of 12 with a crew of nine. The boat accommodated us without feeling cramped.”
By day, the family used the beach club for water sports, with the sundeck and hot tub beckoning during late afternoons for socializing. Most of the time, they had dinner served alfresco on the upper deck aft. The sky lounge with an 85-inch TV became a movie theater in the evenings.
“We had a lot of toys, tenders, Jet Skis, Seabobs, kayaks, paddleboards, bicycles, diving and fishing gear,” Barwani says. “Razan handled all of this very well. It was a beautiful summer with great memories.”
The sale was bittersweet for him, but selling was part of the game plan from the start. The new owner also has an extended family, and plans to add his own signature to the yacht’s style.
The nameplates have been changed to ROE. Look for her in the Mediterranean this summer.