Which superyacht has a shisha lounge? "Leona", in a place where you would expect to find a massage room: directly in front of the side balcony of the beach club. This means that the small room is easy to ventilate and when the company closes the sliding glass door to the swimming pool, the vapours don't drift into the hall. There's no doubt about it, even here in the belly of the 80-metre yacht, things are different to those on yachts for US or European owners. The gold-decorated bar, marble columns and sprinkler statues throw arriving guests into a marvellous fairytale world that draws on a wide variety of eras.
Bilgin Yachts is geographically close to Arab customers, the shipyard is located just outside Istanbul and has been owned by the same family for five generations. Whether metal, mechanics or furniture - 90 per cent of all work on the models up to a theoretical 120 metres is carried out on site by 500 skilled workers. Now, in spring 2023, after four and a half years of construction, Bilgin delivered another mega-reference with the second 263. "Leona" is the sister of "Tatiana" and currently holds the title of "largest private yacht from Turkey" thanks to its even larger volume of 1730 gross tonnes.
"Leona" was the result of a collaboration
The structure and layout of the twelve-metre-wide steel and aluminium building are similar, and the basis is ultimately the same: a collaboration between Bilgin and Unique Yacht Design for the construction, layout and lines, with the interior again being designed by Bilgin. H2 Yacht Design with. However, the ladies differ in various details, for example "Leona's" superstructure is significantly more voluminous, the focus on the four guest floors is on size, height and spaciousness, in keeping with the above-average length of the owner.
This begins with 2.60 metre high ceilings even in the gym on the lower deck and continues with an owner's area extended aft, which the designers placed at the top of the five-deck vessel, above the bridge deck. "We have a palatial suite here and a separate lounge with access to a terrace with a private pool," says Emrecan Özgün, founder, director and chief designer of Unique Design. In addition to the master suite, there are only four guest bedrooms, two of which are VIPs on the forward main deck and two suites on the lower deck instead of the four on the "Tatiana". There, the third accommodation gives way to a large dressing room, in addition to the one on the owner's deck. This is where the first impression is confirmed that "Leona" was not designed for charter cruises, but is intended solely for the private pleasure of a family. A crew of 20 looks after the ten to a maximum of twelve guests on board.
External and internal values of "Leona"
The exterior is much the same as before. The very tapered shape at the bow is once again "slim, sporty and reminiscent of a projectile", says Bilgin Director Berkay Yilmaz, summarising the look. First and foremost, the colour scheme is different to that of the number one, "Leona" surprises with a bright red painted hull for a "more masculine aesthetic", Yilmaz continues. The mast design and the carbon handrails on the bridge deck are also in this direction. "This adds a touch of modernity and elegance," adds Özgün.
The interior is less modern, but all the more powerful. Fans of Scandinavian simplicity take a deep breath, on "Leona" the interior makes an appearance with maximum reverberation: lots of shine and gold compete with striking shapes and patterns in complementary colours. Walking through the rooms is like travelling through different countries - after all, the owner has travelled a lot around the world. In some rooms, everything is represented at once: patterned marble floors like in a palazzo, curved furniture from the world of Louis XIV and accessories from an African lodge - "Leona", the Latin word for "lioness", sends its regards.
Materials and surfaces are mixed
Added to this is a firework display of materials and surfaces: Wood finished with high-gloss lacquer, lots of leather, backlit onyx, mirrors, 18-carat gold, embroidered fabrics. "Every room was given a unique look," confirms Jonny Horsfield, founder of H2 Yacht Design. The tall, illuminated water tank from Bluworld, whose nozzles swirl the contents decoratively and cause bubbles to rise, provides a foretaste. The spectacular backdrop is the wall of the staircase: black marble with shimmering, round inserts. Guests step onto shining onyx steps, look through a transparent glass balustrade and hold on to a golden railing decorated with rings. All the work of Bilgin's in-house professionals.
In the lounge, a room divider attracts attention: a transversely perforated colossus made of onyx with an aquarium embedded in the upper section. Remote-controlled ethanol flames, an object by Planika, flicker from the lower section. All the furniture is by Roberto Cavalli, with various elements and accessories featuring wildlife: the chair covers and cushions on the Chesterfield sofas and armchairs are adorned with leopard prints, while the glazed window mullions are decorated with tiger stripes. While the lighting was purchased from Cantalupi, the glass chandeliers in the salon and suites are a co-production of Bilgin and Saken.
In comparison, the furnishings and colour palette of the Skylounge are restrained. The room on the bridge deck is dominated by a sofa area grouped in a circle, upholstered in blue velvet. The backdrop is formed by cream-coloured marble floors, walls and ceilings plus gold for the striped inlays and ornaments as well as parts of the ceiling panelling. The lower deck is almost monochrome, while in the cinema hall, guests will mainly see red. Two sofas with stools take centre stage, surrounded by ornamental wall coverings. On the owner's deck, Horsfield and his team set contemporary against traditional details. In the master suite, the colour focus is on a black and gold contrast, for "an opulent environment". For example, on the black carpet with golden dots is a sofa that also shimmers in gold. The platform bed is flanked by black agate tables and veined, vertical strips of dark Sahara marble that extend high above the ceiling and come together there. Elongated skylights sit in the glass block panelling, diffusing daylight across the scenery - an element that is repeated in the lounge, where various shades of purple set the tone. In the master bathroom, light-coloured marble and gold again define the ambience, glass mosaics hang from the ceiling and an ornament of gold and blue tiles appears in the shower.
Journey to ancient Greece
The beach club, which simply repeats the layout of "Tatiana", is also very lavish. "The design theme is completely different," emphasises Jonny Horsfield. The area transports guests to ancient Greece: white statues at the edge of the pool "spit" water into the blue-tiled pool. An artificial night sky by Barrisol stretches below the ceiling, the walls are adorned with illuminated reliefs depicting forest scenes and the floor is covered with marble tiles in grey and blue, laid in a diamond pattern. On the starboard side, a bar stocked with amethysts and agates serves thirsty guests.
The owners love films, and there are a total of 24 televisions on board, more or less hidden. QLED Samsung screens from 43 to 75 inches hang in the salons and suites, while Agath displays are concealed behind the bathroom mirrors and are only noticeable when they are switched on. Highly professional equipment delights the audience in the cinema: a 100-inch model from Sony, flanked by JBL loudspeakers from the equipment line for "real cinemas". On the aft bridge deck, visual entertainment is provided by an Epson laser projector plus K-Array loudspeakers. Operation is via more than 100 tablets and touchscreens, which even control the shower in the master bathroom or the fireplace on the upper deck.
How "Leona" is powered
The propulsion system is more traditional. "Leona" travels at up to 19 knots with two MTU engines. At a cruising speed of 12 knots, consumption is a maximum of 250 litres per hour; some yachts half the size swallow the same amount. There is one disadvantage: the high combustion temperatures produce large quantities of nitrogen oxides. Bilgin's yachts in the 80-metre series are the first Turkish-built yachts to meet IMO III standards thanks to SCR catalytic converters.
After "Leona", the shipyard is going big. In addition to the third 80-metre ship, a six-metre longer upgrade will be completed in two years. A 74-metre Bilgin 243 will be launched this summer, followed by a 52-metre 170 at the end of the year and another in 2025. The 163 series (50 metres) is also underway, and a second unit was sold in April 2023. The last "Tatiana" sister ship for the time being is in its final stages. Emrecan Özgün gives a preview of "Project Silence" and announces "25 per cent more space for interior and exterior rooms". The wheelhouse will be moved to the top, with owners residing above the main deck. For the time being, "Leona" remains the star of the shipyard. Bilgin director Berkay Yilmaz says with pride: "'Leona' is a masterpiece, the best yacht ever built in Turkey."
Technical data
- Length over everything: 80,00 m
- Length (waterline): 71,01 m
- Width: 12,20 m
- Depth: 3,50 m
- Displacement (full): 1450 t
- Gross tonnage: 1730 Gross Tons
- Material: Steel, aluminium
- Guests/crew: 12 / 20
- Motors: 2 x MTU 16V
- Engine power: 2560 kW
- Speed (max.): 19 kn
- Speed (travelling): 12 kn
- Range: 5000 nm
- Generators: 3 x G&M 210/150 kW
- Fuel: 168 000 l
- Water: 48 000 l
- Construction: Bilgin, Unique Yacht Design
- Exterior design: Bilgin, Unique Yacht Design
- Interior design: H2 Yacht Design
- Class: ABS, A1
- Shipyard: Bilgin Yachts, 2023
