Decade-old Turkish superyacht gets 40-foot extension in wild makeover
- A decade-old Turkish superyacht was given a makeover
- It went from an aging vessel to high-tech and high-design
- Plus it gained 40 feet, taking it from 125 to to 164 feet
Published on May 30, 2024 at 8:38 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on May 31, 2024 at 7:23 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
An aging Turkish superyacht was given a makeover on its technology and interiors, but it also gained a 40-foot extension.
The 125-footer, previously named ‘Grayzone’, was transformed into a 164-foot vessel.
Now named ‘Thanuja’, it’s barely recognizable from the superyacht that Turkish yard, Concept Marine, delivered in 2012.
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The extension took place at Serenity Yacht in Florida, US.
It was originally planned to be a straightforward refit but quickly snowballed into a complete conversion.
First, the luxury superyacht’s body was stripped down to the bare metal.
From there, the stern and aft decks were extended and the flybridge was updated.
As well as upping the length by 40 feet, the interior volume was taken from 380 to 440 GT.
The German firm iYacht was put in charge of the updated naval architecture and exterior design in June 2020.
The team flew to the south of France to measure and create an accurate 3-D model of Greyzone.
From there their design took place remotely over four weeks.
The ambitious first concepts suggested a new galley, an updated foredeck, a Jacuzzi on the flybridge, and a larger stern platform.
The beach club was also updated to appeal to the modern seafarer.
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Back to Thanuja and a high-tech overhaul, putting the superyacht in line with the latest North European standards was also decided on.
As a result, Thanuja gained a new engine room, bow, stern thrusters, pipes, cabling, engines, and generators.
As well as its technical spaces, the vessel’s aluminum superstructure was also rewelded.
Aesthetically, the decking and deck furniture were finished in fresh teak.
Interior designer Katharina Raczek and her team freshened up the interiors – balancing the original with the new.
After gaining those all-important feet and inches, post-upgrade she can comfortably accommodate up to 10 guests in five staterooms, served by seven crew across six cabins.
As well as the financial investment, the rebuild required tens of thousands of hours of coordination, planning, and engineering by a team of over 100.
“Leveraging the expertise of our studio, we were able to support the owner and the yard in every phase,” iYacht CEO Udo A. Hafner, said.
“As the project complexity grew, it required us to bring in additional expertise from different disciplines.”
The superyacht has received approval for commercial charter under the Luxembourg flag.
That means you could soon hop aboard yourself.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
