RMK Marine is an established shipyard facility that, in addition to commercial vessels, has built a number of large motor yachts and has now entered the large sailing yacht market.
Compared to many other yards, RMK is unusual in that it is a relatively small member of a very large group. The Koç Group is Turkey’s largest and represents 11% of that country’s GNP with diverse interests ranging from banking, retailing, refining, vehicle manufacture and the manufacture of white goods and TV’s. The group employs over 90,000 people and is ranked at 200 in the Fortune 500 list of companies worldwide. In financial terms this probably makes RMK the strongest shipyard in the entire marine industry.
Perhaps equally important the head of the Koç Group is himself a passionate sailor who is both enthusiastic and committed to the Oyster project.
RMK has committed considerable financial resources to the building of the new Oyster superyachts. This includes a new 80m x 40m building hall (3200sq m), which houses a high temperature post cure oven of 40m x 12m (480sq m) capable of operating at 130ºC and believed to be one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
In addition to Oyster’s inhouse superyacht project co-ordinator, Hamish Burgess-Simpson, RMK has employed an experienced team to ensure the success of the superyacht project, which includes Stephen Thomas, who ran Projection Yachts, an infusion moulding specialist; Dave Powys of America’s Cup yacht building fame and Matthew Morgan who has worked with Sensation Yachts in New Zealand, DK Yachts in Malaysia and Polyworx, the Dutch infusion specialists.
Click here to download RMK 'Yard Insight' article as featured in Superyacht Business - April 2010