The first Numarine 30XP is an explorer with personality

Any brutalist touches – like the concrete ceiling or the matte-brushed metal storage – are softened and brightened by the floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s clever, cool and no small feat for a build that barely broaches 30 metres.

“I need to give credit to Yasemin [Arpac of Ofist design studio] for the stone look,” says Ömer Malaz, Numarine’s founder – and Minella’s owner. “When she first came to ask for a brief, I just told her to give me a yacht that feels out of the ordinary.”

But he is still very involved in all things new and experimental, particularly when it concerns his personal yacht. “Who is a greater guinea pig than me?” He says with a laugh. “It only makes sense that I would try the first unit of this new series – and test the newest technology.”

As the first Numarine equipped with hybrid propulsion, Minella was built to be a case study. But besides the yard’s environmental and strategic objectives, going hybrid was an approach born of convenience. Malaz wanted, above all else, a quiet boat.

The 30XP offers two engine configurations: a standard six-cylinder, twin MAN setup, providing 412kW of power, or four MASE generators supported by 200kW Danfoss electric motors. He opted for the latter.

Minella’s propulsion varies from Automode (which customises the number of generators used) to Battery mode, which only runs a generator when the batteries need to be charged. With this diesel-electric system, Minella can hit a cruising speed of seven knots while producing less than 40 decibels. That’s the same level of sound as a running refrigerator or a quiet office.

Minella is a hybrid moniker, created from a sentimental blend of his wife and daughters’ names: Alara, Mina and Ella. It’s a name Malaz coined with his previous yacht, a 26XP model delivered in 2018 that now cruises under the name of Lady Stefani.

After six enjoyable years, he decided to trade his 25.9-metre in for a newer, larger model – an inclination he is glad to have noticed echoed by the shipyard's clientele.“To my memory, no Numarine owner has moved into another brand. But we need to keep giving them something to grow into.”

It’s clearly worked, with five 30XPs sold so far – and all to former owners of a 22XP or a 26XP. But providing the “next step up”, as principal designer Can Yalman of Can Yalman Design puts it, is much bigger than simply “going larger”. “The focus was on upgrading the owner experience from the 22XP and 26XP,” he explains. “We wanted them to have the same luxuries (on the 30XP) as our larger yachts.” 

As with previous models, Can Yalman is the primary designer for both the exterior and interior of the 30XP, with Istanbul-based Ofist design studio collaborating on Minella’s interior. Six models comprise the Numarine XP range (and the bulk of the yard’s order book), the largest of which is the 45XP at 45.3 metres length overall.

“Ultimately, yachting is about being outside. And when we're on Minella, we try to find the quietest places. That’s how you truly connect with nature”

A mid-range entry, the 30XP continues the line’s raised pilothouse format, lending itself to a surprisingly spacey 213GT interior.   A decent portion of this volume is allocated to the master cabin, which has the same industrial-chic styling as the saloon. It’s located on the main deck in a bid to give owners “larger luxuries” (the smaller 22XP and 26XP have all their accommodation on the lower deck).

The cherry on top? The cabin is connected to its own private balcony, an undeniably special touch for this size bracket. “My wife spends a lot of time [on the balcony] because she meditates, she reads books. She’s a little bit different than me. She’s found her inner peace,” Malaz jokes. The balcony can remain open while Minella is underway, and benefits from the cabin’s floor-to-ceiling glass – a marked upgrade from her smaller sisters.

Malaz, on the other hand, prefers to spend his free time in the beach club, which has been configured as an outdoor gym on Minella complete with a treadmill, weights and yoga mats. It is “way better than an indoor gym with air conditioning,” he enthuses.

Another feature that you’re not likely to find in this size bracket are the unfolding bulwarks that expand the space on three sides – creating a sprawling area of 43 square metres – with the raised upper deck lending it some impressive head height.

Malaz is making full use of it. “If not every day, then every other day, I go on board Minella for a few hours in the morning to use the gym – or to enjoy some time on the terrace.”

It’s clear that peace and privacy are core tenets on board Minella, particularly where her wellness-focused owners are concerned. But the 30XP also can be something of a party boat. One look at her flybridge deck will tell you that.

It is immense – Malaz, with glee, notes that you can walk from the stern to the bow without climbing any steps – and features a long, broad seating area for large gatherings. It’s also decked out with a sound system from L-Acoustics, a French manufacturer with an eclectic portfolio that includes a Swedish church, a San Francisco theme park and a Royal Caribbean cruise liner.

“The system needed to be versatile enough to play a variety of styles,” Malaz explains. Some jazz or chilled, electronic house would be his pick, but the system, which is controlled through a smart device and runs through all three decks, can easily accommodate high-octane tunes.

It’s easy to picture the parties, particularly when you see the foredeck. The area is dominated by a plush sunpad which, at 20 square metres, is “one of the biggest beds you can find” full-stop, according to Yalman. “You can pack 15 people on there, and they won’t touch each other,” he adds excitedly.

Another virtue of the 30XP is how it negotiates space between guests and crew. Minella is engineered to provide a degree of privacy, from the galley – which is separated from the rest of the main deck by a motion sensor door – to the side decks that provide access to the beach area, engine room and helm station.

In another step up from the 26XP, the pocket explorer can accommodate an extra two people for a total of five crew members and 10 guests.

Minella is currently based in Göcek, Turkey, where the long, heady summer season means Malaz and his family can enjoy the boat as early as April, and leave her as late as November. However, as is her nature, the explorer yacht has hardly sat idle in the 10 months since delivery.

During that time, she could be seen around Domuz Island – named after the wild boars that inhabit it – and in the lagoon-like Akvaryum Bay, with jaunts along the Greek, Croatian and Sicilian coastlines also in the logbook.

A range of 3,000 nautical miles is enough for these purposes, and for discovering out-of-the-way anchorages. “Ultimately, yachting is about being outside,” says Malaz. “And when we’re on Minella, we try to find the quietest places. That’s how you truly connect with nature.”

Numarine plans to build three to four 30XP units a year, depending on demand. And Minella is clearly a persuasive proof-of-concept, with two further hulls (a hybrid and standard model, respectively) already on the water less than a year since her debut.

It’s little wonder she was a finalist at the BOAT International World Superyacht Awards earlier this year. Her big-build amenities and ample deck areas are a tempting prospect for owners looking to take the next step up, offering everything you could want to keep yourself entertained at sea. Or at least far more than you would expect from a vessel of this size.

First published in the July 2025 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.