Patrick Koune
At 62 meters, its rigging of ketch spectacular and with a silhouette inspired by the golden age of navigation, SIMENA does not seek to reinvent the two-masted sailing ship classic: it gives it a new dimension. On the occasion of the Monaco Yacht Show 2026 ARES Yachts will present one of the most ambitious projects in contemporary Turkish shipbuilding, the result of a particularly successful dialogue between craftsmanship, engineering and hybrid technologies.
Off the coast of Saint-Tropez, with all sails set, SIMENA undoubtedly offers the image that best sums up its personality: that of a 62-meter yacht which does not simply adopt the aesthetic codes of grand sailing yachts, but which has truly been designed to sail.
During the first official filming under sail, the ketch was cruising at between 8,5 and 9,5 knots with only 13 to 16 knots of wind. This scene is all the more revealing given that SIMENA has already covered some 3,250 nautical miles in the Mediterranean during its first season, passing through Monaco, Genoa, Palma de Mallorca, Saint-Tropez, and Imperia, among other places.
Its itinerary even includes a non-stop crossing of some 1,200 nautical miles between Fethiye and Monaco, as well as several long offshore passages in the Mediterranean. In other words, behind the yacht's elegance lies a true cruising machine.
Superyacht Simena by Ares ShipyardA silhouette from another time
SIMENA deliberately plays with our maritime imagination. Its long clipper bow, teak deck, varnished sipo mahogany details, and twin masts seem to evoke the grand yachts of an era when going to sea was as much an adventure as a...lifestyle.
But the project is anything but nostalgic. For the exterior lines and naval architecture, ARES Yachts partnered with the Istanbul-based studio. Taka Yacht Design, directed by Tanju Kalaycıoğlu. The design draws inspiration from clippers and vintage steam yachts while incorporating a hull, appendages, and volumes adapted to the requirements of a contemporary superyacht. ARES thus claims a "classic with character" aesthetic: classic, certainly, but with enough character to never descend into pastiche.
The impression is enhanced by a spectacular rig. The mainmast reaches a height of 59 meters and the mizzenmast 48 meters. SIMENA can set a 470 m² mainsail, a 249 m² mizzen sail, a 596 m² genoa, and a 356 m² staysail, all made by Doyle Sails. During its sea trials, the yacht reached 16 knots under sail in 20 knots of wind.
At 62 meters, SIMENA now belongs to the very select circle of the 25 longest sailing superyachts in the world.
ARES Yachts, from high-tech naval vessels to superyachts
SIMENA is also important for what it represents. Because behind its timeless appearance lies a shipyard whose history was long written far from the hushed world of Monaco's marinas.
Founded in 2006 by the Kalafatoğlu family, ARES Shipyard has developed in the fields of military, patrol, service and commercial vessels. The group claims to have delivered more than 230 boats to more than fifteen countries and has approximately 40,000 m² of covered facilities in Antalya, with workshops dedicated to metalworking, composites, electricity and carpentry.
This industrial culture is essential to understanding SIMENA. Indeed, ARES did not enter the superyacht market solely with an aesthetic signature. It entered with prior mastery of engineering, complex construction, reliability, and the specific constraints of professional vessels.
In 2023, the group officially created ARES Yachts, its division dedicated to superyachts. Thus, SIMENA quickly became its manifesto project: a showcase intended to demonstrate that the know-how acquired on technical units can also serve another definition of excellence, where industrial sophistication disappears behind comfort, precious materials and the beauty of the craftsmanship.
The president of ARES Yachts, Kerim KalafatogluSIMENA also represents a project deeply linked to the family's shipbuilding history. Furthermore, ARES presents it as the largest sailing yacht ever designed and built in Turkey.
The luxury of silence
SIMENA's modernity becomes most apparent when it begins to sail. Beneath its classic lines lies a particularly sophisticated hybrid propulsion system combining an 882 kW MAN diesel engine, a 220 kW electric motor, three CAT generators, and a Servogear variable-pitch propeller. Six operating modes allow for sailing under electric propulsion, diesel power, sail only, or even energy recovery from the propeller's rotation when the yacht is underway.
In electric mode powered by generators, SIMENA can move silently around 8 knots, with a calculated range of approximately 6 nautical milesIts diesel engine allows it to reach 14 knots, with a range of approximately 4,000 nautical miles at 11 knots.
This pursuit of efficiency is not just talk. The yacht has received a rating. SEA Index 4 stars "Superior", a system developed by the Yacht Club of Monaco and UBS and verified by Lloyd's Register.
An interesting approach to contemporary nautical luxury: not to renounce performance or the pleasure of sailing, but to seek more silence, versatility and efficiency.
A yacht designed for experiencing the sea
On board, Design Unlimited chose not to break with the boat's exterior personality. The atmosphere remains warm and sophisticated, with a contemporary interpretation of the classic grand yacht.
Woodwork, teak and mahogany interact with more contemporary materials, while marble appears particularly in guest bathrooms.
SIMENA accommodates up to 12 people in six cabins, including a large, full-beam owner's suite located towards the front.
But much of its luxury is found outside: the cockpit can accommodate up to fourteen guests around a table, while a retractable six-square-meter bathing platform creates a direct connection with the sea. The flybridge, intentionally recessed and discreet, preserves the yacht's clean lines.
This is precisely where the work done by ARES takes on its full meaning. Technology is omnipresent, but it must never dominate the experience. It remains hidden to allow what truly matters on board to emerge: the wind, the silence, the light, and the sea.
Monaco, a showcase of a new ambition
Du 23 26 in September 2026SIMENA will return to Monaco for the Monaco Yacht Show. ARES' press release presents it as one of the largest sailing superyachts expected in Port Hercule. The competition will be particularly fierce: this 35th edition is expected to bring together around 120 superyachts, including 43 units delivered in 2026. But SIMENA should attract attention for a reason that goes far beyond its 62 meters.
In a sector where spectacular dimensions are no longer enough to define the exceptional, she defends a more subtle vision of the superyacht: that of a boat capable of bringing together classical maritime culture with today's technologies.
For ARES Yachts, SIMENA is therefore more than a flagship: it is a statement of intent.
Having built its reputation on vessels where performance and reliability allow for no compromise, the Antalya shipyard is now applying this exacting standard to the world of ultra-luxury yachting. And rather than erasing the past in the name of modernity, it has chosen, with SIMENA, to draw inspiration from it.
A clipper bow, two masts pointing towards the sky and the possibility of gliding almost silently across the Mediterranean: sometimes, the future of yachting looks surprisingly like its golden age.
Photos: Jeff Brown – Breed Media
