62m SIMENA Wins Blue Wake Special Prize for Hybrid Sailing System

ARES Yachts’ 62-metre sailing yacht SIMENA has received the Monaco Yacht Show Blue Wake special prize for a yacht, recognising a propulsion package that combines diesel power, electric drive, battery-supported silent operation and regeneration under sail. The award adds another sustainability-focused distinction to the Turkish-built ketch following her 2026 delivery and Mediterranean show appearances.

A hybrid system built around different operating modes

SIMENA uses a parallel-hybrid propulsion arrangement built around a single MAN diesel engine, a 220 kW electric motor, generator sets and a controllable-pitch propeller. ARES Yachts describes the installation as a six-mode system intended to let the yacht move between conventional diesel operation, silent electric propulsion, sailing and energy-recovery modes depending on the passage and onboard demand.

The electric drive can be used for low-noise manoeuvring and cruising, while the propeller can also contribute to regeneration when the yacht is under sail. That combination gives the propulsion system a role beyond propulsion alone, because it can support the yacht’s electrical energy strategy while preserving the handling and range expected from a large bluewater sailing yacht.

Blue Wake recognition focuses on measurable environmental performance

The Monaco Yacht Show Blue Wake programme is designed to recognise exhibitors and projects whose environmental claims are supported by measurable evidence. SIMENA received the special prize for a yacht, with the show highlighting her hybrid propulsion, battery-supported silent operation and ability to regenerate energy while sailing.

Monaco Yacht Show also states that the yacht achieved an improvement over the average fleet in its YETI assessment, adding a quantitative measure to the award decision. The programme is intended to distinguish demonstrated environmental progress from marketing claims, with submissions assessed before the jury selects the final winners.

ARES combines classic sailing form with modern machinery

SIMENA was designed with exterior styling by Taka Yacht Design and interiors by Design Unlimited, while ARES Yachts built the steel-hulled, carbon-composite-superstructure yacht in Antalya. Her ketch rig and traditional detailing are deliberately classic in appearance, but the machinery package and onboard systems are intended to give the yacht a contemporary operating profile.

ARES publishes a diesel-powered maximum speed of about 14 knots and says electric operation can provide extended low-speed range under optimised conditions. Under sail, the yacht has also demonstrated speeds of around 14 knots during trials, showing that the hybrid machinery is intended to complement rather than replace the performance expected from the sailing platform.

The award adds to SIMENA’s 2026 public profile

SIMENA has been one of ARES Yachts’ most visible projects during 2026, appearing at major Mediterranean events after delivery and sea trials. The Monaco recognition gives the yacht a separate technical distinction focused specifically on environmental performance rather than design styling, size or brokerage positioning.

Superyacht Guide is treating the Blue Wake result as a technology and sustainability update rather than repeating earlier launch or delivery coverage. The award does not by itself establish whole-life emissions performance, but it does provide third-party recognition of the propulsion architecture, operating modes and measured efficiency work presented through the programme.

Official sources: www.monacoyachtshow.com; aresyachts.com; aresyachts.com.