Yacht Class n°20 (march-april-may 2020)

Sirena Marine

An amazing habitable volume for an 88 foot, a range of a long-distance cruiser, high standing cabins… the new Sirena is an inspiration to travel with family and friends. Her cozy luxury and trendy silhouette are also very appealing…

Written by Philippe Leblond – Photos : Jeff Brown

It was not without legitimate pride and emotion that the managers of the Turkish shipyard presented the largest of their three yachts to the press at the last Cannes Yachting Festival, in September. The CEO Ipek Kirac did not fail to emphasize the implication of her collaborators to deliver the 88 RPH on time for Cannes: “Every manager describes his own business as a team work however ours is a family work… I know all the sacrifices we’ve made, all those sleepless nights we had in other words I know very well in which conditions we brought this company to this point. I am proud of working with them”. In a style between trawler and navetta, this 88 foot is a new addition to the Sirena Yachts range, composed of a 58 and 64 foot, and becomes its flagship. For this ambitious unit, Sirena Marine have teamed up again with the Argentinian German Frers (designer of Nautor’s Swans) for the naval architecture and exterior design. The interiors were penned by the seasoned Cor D. Rover and his Amsterdam-based design studio.

The flybridge delights

The three-deck architecture of the Sirena features a raised pilothouse (RPH). Located above the reception area and at the foot of the flybridge, this “half deck” makes this 88 foot look like a “small superyacht”, as the yard managers described. Let’s board via the spacious cockpit (25 m2), where a long table can seat about ten passengers for a cocktail, sheltered by the flybridge. There, two staircases lead to the swim platform, bordering the garage for a tender and a jet-ski. It also hosts large gangways, protected by a high bulwark: the portside one heading to the galley and the starboard one to a staircase leading to the foredeck. And there… surprise! This place features a small dipping pool with mosaic tiles, overlooked by the vast solarium on the roof of the master cabin. One deck higher, the flybridge of over 50 m2 is topped by a generous electric opening hardtop, for the delight of lovers of sunshine, outdoors and farniente. There, guests can enjoy an alfresco aperitif with grilled meats thanks to the bar with barbecue, around a large table for eight, soak in the jacuzzi, sunbathe on one of the sun loungers… or even steer from the two-seater helm station.

Tailor-made cabins

Let’s now enter the reception that shares the main deck with the master suite… This beautiful area of about 40 m2 is partially divided in two: the saloon opening onto the cockpit and the dining area close to the independent and functional galley with a fridge-freezer of over 500 litres and, of course, air conditioning. The saloon “stages” two long sofas facing each other, against large side windows, while the dining area is organized around a large table for eight. The starboard corridor houses a staircase, leading down to the guest cabins, and opens onto the full-beam master, which offers a centered bed facing the direction of travel. Dark wood and extensive leather, marble and thick carpet create a warm and luxurious atmosphere. There is also a dressing room and a dressing table/office. As for the bathroom, it features both a bathtub and a shower stall, plus a double washbasin. Its originality comes from a sliding door providing direct access to the foredeck and its swimming pool… The lower deck accommodates the four en suite guest cabins. There is a full-beam VIP amidships, plus another one in the bow, significantly less spacious and, in between, two identical “twins”. Accessible by another staircase, the two crew cabins sharing a bathroom are located between the engine room and the amidships VIP. One has a double bed, the other a single berth. The decoration of the reception area and cabins uses leading brands, whether for the fabrics (Hermès, Loro Piana), the furniture (Minotti, Tribù, Turnstyle) and the sanitary facilities (Dornbracht). Sirena Marine also emphasizes customization, as Cor D. Rover explained: “the yard offers the flexibility to turn any cabin into whatever the client dreams of, from gym to cinema to karaoke room or wellness spa”.

A potential 3 100 miles range !

Before giving our impressions of this trial conducted in the Bay of Cannes, please note that the performance figures provided by the yard were obtained during optimal test conditions with only two people on board, 25% of the fluids, a smooth sea and almost no wind, a temperature of 25° and a water temperature of 15°. Ours were much less favourable: 22 people on board, 9/10ths of fuel, a 50 cm chop, 28° and a sea at 25°. Which undoubtedly explains why we “only” recorded 22.8 knots instead of the 25 knots announced by the shipyard. In any case, the design (semi-displacement hull) and philosophy (voyage boat) of the new Sirena are not performance-oriented. Thus, for us, the “ideal” cruising speed of this 88 foot powered by 3 100 hp is 14.7 knots on the GPS at 1 750 rpm, much in line with the 15 knots speed supplied by Sirena Yachts. At this speed, she is very comfortable in a half-metre residual swell shaped by an easing off westerly breeze. On the other hand, when the turn radius is shortened, the adverse list is manifest, which is unpleasant for the pilot and the passengers. Range is one of the main criteria for this type of yacht. In that respect, the Sirena 88 “does the job”. At 9.5 knots, slightly faster than a sailboat, she has a remarkable range of 2 000 miles (2 100 miles at 9 knots according to the shipyard) without refuelling. She could even cover another 1 000 miles with the optional fuel tanks! At this speed, the Humphree stabilizers help to keep the hull steady. According to our results, she still has a 539 miles range at 14.7 knots, which is quite satisfactory when cruising in the Mediterranean. Port manoeuvres are facilitated by the bow and stern thrusters, whose presence is justified by the large windage. As for the steering position, it spans the full width of the wheelhouse. From the central pilot’s seat, visibility is not beyond reproach because the windshield is quite low, while the module dedicated to electronic navigation aids (GPS, plotter, depth sounder, radar) is quite high, which reduce the field of vision. This place is accessible via a staircase coming from the main deck corridor and also has access a few steps higher to the flybridge. Another grievance is that the Sirena has steep stairs and lacks of handrails. As she is, the Sirena 88 RPH is an attractive yacht, very much in tune with the times, both in terms of style, as she has some very contemporary features such as the vertical bow and the wide hull windows, and her high-tech manufacturing process using the infusion technique and carbon fibre for weight savings. Very habitable – five cabins, seven with crew! – and richly decorated with noble materials and tailor-made furniture, the newest member of the Istanbul yard promises pleasant stays on board.-