Third 52m Bilgin 170 superyacht sold with 2027 delivery

Turkish shipyard Bilgin Yachts has announced the sale of the third unit from its 52-metre Bilgin 170 yacht series. Construction is already well underway on the build – now codenamed Project Apogee and previously known only as hull NB84 – with delivery scheduled for summer 2027. 

The sale was completed with AJ Blackmon of Ikonic Yachts, who represented the buyer, and Bilgin's commercial director Berkay Yılmaz, who represented the shipyard. The brokerage firm will remain involved throughout the build as the owner's representative. 

Project Apogee follows Tamasha and Ada, the first and second units from the semi-custom series, which were both delivered this year. The Bilgin 170 model was born from a collaboration between Unique Yacht Design (for the exterior and naval architecture) and Hot Lab (for the interiors), developed to build upon the yard's existing Bilgin 163 platform.

 According to Emrecan Özgün, owner and founder of Unique Yacht Design, the brief for the design revolved around offering the "exterior spaces typically found on 60-metre yachts within a sub-500GT platform." 

As such, the model features a layout organised around a private upper-deck owner's suite with a private balcony, a second balcony serving the main-deck VIP cabin and a beach club that opens the stern to the water. Accommodation is for 12 guests in six cabins, in addition to quarters for eight crew plus a captain.

"I am delighted that the 52-metre Bilgin 170 has found her owner during a stage where we do offer fast delivery with some customisation options," said Yılmaz. "Project Apogee is going to be a spectacular yacht, and I personally thank AJ [Blackmon] and his team for their professionalism and their input during the contract and specification discussion process. They knew what they wanted for their needs, and we supported them to achieve their vision."

Blackmon added: "Project Apogee is the start of a partnership we're genuinely proud of. Every conversation led to the same conclusion: Bilgin's current build quality and engineering are outstanding, and Berkay and his team understand what client service really means. They listen, they act on feedback, and they earn trust instead of assuming it. The best is yet to come."

Key specs include a 499GT volume, a 9.25-metre beam and a 2.6-metre draught. The yacht's top speed is expected to reach 16 knots, with a 5,000-nautical-mile range at a cruising speed of 10 knots. 

BOATPro records the shipyard to have 11 yachts currently under construction, including its new flagship, the 82-metre Project Bond. BOAT recently sat down with H2 Yacht Design's owner and creative director, Jonny Horsfield, to find out more about her newly-unveiled interiors.