Mazu Yachts’ owner missing after wreck found
Turkish authorities have identified the semi-submerged wreck of designer Halit Yukay’s yacht as the search continues…
A missing-person search for Halit Yukay, owner and lead designer of Mazu Yachts, is still underway as authorities locate the wreckage of his yacht, Graywolf, off the coast of Marmara Island in Balikesir, Türkiye. The 43-year-old had reportedly set sail from Yalova to the Greek island of Mykonos.
Founded in 2011 by Yukay in Yalova, Türkiye, Mazu Yachts builds carbon-composite and steel-hulled yachts with composite superstructures ranging from 11 to 40 metres. Yukay began designing boats as a child, completing his first major project, a 16-metre yacht, before launching the company.
On 4 August at 23:40, relatives of Yukay reported him missing after losing contact. He had departed Yalova Setur Marina at 15:10 the same day on his privately owned Turkish-flagged yacht. He is believed to have been alone at the time.
Yalova'dan Bozcaada'ya gitmek üzere denize açılan ve kendisinden haber alınamayan yat üreticisi Halit Yukay'ı arama çalışmaları Balıkesir açıklarında devam ediyor. "Graywolf" isimli tekne parçalanmış halde bulundu.
— Haber Filesi (@haberfilesi) August 6, 2025
Yat üreticisi Halit Yukay'ı (43) arama çalışmaları, Yalova'dan… https://t.co/lFEoLR0Rp5 pic.twitter.com/aKnJI2EuB4
At around 14:30 the following day (5 August), a commercial vessel navigating off the coast of Turanköy, Kapıdağ Peninsula, observed partially submerged boat debris at sea. Coastguard vessels were dispatched to the location.
Kaybolan milyoner iş insanı Halit Yukay’ın bilinen son görüntüleri: https://t.co/8TXjDiT1GI pic.twitter.com/DeS1SpW8Ow
— BPT (@bpthaber) August 5, 2025
Once at the scene, the teams searched the semi-submerged vessel with a dive team to locate Yukay; however, no evidence has been found so far. Search and rescue operations have continued since, using one helicopter, one dive team and seven Coastguard vessels.
An investigation into the incident is currently underway. Underwater footage revealed deep cracks in the yacht’s hull, believed to be the result of an accident. Both diving teams and aerial search units are continuing their efforts to find the missing businessman.
SuperyachtNews will continue to follow the story as it develops.
NEW: Sign up for SuperyachtNewsweek!
Get the latest weekly news, in-depth reports, intelligence, and strategic insights, delivered directly from The Superyacht Group's editors and market analysts.
Stay at the forefront of the superyacht industry with SuperyachtNewsweek
Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.
Related news

Bayesian: a canary in a coal mine
Was the Bayesian tragedy a perfect storm of design ambition, regulatory blind spots and operational margins tested to failure?
Opinion

Lloyd’s Register launches safety survey
With greater scrutiny on industry-wide safety standards, the classification society urges you to have your say in its Yacht Safety Culture & Wellbeing Surve
Crew


How ESG is driving Turkish marinas
Kemal Altuğ Özgün and the CBC Law team discuss how ESG principles are driving sustainability and financial success for marinas
Crew

Viva crashes into Fort Lauderdale bridge
The 94-metre Viva wedged itself against a bridge in Fort Lauderdale, despite the captain and crew’s best efforts
Fleet

Related news
Bayesian: a canary in a coal mine
1 month ago
Lloyd’s Register launches safety survey
3 months ago
Introducing M/Y Lady Luna
5 months ago
How ESG is driving Turkish marinas
9 months ago
Viva crashes into Fort Lauderdale bridge
11 months ago
Lessons from nature
11 months ago
NEW: Sign up for
SuperyachtNewsweek!
Get the latest weekly news, in-depth reports, intelligence, and strategic insights, delivered directly from The Superyacht Group's editors and market analysts.
Stay at the forefront of the superyacht industry with SuperyachtNewsweek