Al Reem is one of a trio, but also very much its own

As the third and final hull in the Bilgin 263 series, the 80-metre Al Reem is cut from the same cloth as her sisterships yet follows her own pattern. Conceived not as a repetition but as a design and operational evolution, Al Reem prioritises comfort, stability and long-range cruising for an owner who has virtually lived aboard since taking delivery in July 2025.

It all began three years ago when the client, who previously owned several Italian-built yachts, visited Bilgin’s facilities on the western shores of the Bosphorus where Tatiana, the first in the series, was undergoing routine maintenance. Wooed by Tatiana’s commanding presence and svelte good looks, the client requested a tour and was immediately seduced by what he found.

“He just loved the look and feel of the yacht and decided there and then to acquire the third hull, but he had a few specific changes he wanted to make, inside and out, ” says Tuğba Şengün, Bilgin Yachts’ marketing director.

Tatiana heralded a new era for the familyowned shipyard when she was delivered in 2019. She was the largest private yacht to come out of Turkey at the time, not to mention the biggest build from Bilgin, and she was admired for her “bullet-like bow” and statement stern area with a two-level beach club.

Jonny Horsfield, founder of H2 Yacht Design, who penned the interiors for all three sisterships, says the focus of Tatiana’s interior was fitting a long list of owner-centred amenities and multiple entertainment spaces within the yacht’s streamlined footprint.

Unlike Tatiana’s owner, who was happy to trade volume for elegance, Al Reem’s owner set out to build the most voluminous yacht in the series while retaining the aggressive profile defined by Unique Yacht Design.

That led to an extension to the upper and bridge decks – two metres forward and two-and-a-half metres aft – allowing for a waterfall that cascades from the upper deck into a six-metre mosaic-lined infinity swimming pool on the main aft deck; the pool’s glass front makes for a wow-factor feature at the stern.

As well as giving 20 per cent more outdoor living space, the extended deck overhangs increase the amount of shaded deck area, something that a growing number of owners today are seeking, says Şengün. Additional triangular-shaped removable sun shades on every level drive that theory home.

The biggest challenge for the Turkish yard was finding a way to integrate the larger, redesigned superstructure and increased volume within the envelope of the existing hull. It required “intense naval architectural refinement”, says the builder, but the effort paid off.

Al Reem boasts 1,758GT of interior volume – nearly 100GT more than the first hull – without compromising her top speed of 19 knots or 6,000-nautical-mile range, and without extending the 80-metre LOA.

Al Reem’s exterior delivers what Emrecan Özgün, founder of Unique Yacht Design, describes as “the facelift version of the series”. It’s defined by a sharper, more assertive profile with redesigned side windows and vertical forward glazing. The foredeck is a minimalist homage to teak wood, while the superstructure is finished in metallic grey. Even the mast was designed to be 20 per cent larger than the previous models to enhance the yacht’s bold stance on the water.

“Our intention was to soften the surfaces while keeping the yacht fast and aggressive in profile,” says Özgün. “The redesigned window geometry allowed us to gain volume and daylight without compromising the character of the series.”

Just as important for Al Reem’s owner, who mandated a “less is more philosophy”, was the removal of the exterior bar on the main deck aft to allow for an uninterrupted view from the forward end of the main saloon, through a large picture window aft of the main saloon, and out to sea.

While her sisters have a centrally placed fixed television and dramatic fish tank, Al Reem’s main living area has no interior obstructions, only the waterfall flowing outdoors, through which the owner can take in views of his surroundings and beyond. In the interest of convenience, an integrated TV screen descends from the saloon’s ceiling when required.

The owner embraces a life deliberately free from clutter and complex detail,” says owner’s representative, Marino Perkusic. “This minimalist approach, coupled with sparse furnishings, amplifies the effect of the natural light pouring through the expansive windows,which creates an atmosphere of profound tranquillity and spaciousness.”

“We created a true private apartment that flows seamlessly onto a private forward deck”

It’s nearly nightfall when I step aboard the yacht, which sits at anchor in West Istanbul Marina adjacent to Bilgin’s headquarters, yet even in the fading daylight she still cuts an imposing figure on water. I enter through the full-beam main saloon, which feels vast yet inviting, a cocooning tableau of dreamy neutral tones.

Calacatta oro marble and polished stainlesssteel columns reflect light around the convivial social area. The bespoke marble dining table with backlit agate detailing is a staple piece within the light interior colour palette.

“The previous hulls taught us how far we could push the boundaries of Turkish craftsmanship”

Throughout the interior, clean architectural edges provide refinement, and curved furniture and circular details introduce a softer, more comforting atmosphere. It ensures that even within a successful series like the Bilgin 263, no two (or three) vessels feel alike.

The previous hulls taught us just how far we could push the boundaries of Turkish craftsmanship,” says Horsfield. “While Tatiana and Leona feature bold, high-contrast colours, they were key in developing the material layering techniques that we have now evolved for the lighter, airier look of Al Reem.”

A contemporary interior was high on the owner’s list of prerequisites. The British studio used a combination of hidden ambient lighting, including backlit marble, to set a relaxed mood and enhance the yacht’s increased volume.

Al Reem’s owner set out to build the most voluminous yacht in the servies while retaining the aggressive performance profile defined by unique yachting design

Bleached oak, soft leathers and polished stainless-steel accents serve as anchor materials, layered with a mix of “homely materials” such as glass, marble and silk carpets to “add depth without creating ‘visual noise’,” says Horsfield.

“By playing with subtle contrast, such as matt wood grains against reflective metal and soft textiles, we achieved a multidimensional feel,” Horsfield continues. “[It] ensures the interior feels detailed and luxurious when viewed up close, while remaining calm and harmonious at a glance.”

Another owner requirement was the spotlighting of his personal art collection. His intention was to turn the yacht into “a subtly moving gallery” by placing selected artworks at the forefront of the design, says Perkusic.

It’s achieved via dedicated focal points that ensure carefully curated pieces take centre stage. A case in point are the shiny chrome swimmer’s legs seemingly plunging into water that greet guests at the top of the staircase that winds its way from the main saloon to the beach club below. The sculpture replaces the bar that was included in the original general arrangement.

The beach club – which aboard Leona was the talk of the Monaco Yacht Show when she debuted – is less ornate grandeur, more refined retreat. A sizable 8.7-metre indoor saltwater swimming pool is lined in pale blue, white and grey tiles.

It’s accompanied by a second waterfall and a bar with a white onyx countertop, though it’s the dual fold-down shell doors either side – one with a private massage area (a concept inspired by Tatiana), the other with a dedicated steam room – that truly transform the area from beach club to sea-level spa.

Bleached synthetic teak flooring with grey caulking combines elegance with practicality. A third shell door amidships (outside of the beach club) allows for open-air workouts in the lower deck gym, with equipment sunk into the floor for increased headroom.

The beach club is less ornate grandeur, more refined retreat

Nearly 90 per cent of the yacht’s material selection and interior outfitting was carried out by Bilgin’s in-house team of 700 skilled craftspeople. This was particularly important when it came to the installation of stabiliserequipped beds from Norwegian company Stable – a first for Bilgin – which feature in the owner’s suite and VIPs. The owner requested these to eliminate movement and seasickness when underway at night, which presented a unique design challenge for Horsfield.

“We had to cleverly integrate the cabinetry and layout of cabins around these technical footprints without sacrificing the aesthetic flow,” he says. “We turned a technical necessity into a luxurious design feature that enhances both the yacht’s visual and sensory comfort.”

Bilgin’s in-house craftsmanship was also called upon to assist with the owner’s most sensitive of requirements – his aversion to noise, vibration and odours. Bilgin’s technical team consulted with specialists to deliver advanced sound insulation, vibration dampening and the management of odour and exhaust filtration. It’s the reason the shipyard referred to the build internally as Project Silence.

Once again, H2 addressed the technical requirement, this time by turning to appropriate material selection. Guest cabin walls are fitted with prefabricated sandwich panels designed by MBM Group for acoustic and thermal insulation. Soft fabric and leather wall panels and STURM yacht doors are used throughout the guest areas to achieve a “near silent” environment.

“These materials act as natural sound absorbers, softening the ‘bounce’ of noise in large open spaces and provide a more intimate, hushed atmosphere,” explains Horsfield. “Silence was treated as a design material.”

Even on the bridge at anchor with the generators running, sound and vibration levels are almost imperceptible, says Al Reem’s captain Ivan Franic. “You don’t hear anything – no engines, no generators. Navigation relies entirely on instruments, not sound feedback.”

“The previous hulls taught us how far we could push the boundaries of Turkish craftmanship”

Many of the soft aesthetic details, including the choice of carpets, are taken straight from Tatiana but executed in Al Reem’s colour palette of white, cream and beige. But when it came to the layout, one major change decided upon by Bilgin Yachts at the start of the project was to relocate the wheelhouse to the top deck. This gives the captain improved navigational visibility and allows the upper deck to become the owner’s private domain.

Repositioning the expansive owner’s forward suite affords views over the bow and maximises the sense of exclusivity and scale for the owner. There’s also an owner’s lounge with a cinema-sized screen (in addition to the lower-deck cinema) and large sofas for cosy movie nights.

“By dedicating this deck entirely to the owner’s use, we created a true private apartment that flows seamlessly onto a private forward deck, complete with its own Jacuzzi,” says Horsfield. When the party calls, Al Reem’s entertainment fit-out installed by Artsys and a third cinema setup, this time open-air on the bow, more than deliver.

“The owner embraces a life deliberately free from clutter and complex detail”

Whereas Tatiana’s eight-cabin layout was designed specifically for flexibility when chartering, Al Reem’s six-cabin layout – one master, two VIPs, two doubles and a twin – allows for larger guest cabins.

All the en suites enjoy heated mirrors to prevent them from steaming up, and underfloor heating, which, more unusually, also features on the marble treads of the central staircase. Its winding sculptural form connects all guest decks, as does the glass elevator that it wraps around.

Al Reem may be the last of the Bilgin 263 series, owing to the builder’s sights being set firmly on building even bigger yachts, like its largest project to date – the 86-metre spec build currently under construction at its specialised steel and aluminium construction facility in Yalova, Turkey.

But the three sisters’ legacy will live on through the design and layout improvements made on their builds that, according to Şengün, will be carried forward as standard in future designs. For the third and final act of its 263 series, Bilgin Yachts and the design teams behind this trifecta of yachts can rightfully take a proud bow

First published in the April 2026 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.