The first unit of the all-new 49.95-metre Bilgin 163 has undergone a technical launch at Bilgin Yachts’ facilities in Istanbul. The Bilgin 163 is now heading for final outfitting, and is on course to meet her delivery date of 2023.
“Bilgin 163 is one of our most ambitious projects and is a perfect sample of what we can offer to our clients,” Bilgin Yachts’ CEO İsmail Şengün commented. The shipyard currently has two hulls from the series in-build, the second also has 2023 slated for its delivery date.
Unique Yacht Design handled both the naval architecture and exterior styling of the series. The Bilgin 163s are characterised by clean, straight lines that run from bow to aft; three cascading decks and a generous area forward. Bilgin and Unique Yacht Design have delivered a hull that hit the sweet sub-500 GT spot, and provided accommodation for as many as 12 guests.
Hot Lab was the design team enlisted for the interior styling of this 498 GT superyacht. As Enrico Lumini, Partner and Head of Design of Hot Lab explained, “Bilgin 163-I 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. A plastic minimalism, sober, but rich in details.” The studio has opted for a wide collection of natural materials from fine woods through to silken leathers.
The Bilgin 163 series also boasts more voluminous exterior spaces to its predecessors – 20 percent more, in fact. As a result, there is a “ sportive look to Bilgin 163” Emrecan Özgün of Unique Yacht Design contributed.
In terms of performance, the first unit from the Bilgin 163 series will be equipped with twin 1,450 CAT engines that will provide enough power to cruise at 12 knots and reach speeds of 17 knots.
