Vicem Yachts is emerging as one of the major motoryacht builders in Turkey and is now in the process of concentrating all its production in its new Antalya facility in south-eastern Turkey. This move is part of the yard’s three-year industrial plan that started at the end of 2009 and which will see all three sectors of the Vicem range being built at the two Vicem facilities in this region.

The two sites at Antalya cover a total of 30,000sq m and form part of the new yacht-building facility developed by the Turkish government that has been designed to bring new employment to this region of the country. These facilities provide Vicem with its first on-water building facility, which has enabled the yard to move into the building of superyachts.

Vicem has been building its classic wooden lobster style motoryachts in a facility near Tusla for many years. These cold moulded yachts have grown in size so that the largest is now 90ft long and they have been primarily aimed at the US market, although recently Vicem has been opening up European markets. These classic designs which form the Vintage range from Vicem are now supplemented by the Vulcan and Vanguard lines of motoryachts with the high performance Vanguard open motoryachts being introduced as recently as this year’s Düsseldorf boat show.

Much of the focus at Antalya is on the Vulcan range that currently comprises three superyacht designs, a 32m raised pilothouse, a 35m tri-deck motoryacht and the flagship Vulcan 46m. The hull for this 46m is being moulded in what is claimed to be the longest female mould in the world. The hull has been designed by Frank Mulder and the interior styling is by Art Line and this yacht will have a 4000-mile range at 12kt to give it an ocean-going capability. All three of these superyachts from Vicem are scheduled for delivery this year.

Also under construction at Antalya is the Vintage 105, which will be the largest yacht in the wooden motoryacht range and one of the largest wooden motoryachts in the world.

The CEO of Vicem, Alberto Perrone da Zara, says: “I am proud to be at the head of one of the few yards that is facing up to the challenge of these difficult times in the international nautical sector. Vicem is concentrating its production at Antalya in the constant search for increasing overall production efficiency and is benefitting from the attractive labour costs, a favourable fiscal environment and direct access to the sea.”

 

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