Turkish shipyard Alia Yachts’ flagship vessel, the 197-foot superyacht Samurai, has been hiding in plain sight. The yacht may have officially launched three years ago, but its international boat-show debut is just around the corner—all 1,050 GT of it.
Styled by Dutch studio Omega Architects, the low-rise exterior profile features bold vertical windows, an elegantly arched superstructure and long aft overhangs to give it a sporty, powerful appeal.
The high-volume 1,050 GT interior is almost entirely housed inside the hull, which means oodles of guest and cabin space.
A luxurious and spacious beach club and gym with fold-down transom door and side platform occupy part of the lower deck, alongside a tender garage with room for two custom tenders of up to 23 feet.
Direct exterior access from the main deck to the beach club via a stairway on the aft deck heightens convenience.
So, long lazy days lounging by the water’s edge accompanied by the odd shore excursion when curiosity piques are a must.
Besides the engine room, the lower deck also contains quarters for 14 crew.
Interior design comes from the boards of British studio Redman Whiteley Dixon (RWD), where natural materials and neutral tones go hand-in-hand to create a sophisticated and welcoming environment akin to airy and light loft-apartment living.
The best views on board are reserved for the full-beam, forward-facing owner’s suite with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to sea.
A further four guest cabins on the main deck bring the total guest tally to 12.
The free-flow layout is carried through to the open-plan main saloon, and formal dining is provided for in the main-deck dining room—both also benefitting from full-height windows.
For warm summer evenings on board, however, guests can take dinner alfresco on the generous bridge-deck dining area.
A panoramic skylounge leading out to the open foredeck makes this space hugely versatile, as does the fifth guest-suite option.
“We’ve been sitting on the superyacht industry’s best-kept secret for the last three years,” says Alia president Gökhan Çelik. “In terms of overall design and construction quality, Samurai demonstrates what we’re capable of, and I’m delighted we finally have this opportunity to show her off to the yachting world.”
Powered by twin MTU 16V 4000 M73L engines, Samurai‘s naval architecture includes a patented Fast Displacement Hull Form (FDHF)by Dutch firm Van Oossanen, providing a top speed of 21 knots and a transatlantic range of 4,250 nm at economical speed.