This Gorgeous Yacht Combines Old-School Looks With Aerospace Tech

The Alen 55 has a top speed of 35 knots, or just over 40 mph. Alen

The Alen 55 has a top speed of 35 knots, or just over 40 mph.

Alen

The interior is full of teak and lacquered wood, which can handle wet feet while looking swanky. Alen

The interior is made of teak and lacquered wood throughout, which can handle wet feet while looking swanky.

Alen

The boat sleeps five people, with one master bedroom seen in the back. Alen

The boat sleeps five people, with one master bedroom seen in the back.

Alen

Customers can customize their yacht, with options like this grill and an eight-person dining table. Alen

The boat is customizable per order, with options like this grill, or an eight-person dining table.

Alen

Sit in the captain's chair to control the two 800-hp Volvo engines. Alen

The captain's chair controls two 800-hp Volvo engines.

Alen

Unique to the Alen boats, the 55 has a sunken walkway that allows for easy access around the boat. Alen

Unique to the Alen boats, the 55 has a sunken walkway that allows for easy access around the boat.

Alen

In the world of luxury yachts, it’s hard to stand out as particularly cool, high-tech, or attractive. But this Turkish-built 55-footer caught our eye with its lovely combination of old-school woodworking and sophisticated hull composition.

Alen Yacht’s Alen 55 sports enough teak and leather paneling to mimic a luxury penthouse. But for all the old-world aesthetics, the composite hull has a core of Airex, a weight-saving thermoplastic foam used in the aerospace and railroad industries. A hydraulic gangway provides access to and from the dock, and a staircase off the back lets guests who aren’t into cannonballs slip into the water.

For propulsion, the 55 is equipped with two 800-horsepower Volvo engines, good for a top speed around 35 knots (40 mph), with a cruising speed of 30 knots (35 mph). Those figures aren’t exceptional for boats of this size, but the 55 is meant to be more of a cruiser anyway. It sleeps five people, but the pop-up rear dining table can accommodate up to eight.

The yacht has another design feature that sets it apart from other craft you see floating around. The deep bulwarks (or high walls, depending on how you look at it) create a sunken walkway that wraps around the deck. The difference, Alen says, is “guests are ‘in’ rather than ‘on’ the deck,” so they can move around without holding onto railings or worrying about going overboard. Yes, it’s a luxury yacht owner’s problem, but if you’ve ever been on choppy waters and had to go from stern to bow, you know it can be sketchy.

The yacht will be on display next month at the Cannes Yachting Festival and the Monaco Yacht Show. Alen hasn’t given any word about availability or price yet, though we suspect it will be one of those luxury goods where if you have to ask, you’ll never know.