Bilgin Yachts made a major move, literally, last month. It transported the first unit in its Bilgin 163 series to the outfitting shed at its shipyard in Istanbul. The technical launch comes about a year before the megayacht will be ready for delivery.
The Bilgin 163, a.k.a. the Bilgin 50M, bears styling and naval architecture by Unique Yacht Design. Among her most notable styling features, the 163’9” (49.95-meter) megayacht has a vertical bow. Sporty looks further characterize her four decks. Of course, considering her size, she has engineering for transatlantic capabilities, too. The build and design teams anticipate the Bilgin 163 seeing a range of about 5,000 nautical miles when cruising at 12 knots under half load. The twin Caterpillar engines should permit a top speed of 17 knots, too.
While the project began on spec, Hot Lab stepped in to provide interior design. Enrico Lumini, who heads up design at the studio, explains that it was crucial to create a cohesive feel between the inside and outside. “Bilgin 163 follows the studio’s new philosophy ‘Architecture for Voyagers’ and focuses on cleanliness of architectural volumes, and a renewed sense for a softness of lines,” he says. Among other things, the décor emphasizes natural colors and materials, the effect being “minimalism, sober, but rich in details,” Lumini adds.
A 30-foot (9.25-meter) beam should make the six staterooms quite spacious. They, as well as lounges and other living areas, all benefit from today’s trend of large windows. Most of all, however, the owners benefit from a simplified classification requirement, since gross tonnage is 499.
“Bilgin 163 is one of our most ambitious projects and is a perfect sample of what we can offer to our clients,” says Bilgin Yachts’ CEO, İsmail Şengün.
Bilgin Yachts bilginyacht.com
Hot Lab hotlab.it
Unique Yacht Design uniqueyachtdesign.com
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