Having worked with American clients, and wanting to strengthen both its stateside and South American relationships, Turquoise Yachts now has a U.S. office. It’s in The Quay, the well-known epicenter for a number of yachting businesses in Fort Lauderdale.
Marketing, sales, and after-sales services are each a focus for the office. Heidi McFarlane (right) is on site overseeing operations. McFarlane’s career spans time aboard megayachts as well as with megayacht builders and brokerage firms on land. Caitlin Walls (left) joins McFarlane as the office assistant. (Pictured with them, too, is Cristian Schwarzwalder, who oversees sales from Turquoise Yachts’ Monaco office.)
“We have enjoyed a long history of building superyachts for prominent American clients,” says Mehmet Karabeyoglu, Turquoise Yachts’ CEO. “We believed the time is right to expand Turquoise’s presence in North and South America.”
Turquoise Yachts (originally known as Proteksan Turquoise) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Since 1997, it’s delivered more than 20 megayachts. They range in sizes from 131 to 236 feet (40 to 72 meters).
In fact, its most recent delivery, Razan, makes her American debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this November. Measuring 154 feet (47 meters), Razan bears styling and interior design by H2 Yacht Design. She was a spec project that sold before the first metal plates were cut. The owner also requested a number of design changes, making her closer to a fully custom project.
Turquoise Yachts plans to have a series of builds started on spec for the convenience of new megayacht clients. “We anticipate starting the projects with bespoke designs and reducing delivery time,” Karabeyoglu says. “Our infrastructure has the capacity of continuing work on several yachts and keeping stock hulls.”
Several megayachts are under construction at the shipyard at present. Among them is a nearly 253-footer (77-meter) that should see delivery in 2018.
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