CMB Yachts, which successfully represents Turkey abroad with its 47-meter megayachts under Başaran Holding, is adding a new boat to the CMB 47 Series. The new project, which has appeared in international Boat Shows and received great acclaim with Mystic, Orient Star, and Liquid Sky, is named “Mina.” Mina is scheduled to be launched in early 2019.

Mina stands out with her strong structure and romantic lines, just like the other CMB47s Mystic, Orient Star, and Liquid Sky. One of the biggest features of the boat is that it is the largest GRP composite motoryacht made in Turkey, like the previous projects of the series.

Cüneyt Okçu, General Manager of CMB Yachts, which has left 10 years behind in the sector, talked about both the successes in the sector and their new boat “Mina.”

How do you evaluate the progress CMB Yachts has made in the yacht building sector over the past 10 years?

As CMB Yachts, we are happy and proud to have successfully achieved all the goals we set during this process in which we have left 10 years behind. In the first year we established our shipyard, we created our short, medium, and long-term goals and planning. Our 10-year roadmap included many targets that could be considered impossible for a newly established shipyard. To win the most prestigious awards, to become the leading shipyard in composite technology by producing the world’s largest GRP yachts, to be recognized worldwide for quality and reliability, and to create Turkey’s best team entirely through our internal structure, education, and development model—these were some of our challenging goals, and we have achieved them and much more in 10 years. During this period, we have successfully delivered three 47-meter motor yacht projects that have won awards, and four new build projects and two overall maintenance and repair projects under 40 meters. Additionally, we extended our perfect quality understanding to different sectors by developing two top-segment 5-star hotels with 100 and 400 rooms. With the success we have reached, we have already put our second 10-year roadmap and new targets into operation. Today, we continue to produce two CMB47 series projects signed by Espen Oeino, the most successful designer in the world. We will continue to make our country proud with our new achievements.

You are building a 47-meter superyacht. How would you describe the target audience of the CMB47 Series?

The CMB47 Series is a series designed exclusively for us by the world’s most successful designer. CMB Yachts has already proven its workmanship and technological quality through the awards it has won and the admiration it has garnered in the industry. Therefore, rather than defining the target audience of the CMB47 Series, I think it would be more appropriate to define the sea lovers who prefer CMB Yachts. The most obvious common feature of sea lovers who choose us is that they understand detail and quality very well. From design to production, from workmanship to technological equipment, they are people who pay attention to every detail and give importance to details. Another important feature is their sense of trust in our shipyard and the great power behind us, Başaran Investment Holding. Every project produced at CMB Yachts is a special part of us. The sea lovers who own our projects are as valuable as our boats. Our interest and support for them is lifelong. I think this commitment, which creates pleasure and trust between us, is one of our most valuable achievements.

Liquid Sky, Orient Star, and Mystic have been the pride of Turkey in international waters so far. Where do you see yourself in the industry in this regard?

We see ourselves in a position that is followed but never imitated. I can say very clearly that even if our projects are imitated, they can never be replicated. To us, what makes our projects unique is the effort spent on them with perfect detail and harmony. This is what distinguishes a work of art from its reproductions. For us, our boats are works of art that we bring to life with all our passion and effort rather than just projects. There are not many shipyards in the world that share the same vision and passion and produce projects of similar quality and perfection. The fact that we are on the same platform and compared with these shipyards, which have a history of over 100 years, is a clear indication of our success and position in the industry.

CMB47s are notable for their interior design as much as their powerful image. What would you like to say about this?

Without a doubt, the biggest contributor to our success is Ms. Beril Başaran and the Artebel Design team. All interior designs, concept consultancy, and project management of our projects are carried out under the control of Ms. Beril. She has applied the “Timeless Design” concept she created in projects such as high-class hotels, residences, offices, and airplanes to the CMB Yachts projects. Just like in the exterior design, the interior design of the CMB47 Series is created to garner appreciation and interest as if it were the first day, even after many years, without relying on any current trends or fashionable materials.

How do you evaluate the development of the yachting sector in Turkey and the yacht tourism accordingly?

The most frequently heard sentence from investors in the sector is that “the attractiveness of labor costs in Turkey is our biggest advantage.” I am totally against this point of view. In Turkey, the average cost of producing a high-class boat consists of 25% labor and 75% materials and shipyard operating expenses. And our material purchase costs are much higher than those of our European and US competitors. Our competition with our competitors does not stem from the low number of our labor costs, but from the low number of our sales figures. While we can sell a project that we produce for 10 units for a maximum of 13 units, our competitors can sell a project that they produce for 15 units for 30 units. In other words, Turkish producers make half the profits of their competitors even if they have no labor costs. The reason for this profit difference is entirely due to brand perception. Unfortunately, the yacht production and tourism sector in Turkey has not been able to surpass the attractiveness of its prices in competition. Efforts to meet high quality expectations with low prices have brought yacht manufacturers and tourism investors to the brink of collapse. For this reason, brand competition should be prioritized over price competition. Our country, surrounded by seas on three sides and with a maritime history that should dominate this sector for centuries, has unfortunately regressed even more in the world in the last decade, unlike countries like Italy. With the training and development model we apply in-house, we are trying to accelerate the development of our sector by setting an example and raising awareness in other shipyards with our team.

And your new boat Mina… When is it planned to be launched? What would you like to tell us about your new boat?

Mina is a project in our CMB47 series that was specially designed by Ms. Beril Başaran. We plan to launch it in the summer of 2019. With this project, we are taking our CMB47 design and quality bar one step further. The significance of this project is very great and valuable for the entire CMB Yachts and Başaran Investment Holding family. We are keeping some details of our project secret for now. However, I can say that when the project is finished, you will see much more than just a boat.

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