Little did Halit Yukay know that his boat sketches would lead him all the way to having his own boat yard and designing his own yachts many years later.
The Mazu Yachts brand was initiated based on one of his drawings, where he had a clear vision from the start about the type of yacht he wanted to design.
“I designed my first project, a boat that was 58 feet, and I was lucky to sell the boat from that first drawing. That’s how it all began,” he says.
From Halit’s early vision all the way through the range of models produced by the brand today, Volvo Penta IPS has played a key role.
“What I like most about the system is that it is user friendly. That is most important for me as a boat builder. It is also very quiet, very economic and very powerful,” says Halit.
His boat interest came not only from all the yachting magazines his father used to buy, but also from the summers often spent on a boat with his family.
“I love being on the sea. I love sailing and I have sailed since I was born. My grandfather had a boat and then my father had a boat, so we spent all summers, and even sometimes the winters, sailing,” describes Halit.
For him, his own experience of boat life is essential to be able to do a great job as a boat designer.
“It’s a difficult job and a complex building process. What makes it worth it for me is the amazing feeling when you do the first sea trial and when you launch the boat, that takes all your tiredness away.”
The beautiful city of Istanbul is a great inspiration for Halit Yukay, due to its closeness to the water.
Today, Turkish Mazu Yachts has five yacht models in its range, where the Mazu 82 is the latest milestone project. The 82-foot-boat will be powered by a triple Volvo Penta IPS 1350 installation and is the first Mazu within the superyacht category.
“This is a milestone for our shipyard because it’s a flagship and a very unique boat for its size. We are very excited,” says Halit.
Mazu Yachts has no interest in competing with the bigger yacht brands, but to offer something different. “Not everybody has to like our boats,” says Halit.
