She will be a joyful yacht filled with people and life. Of that there is no doubt. Razan is the first craft to splash since the Turquoise shipyard embarked on its new course and is designed to accommodate an impressive 22 fortunate individuals. That’s a large crowd. Very large for a 47-metre, in fact.
Razan has quite a complicated backstory. Her build commenced in an Italian yard, but once her hull and a good part of her superstructure were completed, she was sold. Thereafter, she was moved to Turkey where she was completed by Turquoise Yachts, as Proteksan Turquoise was renamed following its acquisition by Oceanco Mohammed boss, Al Barwani.
Razan is thus the first vessel to emerge from this new chapter in the history of a yard that last launched its last yacht, Illeria, in 2013.
The 47-metre was more than worth the wait, however, as she absolutely brims with joy. The new owner, in fact, expressly specified that each of her five guest staterooms (but not her master suite) be equipped with an extra Pullman bunk and that the upper deck saloon be designed to keep younger guests entertained. All in all, quite extensive modifications were made to the yacht’s original plans.
“Although it was an interesting design, it didn’t reflect the owner’s wishes at all, So we essentially redesigned the uncompleted parts of the yacht from scratch,” explains Turquoise Yacht CEO Mehmet Karabey. “This was possible because although construction was at quite an advanced stage, a good deal of the major work was still left to do.”
James Bermudez of H2 Yacht Design picks up the story: “There were just a few bulkheads in the interior and that gave us the freedom to craft new layouts.”
Externally, one of the most obvious modifications was the addition of two prominent but sleek bulges along Razan’s flanks that imbue the waterlines with a sense of movement. The hull windows forward on the main deck have also been made as large as could be achieved given the structural constraints. One element the owner would not compromise on was constant, unbroken contact with the outside world. As a result the entire aft section was completely redesigned. The swim platform was extended to provide guests with a generous amount of space for relaxing, swimming and generally enjoying the water. It is also large enough to accommodate sizeable tenders.
Fortunately for the designers, the interiors were still unfitted when Razan was purchased and her décor thus fully reflects the tastes of the owner whose choices focused on elegant leather and Italian and Turkish marble.
Some warm coral accents in the VIP staterooms aside, the colour palette aboard Razan is elegantly cool and muted, centring around whites, pale greys and occasional touches of turquoise in a nod to the yard that built her.
On the main deck, the floors are a striking arrangement of marblewith irregular veining edged in smoked steel combined with white walls broken by darker bands to form a series of panels that contrast with yet also reference the dark timber frames of the windows.
This interplay of alternating materials used for the walls and floors of the main saloon crops up again throughout Razan. The saloon itself is neatly divided into relaxation and dining areas with two stunning églomisé glass chandeliers by Preciosa Lighting that exude a sumptuous late 19th century elegance.
The master suite is also on the main deck, but forward. Here, the owner wanted a departure from the décor of the rest of the yacht. For instance, for the walls behind and in front of the bed, he chose two steel-edged panels upholstered in an unusual metallic-effect Armani Casa fabric while the floor is completely white with no steel inserts.
Razan’s three decks are linked by a sleek spiral staircase amidships. It is made from ivory Turkish marble with a handrail trimmed in Foglizzo leather and clear glass side panels.
The yacht is also home to five guest staterooms (three two-berths and two VIPs) on the lower deck. The upper deck has a fittingly modern lounge designed to cater to the needs of younger guests with a home cinema and video games as well as a sunning area in the outside cockpit. Last but very far from least, the sun deck includes a dining area and a chill-out zone, both sheltered by a hard top, in addition to a large hydromassage tub surrounded by a soft, inviting sofa arrangement.
