5 Fascinating Facts About the Sailing Yacht Simena

With classical styling and varnished sipo mahogany on her deckhouse, the yacht Simena is one of the 25 largest sailing superyachts in the world. Sailing aficionados will recognize clipper influences in her profile, especially in her wood trailboards. Yet, this 202-footer (62-meter) is, from the hull up, engineered as a ketch. With her first major cruising season nearly complete, here are five fascinating facts about Simena, which gets her name from an ancient Lycian settlement near Antalya, Turkey.

Simena Is Swift Under Sail

Unquestionably graceful under sail, Simena has a 193-foot (59-meter) main mast and 157-foot (48-meter) mizzen mast. She reached an impressive 16 knots in 20 knots of wind at a 100-degree wind angle during sea trials. More recently in St. Tropez—the backdrop for the photos here—she maintained 8½ to 9½ knots in 13- to 16-knot winds. Her owner has achieved what he set out to do: truly sail, not use her as a motorsailer.

Her Propeller Generates Electricity

For practical reasons such as maneuvers in and out of marinas, the yacht does have diesel engines. However, the yacht Simena has them in a hybrid arrangement, which offers six operating modes. One of those modes is hydrogeneration, in which her propeller generates electricity once she reaches 7 knots. That electricity goes directly to powering air conditioning, lighting, and other hotel loads—not to a battery bank that in turn powers them. This therefore is atypical for not just other hybrid sailing yachts, but also hybrid motoryachts. It further helped earn her a 4-star SEA Index rating, which equates “superior” standing. The SEA Index is an environmental-impact certification independently verified by Lloyd’s Register.

She’s Had a 3,250-Nautical-Mile Proving Run

To date—and she’s not yet one year old—the yacht Sinema has covered about 3,250 nautical miles in the Med. For instance, she traveled nonstop from Fethiye, Turkey—where Ares Yachts built her—to Monaco. It further includes 400 miles from the Strait of Messina, Italy to Cap Corse, France. She covered about 280 nautical miles from Kythira, Greece to the Strait of Messina, too.

Her Tender Deck Transforms Into a Party Place

Sinema’s custom 25-foot (7.5-meter) limo tender stows forward in an area that does double duty. Once it’s in the water, about 646 square feet (60 square meters) of usable space frees up. It’s a relaxation lounge under the sun by day and a cocktails and dancing under the stars space by night. Suffice it to say more than the owner’s party of 12 can get together here. The dual use is a nice complement to the aft cockpit becoming a nighttime cinema, too.

She’s the First Yacht From a Shipyard With an Unusual Pedigree

While the yacht Sinema is the first private vessel from Ares Yachts, Ares’ parent company, Ares Shipyard, is no stranger to ocean craft. Since 2006, it has been building naval, patrol, and commercial ships. As of Ares Yachts’ founding in 2023, Ares Shipyard had delivered upwards of 230 vessels to more than 15 countries. Although a handful of yacht builders globally are divisions of commercial and military shipyards, it’s still a rarity.

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