Turkish shipyard Bering Yachts has announced that the keel has been laid for the first unit from its flagship 49.4-metre Bering 165 explorer yacht series. The construction milestone follows the news of the yacht's contract signing in January, where Aberton Yachts represented the owner.
The Bering 165 stands as the largest offering from the shipyard's newly established Superyacht division – offering 499GT across a five-deck layout – and is said to feel "significantly larger than her length suggests". The model has been developed in collaboration with Swiss studio Valentin Design for the exterior styling, Aberton Yachts for the general arrangement and Turkish studio Eureka Yachts for the engineering. Delivery of the new build is scheduled for 2029.
On board, the Bering 165 offers five guest suites in addition to a dedicated owner's deck of nearly 70 square metres, complete with a full-beam master suite, large en-suite, walk-in wardrobe, separate study-cum-lounge, a private pantry and dumbwaiter service. The private deck also benefits from a secluded aft terrace with a Jacuzzi, sunbeds, a sofa and a coffee table.
Other onboard highlights include the bridge deck, with its indoor-outdoor lounge, sit-up bar and open-air cinema with a firepit, and the private crow’s nest lookout offering 360-degree panoramic views from the hardtop.
“This is a very special project for us at Valentin Design," said the studio's co-director and designer, Valentin Weigand. "I’m genuinely thrilled with how warmly the market has received it and the strong interest it’s already generating in the superyacht segment. We are happy to create a yacht that feels truly unique and perfectly tailored to what today’s clients are looking for."
The B165 will be powered by twin 1,300hp Caterpillar engines, set to provide a 10-knot cruising speed and a top speed of 15 knots, in addition to a range in excess of 5,000 nautical miles at an economical speed. The yacht will be fitted with stabilisation systems for comfort underway and at anchor.
The shipyard also noted the explorer's "exceptionally spacious and future-ready" engine room, which has ample room reserved for hybrid propulsion and a large battery bank if desired by the owner later.
“The B165 is built on a strong engineering foundation, allowing flexibility for optimisation and customisation throughout the build process," said a spokesperson from Eureka Yachts. "As the project progresses, we expect validation of the design performance, completion of system integration and finalisation of onboard comfort standards. Ultimately, we believe this yacht will stand out as a well-balanced and highly capable long-range vessel.”
Igor Cherentaev, yacht broker at Aberton Yachts, concluded: “This boat has one of the most thoughtfully designed layouts we’ve seen in the sub-500 GT class. It’s packed with smart, practical solutions that make living on board incredibly comfortable and functional."
According to Bering Yachts, discussions for additional hulls are already underway. The sale comes at a busy time for the Turkish yard, which recently launched the second hull from its rebranded Bering 88 explorer yacht line. BOATPro indicates a total of six 24-metre plus yachts currently under construction or on order at the yard.
Read More/Second hull of rebranded Bering 88 launched