Bilgin's 80m red-hulled Leona hits the water

Turkish shipyard Bilgin Yacht has sent the second hull in its 80 metre Bilgin 263 series into the water at the yard's outfitting facilities in Istanbul.

The new yacht has been named Leona and features a striking scarlet hull courtesy of Antalya-based Unique Yacht Design. Interiors come from H2 Yacht Design and the project marks the ninth collaboration between the shipyard and the British design studio.

Unique Yacht Design CEO and founder Emrecan Özgün has said the exterior lines of the steel displacement hull and aluminium superstructure, “remind [him] of a real bullet when seen from above.” He added: “We created a very attractive yacht with a sleek and sexy profile while avoiding a high dosage of design clichés”.

Leona has a number of differences to her sistership Tatiana. “Although the general layout is essentially identical and the yachts offer accommodation for up to 10 guests, Leona has more emphasis on space with cabin numbers being reduced to provide larger accommodation,” commented Jonny Horsfield of H2 Yacht Design.

Two VIP cabins with his and her dressing rooms and en suite facilities are found on the main deck while two guest cabins are found below. An owner's deck provides access to a private foredeck and pool. Also on the lower deck is additional storage, a theatre room, gym and sauna.

Her main saloon features a striking tiger onyx island fireplace with fish tank, intentionally placed as a partition between the lounge and formal dining space.

Similarly to Tatiana, there is a large pool in the beach club area. Here, there are Greek statues sitting on water outlets with integrated lighting and an overhead decorated with fibre optic lights to give the appearance of the night sky.

The yacht is expected to have a gross tonnage of around 1,689. According to BOAT Pro, there is a third hull in the 263 series under construction and is one of eight yachts currently in build at Bilgin Yacht.

The series emphasizes eco-friendliness, featuring a special exhaust system that claims to provide 100 per cent clean air emissions. With MTU 16V 4000M73 twin 2560kw engines, she has a cruising speed of 15 knots and a top speed of 19 knots.

She is expected to begin sea trials off the coast of Istanbul towards the end of 2022, with delivery in 2024.