The owner of S/Y ‘Rox Star’ discusses his yacht’s unusual gulet-inspired design…
Delivered from Oguz Marin shipyard in Bodrum, Turkey in 2015, the 40m Rox Star blends classic gulet lines with a modern twist. By drawing on Turkish influences, the owner wanted to build a yacht that filled a niche in the charter market.
“Gulets are popular charter yachts because they have very spacious decks, but they are not known for their sailing performance,” Rox Star’s owner explains. “We wanted to take the spacious element of gulet design, but combine it with sailing performance to get the best of both worlds.” This concept certainly achieves the desired effect in terms of creating space: Rox Star’s broad foredeck offers an expansive area for sunbathing.
Reflecting on the decision to choose little-known Turkish shipyard Oguz Marin for the build, the owner admits that his desire to be very involved in the design of the yacht was the main factor. “It was very interesting working with Oguz Marin,” he recalls. “The Turkish come from a very long boat-building history, so they build very heavy and strong boats with a lot of comfort.
“At the beginning of the project the yard team produced some original hand drawings, which were obviously very influenced by their experience building traditional gulets, but we knew exactly what we wanted and they were very open to our wishes. Of course we were aware of the Turkish reputation, but we showed them the way things are done in Europe and the United States and they were really good at listening and modifying their habits.”
Rox Star’s interior is almost as unique as its exterior, which incorporates a rock and roll twist. As a result, she has certainly been a talking point on the charter market. “I have been amazed at the number of charter brokers that have come on board and asked; ‘What is she?’,” the owner laughs. “The expectation of a Turkish-built boat is just to see another gulet, but with Rox Star that is not the case.”
Rox Star’s owner admits that the charter industry often pigeonholes gulets as ‘not quite’ superyachts, meaning that they don’t offer the same level as luxury as the rest of the fleet. Furthermore, they are often not considered proper sailing yachts. “We hope to redefine that stereotype with Rox Star,” he concludes.
Images courtesy of Edmiston