500-to-1: How decades of high-performance, custom engineering shaped TYKUN's all-aluminium dayboats
by TYKUN 23 May 23:05 PDT
TYKUN fleet © TYKUN
When it comes to finding a luxury solution that boasts the flexibility to serve as a dayboat, superyacht tender, or chase boat, there is a combination of faculties that mark a model as something of a holy grail: supreme practicality, formidable performance, a safe and seaworthy hull and the option for full customisation.
It's a feat that TYKUN has pulled off with style, as demonstrated off Monaco during the 2025 Monaco Yacht Show by its first model, the all-aluminium TYKUN X that wowed with confidence-inspiring fast running and superb, safe handling even in a significant and confused seaway. The TYKUN X has now been joined by the larger TYKUN XII, under construction, further proof of the Group's successful combination of luxury, resilience, practicality and tailor-made build.
But while the name may be new and the X and XII may be the first of their line, TYKUN isn't exactly a newcomer - it's a brand built on MED Group's legacy of building over 500 boats. It draws on decades of designing, developing and delivering mission-specific vessels to some of the world's most demanding clients, including civil enforcement units, navies, and special forces.
Proven pedigree
TYKUN is a brand of MED Group, a company that has been catering to the needs of specialist clients - including governments and defence - for decades. Its expertise spans a broad array of build materials, performance demands, outboard and inboard engine configurations, and customisation covering a broad spectrum of mission profiles.
Although MED Group has developed solid expertise in advanced composite construction for its RHIBs, the company has also acquired significant specialisation in aluminium fabrication. Among these projects, and one that played a key role in shaping the TYKUN range, is the 11 PROALUCY.
MED Defense began producing the 11 PROALUCY as a versatile solution to a variety of customer needs. "It's a very strong work boat, and, in its standard configuration equipped with twin Mercury 500R outboards, it can reach speeds of around 60 knots," says Ugo Casadio, Chief Technical Officer at MED Group. "It can be tailored to a number of mission profiles, and it's that adaptability that translates so well - in tandem with strength, safety and performance - to the luxury market."
Similarly, the Group's 939 NAVARM employs aluminium for the hull, coupled to sterndrives. Designed to meet criteria for a tactical raider vessel, the 939 encapsulates the apogee of targeted design - fast, agile, reliable and indifferent to sea conditions.
At the other end of the scale, and due for delivery in early 2026, is the 105 PRO OC. Similar in size to the TYKUN X and developed for the Italian Navy, it has been designed as a support boat to a 100-metre oceanographic survey ship, undertaking coastal mission profiles and allowing the survey team to access shallow waters. "We are very proud of this model, because it's a very complex boat," Casadio enthuses. "There are a lot of oceanographic instruments to get in a hull of 10 metres, so we're already adept at adapting a design to a client's specific needs, just like the superyacht sector demands. It's also the first boat we have built with inboard engines and sterndrives."
Similarly, the team has developed a 16-metre concept for the Italian Carabinieri. The design features an aft hi-lo platform designed specifically to facilitate dive operations, and a crane capable of launching ROVs. Propulsion takes the form of twin Volvo Penta IPS drives, giving a 40-knot top speed and joystick manoeuvrability. The crossover potential is clear.
"This project is just made to be a leisure boat," suggests Andrea Iannuzzi, Head of Product at MED Defense. "We have consolidated over a decade of experience in one-off production, allowing for a high degree of customisation in the configuration and integration of deck elements, accessories and materials, according to the intended use and desired aesthetic identity," Iannuzzi adds.
Next level know-how
All these varied vessels provide the inspiration for the TYKUN range, combining military-grade performance, warranty and safety standards with a distinctive design, developed entirely bespoke for the owner.
The TYKUN models have been developed and refined through the strategic contribution of engineer and yachting consultant Benedetta Iovane, creator of the concept, and architect Tommaso Spadolini who designed the range. In addition, engineer Carlo Bertorello has worked to optimise the hulls for the high-end, high-performance leisure and superyacht sectors.
"The challenge was never about building a supremely capable dayboat or tender, it was about converting our know-how from demanding military projects into a project that meets the requirements at the peak of luxury," Casadio offers. "The first element was to give TYKUN the possibility for a lot of space, and that's where the collaboration with Tommaso and Benedetta pays dividends. For example, the hull on X is 40 centimetres larger than its military equivalent. It gives the luxury of space to the client, and makes room for elements such as Garmin instruments and domotic controls, and space under the console for a cabin and a head, and the deck-born amenities that exclusive dayboat and superyacht clients expect."
It's here that the TYKUN presents a further winning combination. "Our TYKUN range comprises military-bred boats with military specification and performance, but with an added safety factor thanks to elements such as a small enlargement of the chine through which we have achieved a hull shape that delivers performance - over 50 knots with the big engine package - with comfort, even when charging at 45 knots in a one-metre seaway," Casadio enthuses.
"Every TYKUN reflects the experience behind it, delivering very high performance while maintaining stability, comfort and a high level of safety. In addition, each can be fully customised to meet the specific requirements of a discerning client. Each TYKUN embodies the expertise gained from building over 500 boats."
Looking to the future: TYKUN H1
The brand isn't just bringing the past to bear on its present - it's also reaching firmly into the future with the zero-emission, hydrogen-powered TYKUN H1, a project born from the collaboration with architect Tommaso Spadolini.
Again designed around an aluminium hull, and drawing on the expertise of TESYA Group, who developed the hydrogen propulsion for the Bluegame chase boats used during the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona, the 12-metre H1 uses hydrogen fuel cell technology to power an electric drivetrain and, most importantly, it's not just another concept - the TYKUN H1 is fully engineered and ready to build with an estimated delivery eight to ten months from order.
Distribution and positioning
Reinforcing TYKUN's position in the luxury segment is the appointment of Sardinia-based Given For Yachting as one of the brand's selected commercial partners for the TYKUN range. Founded in 2002, Given For Yachting brings incredible depth of knowledge of the yacht and superyacht sectors, alongside extensive experience in charter, brokerage and yacht management - making them the perfect partners for TYKUN's genre-defining models.
One thing is clear - from the most demanding military applications to the most discerning of private clients, MED Group has the perfect solution. It's that DNA that runs through every TYKUN, and it really shows. It's the difference that comes when 500 boats are rolled into one.