Turkish builder Bilgin Yachts has announced the sale of a new 82-metre superyacht known as Project Bond, which, when built, will become the shipyard's new flagship. The news was announced at the 2026 Palm Beach International Boat Show, in the presence of the yacht's owner, American businessman and entrepreneur, John Staluppi.
According to the yard, Project Bond has been designed as an evolution of Bilgin's 80-metre 263 platform and will be defined by "volume, light and long-range capability". Emrecan Özgün of Unique Yacht Design is responsible for the exterior styling and naval architecture, while Jonny Horsfield of H2 Yacht Design is behind the yacht's interiors - marking another collaboration between the design teams, who penned all three of the yard's 80-metre Bilgin 263 builds.
At 82 metres, Project Bond will surpass the yard's trio of 80-metre flagship builds, Tatiana, Leona and the recently unveiled Al Reem.
Project Bond is defined by modern exterior lines, and will feature a soft, immersive and open onboard experience thanks to expansive, floor-to-ceiling glazing, according to the yard. Highlighting the yacht's personal touch, Staluppi's wife, Jeanette, will be involved in the yacht's interior design - particularly in the layout, the onboard atmosphere and the "way the spaces are lived in".
“I chose to build my next 82-metre superyacht with Bilgin because of their exceptional flexibility and genuine willingness to adapt to my vision as the client. They embraced innovative design solutions that perfectly balance cutting-edge performance with uncompromising comfort," explained Staluppi, who has owned 18 yachts throughout his life, each one named after James Bond films following a fascination that began in childhood.
He continued: "This yacht is thoughtfully engineered for the American market with a minimal draught [of 3.6 metres] for accessing more harbours and shallow cruising grounds while still delivering true worldwide capability and impressive high speeds that never sacrifice the smooth, luxurious ride I demand.” Project Bond will become the largest yacht Staluppi has ever owned.
The sale was overseen by Berkay Yılmaz, commercial director of Bilgin Yachts, Simon Graham, sales broker at FGI Yacht Group and yachting advisor Peter Thompson. "I've known John and Jeanette for nearly 20 years, and this Bilgin 82-metre is classic Staluppi, bold yet practical," said Graham. "Bilgin's adaptability made the process seamless; they listened, innovated and delivered exactly what they envisioned." Project Bond stands as the third new-build sale between the brokerage firm and the shipyard.
Speaking of the new flagship, Graham continued: "With its shallow draught for easy access to all their favourite spots, worldwide range and speed that feels effortless and stable, it's perfectly suited to the American market while ready for anywhere. Jeanette's input shines through in the luxurious, her vision and skill in designing the interior is going to set this 82-metre apart from anything ever built. It's going to be spectacular.”
Peter Thompson added: “Project Bond is a true meeting of minds, bringing that signature Staluppi, sleek, racy line together with the optimised engineering and palatial interiors we have all come to expect from yachting’s most passionate yacht owner.”
Alongside her shallow draught, the 82-metre build will offer a 5,000-nautical-mile range, a top speed of 17.5 knots and a cruising speed of 15 knots, with power from twin MTU 16V 4000M73 engines. Other key specs include a 13-metre beam and a volume of 2,150GT. Further details on the new flagship's layout and general arrangement will be announced in due course.
According to BOATPro, the shipyard currently has 14 yachts in build or on order. The announcement comes weeks after Bilgin offered a first look inside the third unit from its 263 series, Al Reem.
Read More/Al Reem: The final Bilgin 263 refined for volume, silence and style