Spotlight
SIRENA 64: IN ON THE ACTION
Sirena has been building yachts for other shipyards since 2006. It spent years meticulously observing and learning, with only one objective: to build a yacht of its own, the Sirena 64.
Mo Khatib
If you’re the new boat on the block, being able to stand out in a market that’s not exactly shy of motor yachts is not easy. Some of the European shipyards (Codecasa and Baglietto) have been going for almost 200 years now, so how does a small Turkish company fare against the deeply established shipyards?
Well, for starters, Turkey is home to a number of world-class boat builders, over 30 of them at the last count, which include Turquoise, Vicem, Numarine, Bilgin and Bering.
The country is well respected for the quality and value of its yacht builds, and despite its rookie perception, Sirena has been building yachts under contract since it was founded by the mighty Kıraça Holding back in 2006.
Since then, Sirena has built over 250 motor yachts and 100 sailboats under the Azuree and Euphoria brands. In 2008, the shipyard partnered with Azimut-Benetti, leading to the design and production of three popular Azimut models – the Magellano 43 is built at its 155,000 square metre facility. It was only in 2014 that Sirena decided to build yachts under its own name and the Sirena 64 is the result of all those years of experience.
Timeless exterior
The vision back in 2014 was to build a new line of motoryachts that were efficient and had a good turn of speed but looked like a mini expedition vessel. The speed side of the hull came from the Frers Naval Architecture & Engineering design office, which is best known for creating some seriously quick sailing boats, with the Buenos Aires studio’s racing yachts winning the likes of the Admiral’s Cup, Whitbread Round the World Race, SORC, Kenwood Cup, the Two Ton Cup, Maxi World Championships and the Louis Vuitton Cup on two occasions, amongst many others.
For the Sirena 64, CEO and principal designer Germán Frers created an innovative semi displacement hull in conjunction with the renowned Wolfson Unit at the University of Southampton. Here the tank testing incorporated model tows as well as seakeeping studies conducted with self-propelled scale models. The result is a low-drag hull with a canoe-shaped body capable of planning at high speed or semi displacement cruising when keeping an eye on the fuel gauges. Equipped with a pair of CAT C12.9 turbo diesels producing 850hp each, the Sirena can power through the water at up to 26 knots, impressive for a 20 metre explorer-style yacht. Ease the throttles back and the 64 can cover 1,200 nautical miles at 10 knots before having to refill its 5,000 litre fuel tank. To put that into fuel consumption figures, that’s only 38 l/hr. Thanks to Frers’ hull, Sirena also offer a 1,000hp CAT as an option, giving the three-cabin explorer a top speed of 28 knots. And all this wrapped up in a masculine, mini explorer style.
Comfort and light were the keywords used in the design, but there’s more to the Sirena’s layout than large windows and comfy sofas.
Eye-catching interior
Design Studio Spadolini was tasked with creating the 64’s interior. Comfort and light were the keywords used in the design, but there’s more to the Sirena’s layout than large windows and comfy sofas.
The cockpit is straightforward enough, featuring a transom sofa, a pair of foldable tables and some loose chairs. Nothing too out of the ordinary here, with only the multiple spotlights (there’s 18 of them) in the cockpit overhang hinting to the possibility that this is no ordinary yacht.
Apartment vibes
Stepping through the sliding cockpit door into the main salon, it’s clear that Spadolini has most definitely aced the ‘comfort and light’ brief. Here, long strips of glazing run the entire length of the deck, wrapping around the helm to create the windscreen. It’s a lot of glass and the result is an abundance of natural light. Even on a dull overcast day, there’s still more than enough light to reflect off the white ceiling, carpet and sofas, of which there are two – an L-shape to port and a C-shape
to starboard.
Moving forward and we find one of the 64’s most intriguing areas. Here, to port, is a fully enclosed galley. Not only does this add a visual break to the main deck, but it also helps keep the galley’s noise, smells and pleasant fumes contained at the hob. Another added bonus is that the galley now has three sides, with storage space tripled. The only downside of having the partition is that there’s slightly less space in the dining area. This isn’t a problem though, as the helm has enough space to fit in an adjacent bench seat and table. To starboard, the staircase curves neatly around the helm sofa and windscreen – a stylistic touch that adds a bit of superyacht style to the Sirena’s interior.
Guest Accommodation
There are two layout options for the lower deck. The first is a three-cabin option with VIP forward, twin to port and a huge master suite with full beam bedroom, bathroom and a large wardrobe to starboard. Option two relocates the master suite wardrobe next to the bathroom, which allows a fourth, single cabin to be created to starboard.
At the bow, the VIP cabin makes the most of Frers’ broad hull, enabling Spadolini to fit in two wardrobes while allowing the guests enough room to walk about – there’s even plenty of foot space surrounding the bed.
The twin cabin to port is as spacious as the VIP, having enough room to fit in a wardrobe without encroaching on standing space.
As this 64 has the three cabin layout, the space saved from not having the fourth cabin is gifted to the Owner in the master suite. The extra room is most evident starboard, where the breakfast table has plenty of maneuvering space surrounding it. Huge windows keep the ambience light, and the port side is just as desirable, featuring a contoured sofa – the ideal place to open a book and lose yourself for a few hours. The full beam bathroom is another added benefit of having just the three cabins and, in all fairness, unless it was completely necessary to have the extra two births, we would stick to this more luxurious layout.
Outdoor entertainment
Explorer-style yachts have one major advantage over “normal” motor yachts and sports coupés in that they can be designed with right angles and straight edges instead of swooping lines and low profiles. This equates to plenty of usable outdoor space, as can be seen on the Sirena. At the bow, the foredeck lounge features a C-shaped sofa and table at the base of the windscreen. Here, an extra pad can be mounted on the table to transform it into a single large sunpad. Not that it’s really needed, as the second sunpad at the bow is almost twice the size. That’s a lot of sunbathing space and it continues up on the flybridge. Up here, there’s yet another sunpad next to the single helm seat, which backs onto a C-shape sofa with table. This is sheltered by the T-top, but can be opened up to the sun courtesy of a sliding sunroof. The rest of the Sirena’s flybridge is completely open and can be filled as the 64’s guests’ desire. Loose furniture, such as loungers, can be added for those wanting to enjoy some sun. Armchairs can be positioned for a late night-chat, or a drinks table can be erected aft, for a more formal reception.
| Sirena 64 Specifications | |
|---|---|
| LOA: | 20.74m |
| Length @ waterline: | 19.06m |
| Beam: | 5.9m |
| Draught: | 1.48m |
| Exterior design: | Frers Naval Architecture |
| Interior design: | Design Studio Spadolini |
| Hull Design: | Frers Naval Architecture |
| Material: | GRP/ carbon hybrid |
| Fuel cap: | 5,000 ltr |
| Water cap: | 400 ltr |
| Engines: | 2x CAT C12.9 850hp |
| Max speed: | 26 kn |
| Cruise speed: | 16 kn |
| Range: | 1,200nm at 10kn |
| Cabins: | 3 +1 (optional crew cabin) |
| Shipyard: | Sirena Yachts, Nişantaşı / İstanbul |
Conclusion
The Sirena 64 fills a nice mini explorer hole in the market. Mixing traditional Turkish craftsmanship with an innovative layout and an efficient hull, the 20 metre yacht ticks most of the boxes for an Owner seeking adventure. A huge flybridge, spacious foredeck and a partitioned galley make it an interesting choice for the Middle East, so much so, that the shipyard has appointed Deals on Keels as its official distributor for Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Headed by Captain Alessio, Deals on Keels enjoys strong regional connections in the marine industry and just as importantly, a full understanding of the commercial and practical considerations of boating in the region. “We are honoured to be appointed as Sirena dealers for the GCC countries, and be able to offer our discerning clientele a quality brand that has been missing in the region,” comments Captain Alessio. “The peculiarity of all Sirena yachts is their long range, fuel efficiency and excellent seaworthiness in all sea conditions. Even the smallest in the range is able to cruise from Kuwait to Muscat via Dubai, or even Jeddah to Beirut, or Muscat to the Maldives, without refueling.”
With a successful track record of working with major yachting brands, we can expect potential Sirena clients in the region to be well looked after.
