Mighty Mishi: Test driving Mishi Yachts' debut sailer in Istanbul, Turkey

After channelling its shipbuilding expertise into a one-off 26.8-metre sailing yacht called the Mishi 88, Yonca Shipyard decided it was time to branch into the yachting market on a broader scale. Dea Jusufi heads to Istanbul to put its first model to the test...  

Istanbul has all the colour and infectious energy I expected from the world's second-largest yacht-building nation. And the dock where Mishi is located fits the frantic bill. The sailing yacht is waiting near a major ferry port, where every fifteen minutes, seabuses shuttle hundreds of passengers across the narrow, glistening channel that separates Asia and Europe.

This whirlwind backdrop succeeds in making Mishi stand out: her simple, strong lines – including a lofty mast and gently-tapered bow – and cooling colour palette providing a moment's reprieve. I climb on board, accompanied by shipyard founder Şakir Yılmaztürk, his daughter Didem and a handful of other journalists.

We cast off with a gentle tug, Mishi cutting a lithe shape as she steers around the ferry port and out into the Bosphorus Strait. The yacht is at her most beautiful under sail, the crew tell me, but the weather is so mild that they have to turn the engines on. The clamour of the city fell away some minutes ago. Now, the quiet is interluded by the low, pleasant rumble of machinery. 

Officially underway, Şakir points out "the best seat in the house": a cushioned seat fixed right in front of the winches. The mast is located amidships and so all that stretches out in front of me is a wide, clean bow, metal railings and Istanbul's indomitable skyline. We pass by the Blue Mosque – with its intricate, vaulted domes and spidery minarets, it is the largest mosque in Europe – and out to open water, where, in the distance, a group of small islands appear as shimmering green shapes. These are the Princes Islands, I'm told, where out-of-favour royalty would be exiled during the Byzantine Empire.

While I understand the chairman's reasoning, I end up disagreeing with him. The views are incredible, but the best seats in the house are actually aft of the mast – a large, cushy sunpad that can easily fit four people lying down.

Mishi Yachts is the fledgling brand of Yonca Shipyard, which has specialised in the defence and law enforcement sector since 1986. Patrol boats, unmanned surface vehicles and fast intervention craft are its specialism – but it takes little probing for Şakir to explain the pivot into the luxury market.

"I've always loved sailing," he says. "My family and I used to charter all the time, so I decided we might as well have our own." Mishi was originally meant to be a 19-metre, he explains, but his wife Ümran was apprehensive about the project. So, he made it bigger, "extra comfortable" and sweetened the deal by choosing his wife's nickname as the name of the yacht.

That was over five years ago, and Mishi still looks good as new. And she’s never had any major refits, though Şakir admits that when his grandchildren were younger, the boat had darker upholstery. Now, the cockpit lounge is arranged with miniature coffee tables and two U-shaped sofas in a fresh palette of cream and grey-ish beige.

"For a while, we'd visit boat shows and invite friends and people from the industry on board," Şakir continues. "They always had amazing things to say." With years of praise came the realisation that he was missing a trick. The sailing yacht that he had built for his family was actually poised to fill a gap in the market – and from there, the Mishi brand was born.

Below deck, the aesthetic shifts with abstract artwork, black lacquering and patterned walls cultivating a chicer feel. The main saloon has a similar layout to the aft deck and feels almost as spacious, despite being enclosed and styled in monochromatic tones. This feeling of space is achieved through an open-plan main saloon and a roof studded with skylights – though Şakir notes that, if the client so wished, a future model could also be designed with windows.

Aft of the vessel is the bulk of accommodation, which includes an owner's cabin forward and two twin cabins aft. The master suite is particularly modern, fitted with a padded grey headboard and industrial-style furniture, including a spacious, steel-trimmed wardrobe. There is also a cabin for two crew – or extra family members – positioned directly across from the galley.

After all, the yacht is first and foremost a place for Şakir's family to gather. The Mishi 88 is often used for holidaying in Göcek, little more than 550 nautical miles from Istanbul and home to some of the bluest waters in Europe. "You can get there in two and a half days without any breaks," Şakir adds, "Though we'll usually anchor for a night or two and enjoy some quiet family time on the water. If you wanted to, though, you could go from Istanbul to Göcek and back again on a single tank."

After six years of sailing, Mishi is a proof of concept that's hard to refute – or resist, which explains why Mishi Yachts has made a big impact in the six months since its launch. This year's Monaco Yacht Show not only saw the debut of the Mishi 88 – with potential clients, brokers and media invited on board the lovely Mishi – but a presentation of a new model called the Mishi 102.

The model measures 31 metres, with this extra length allocated to an additional guest cabin, three extra crew cabins and a larger aft deck for sunloungers and tender storage. Promising the easy comfort and smooth performance of the Mishi 88 in a larger, charter-friendly package, it's another thing to look forward to from a Turkish yard that has already proved its promise.