Ok, first things first, let’s get this out of the way. Yes, the Sirena 64 has a Jacuzzi smack in the middle of her foredeck. The three-seat tub isn’t an amenity you typically see on a yacht this size (68 feet LOA), but then again, there are a lot of things on board this Turkish-built, Italian-designed vessel you might not expect.
Sirena is a relatively new company, founded in 2006 by Kiraca Holding. The builder introduced the 64 to the United States at Yachts Miami Beach earlier this year, displaying her alongside her sistership, the 56, which was making her world debut. Both yachts are constructed at a 1.7-million-square-foot yard in Bursa, Turkey, where 550 craftsmen, including 80 engineers, employ their skills to put together boats that Sirena is betting will make a splash in the domestic market.
Her maximum cruising range is 1,000 nautical miles at 10 knots.
At first glance, the Sirena (which means mermaid in Italian) has lines that are, at once, muscular and graceful, like an Olympic swimmer. Her axe bow complements broad shoulders — beam is 19 feet 3 inches — to make the yacht look like she is ready to run in a seaway, which she is, by the way. I manned the Sirena’s helm off Fort Lauderdale last Cinco de Mayo, on a day when I wouldn’t have blamed the company rep if he had postponed the test and retired to the nearest cantina for a margarita. A stiff onshore breeze was blowing at around 15 knots, and the Atlantic was churning with 4-footers that frothed at their peaks. In other words, it was prime sea-trial conditions to see how this boat would behave in the slop.
The 64’s high freeboard (she’s 8 feet 5 inches from the waterline to her rail at amidships) helped her shrug off each and every wave with a certain Old World sangfroid; the Turks, of course, have been a naval force since the Ottoman fleet established itself in the early 1300s. The osmotically gained experience shows, even in such a young builder. The boat turned hard-over in about a boat length and a half at 14 knots, and cruised ably at both 10 and 16 knots while her engines burned 10 and 34 gph, respectively. With the hammer down, the Sirena scooted along at 28 knots while slapping down the seas with aplomb and burning 99 gph. She was, in fact, a very dry boat — even with the winds shooting salt spray into the air — owing to that freeboard and subtle bow flare. With the choppy sea state, I dropped her into neutral to check out the Seakeeper 16 gyrostabilizer, and the yacht stuck in place like a well-tossed dart.
The Sirena 64’s admirable performance is in large part owed to her standard twin 850 hp Caterpillar C12.9 diesel engines, accessible through either a hatch in the cockpit or a doorway leading in from the crew’s quarters. The engine room has a solid 6-foot-6-inch headroom in the middle section, with slightly lower headroom outboard. Plus, access to all systems and regular maintenance points is within easy reach.
In the guest areas, her amidships master stateroom is another noteworthy onboard space: It spans full-beam. The en suite stateroom has a king-size berth, and its head has a 6 feet 8 inches of headroom in the shower. Interestingly, that shower has seating that I would describe as “double mezzanine.” There’s a normal bench seat, and then another bench seat above that, much like you’d see in the cockpit of a convertible with double-mezzanine seating. The space looks like it would actually be a perfect convertible steam room — which makes a lot of sense when you consider where the 64 originates. And I wouldn’t be surprised if a customer asked for that modification soon. Our 64 also had a bidet, which, the Europeans assure me, is becoming a trend in the U.S. market. But is it a trend with legs?
We’ll see.
The forepeak VIP has a vanity, a touch that adds an extra layer of functionality. An en suite, twin-berth guest stateroom rounds out the accommodations. However, there’s also a crew quarters with two berths and a combination washer/dryer. Many American owners of the Sirena 64 are likely to be owner-operators, but if they want crew, having this space may be key.
Up top, the Sirena 64’s flybridge would be right at home aloft a 75-footer. There are twin Besenzoni helm seats, U-shaped seating starboard at amidships and an outdoor galley with a grill and a slide-out food-prep counter facing that seating from the port side. Aft, four chaise-style lounges fan out for sun worshipers, while an outdoor shower finishes off the deck.
At sea level, the hydraulic, teak swim platform has steps that lower into the water. There’s also a passerelle, another European touch that American yachtsmen just might find they can’t do without.
Incorporating such features on an Americanized yacht is what Sirena hopes will set the 64 apart in the marketplace. The company is betting on its concept in a big way. And so far, it seems, the smart money is on success.
The Little Mermaid
The Sirena 56 made her world debut this year at Yachts Miami Beach. She is the smallest in a projected five-yacht line from the builder. But what she lacks in size when compared to her big sisters she makes up for with innovative design. Her master stateroom is amidships and full-beam (17 feet 5 inches). However, an owner would be hard-pressed not to take up residence in her forepeak VIP instead. It’s nearly as spacious as the master and also has an interesting touch: There’s a staircase offering access to the foredeck, which is replete with seating. That’s a mega-yacht feature on a boat half the size of a mega-yacht. The flybridge has a high-varnish table crafted with exemplary joinery. Also up top are an outdoor shower and a bar for entertaining after watersports, as well as later on, when the sun sets. The first hull of the Sirena 56 returned to Europe after the show, but she is expected to be back stateside in January and ready for sale at Yachts Miami Beach 2018. If her U.S. debut was any indication, you may start seeing these boats all over
