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Amazing 80m mega yacht TATIANA: An in-depth look at Bilgin’s Flagship

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Written by Rachael Steele

Luxury yacht TATIANA was launched by Turkish shipyard Bilgin Yachts in February 2020, and at 80m/263ft it is the largest build from the shipyard to date. As the second Bilgin 263 model is sold and the third enters construction, it’s now possible to see the recently released imagery for TATIANA with reveals what has made this luxury yacht an instant success on the market even in such a tumultuous year.

80m Mega Yacht TATIANA by Bilgin Yachts

The naval architecture and exterior styling both come from Unique Yacht Design, while H2 Yacht Design created her appealing interiors. The steel hull and aluminium superstructure have a masculine appearance created by sharp lines and a more traditional colour scheme of dark and light grey, most often associated with military vessels. With the increase in on board space comes a tendency to create a broad and bulky hull, however by elongating the deck areas M/Y TATIANA keeps a sleek and stylish profile that maximises space utilisation, particularly when adding swimming pools to the decks.

80m superyacht TATIANA by Bilgin Yachts

Outdoor living is prized, allowing the Owner and guests to savour every moment cruising in such destinations as the Mediterranean charter grounds, taking in the beauty of the Turkish Riviera and the Dalmatian Coast before cruising on to the heart of the summer social scene along the French Riviera .

Superyacht TATIANA is designed with large dockside gatherings in mind: Guests will disembark onto the large swim platform and enter the magnificent beach club within. The tenders and water toys are instead stored in the bow section beneath a flush foredeck cover, ensuring that space can still be used for such functions as exercise and sunbathing.

The spectacular beach club by night

The main deck aft, meanwhile, hosts a desirable swimming pool of 8.5m/27.9ft in length and a depth of 1.4m/4.6ft – perfect for cooling off on hot summer days or exercising after dark when the water toys are safely stowed away. Although there are sunbeds running the length of both sides of the pool, the group might also like to rest and dry off on the sofa/sunbeds farther forward in the alfresco lounge area. Here, there is quick access to the bar where the talented crew can create a range of colourful cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages to suit all ages and occasions.

Main deck pool

Pool on the main deck

The upper deck aft is the main alfresco dining area and offers an extensive dining table with a bar to port and aft-facing seating behind to enjoy an aperitif or a nightcap while watching the blazing sunset. Canvas shades are available to keep off the midday sun and light sea spray.

The Owner’s deck is divided into fore and aft sections that also have optional canvas shades. The aft section is dedicated to lounging and sunbathing, with a plush sunbed along the stern and close to the glass sliding doors to the interior a sofa on both sides with a coffee table in between. The forward deck area is fitted with a sofa/sunbed on both sides and a forward Jacuzzi that will be coveted place to unwind while having uninterrupted views of the stunning Ionian Islands white cliffs, the regattas at Porto Cervo in Sardinia and the amazing cities of the Cote d’Azur .

Owner’s Deck Aft Sitting Area

Large windows and private terraces connect the interior and exterior spaces: At night, the warm glow of the lighting across the decks makes her as much of a show-stopper as a welcome home on the water during an extensive cruise. It is this lighting which draws guests into the understated elegance of the contemporary interiors by H2 Yacht Design, and the beach club is likely to be one of the first spaces guests and visitors enter by. The light and spacious interior are achieved using Macassar veneer and light eucalyptus. The top-quality marble is back-lit to bring out its details, further complemented by carved stone and emphasised textures.

Beach Club interior

A swimming pool runs through the centre of the aft beach club section, further illuminated by glass panels in the swimming pool on the main deck above. Farther forward, the beach club opens up to reveal a bar, plush lounges with top-quality TV entertainment and audio systems, a hammam and a spa massage room. Fold-down terraces further extend the space for sunbathing and lounging while simultaneously opening the interior up to the sunshine and fresh sea air.

Elsewhere on board there is an ambient cinema that has dark textures walls and two rows of matching silvery sofas. A coffee table also presents the possibility of using this space as another quiet lounge for close conversation.

The fully-equipped gym has a running machine, rowing machine and a range of free weights amongst its workout choices, and a widescreen TV will provide entertainment and motivation in the calm, bright white surroundings.

The main deck salon uses pale cream tones, slate blue and silvery mirror surfaces to create an ambience associated with the open sky. This is reflected in the colour scheme and subject matter of the surrounding artwork, adding to the serenity when dining beneath the sensational custom chandelier, or planning for the day ahead on the sumptuous sofas or armchairs. A widescreen TV separates the dining and lounging areas, and it can be viewed from both sides so that the group never misses a moment of the latest news and sports.

Main Deck Saloon with elegant decor

The skylounge is a dream-like sports lounge with an eye-catching back-lit bar, a pool table, grand piano and armchairs scattered throughout two semi-circular sofas and coffee tables create a cosy place to relax and watch live-action or a film on the widescreen TV, with the mirrored ceiling and matching walls creating an intimate environment after sundown.

Upper Deck Skylounge

The guest accommodation is just as beautiful and pristine in colour choice and furnishings. There are 8 en-suite cabins spread across the decks to sleep up to 14 guests: 1 Master suite, 3 VIP staterooms and 4 further guest cabins comprised of doubles and twins.

Owner Deck- Master Suite

The Master suite is placed on the Owner’s deck and has its own private office as well as a massive stately bedroom in white, grey, dark teal and gold. The king-sized bed takes centre stage, however, there is also a day bed for reading and unwinding beside the window, a massive widescreen TV integrated into the port and starboard walls, a seating area with table for casual meals and drinks, all with fantastic views out onto the aft terrace. The en-suite bathroom has everything the occupants could desire, with twin sinks, a bathtub and shower within the well-proportioned interior.

Main Deck VIP Guest Cabin

All three VIP staterooms are situated on the main deck and have queen-sized beds within each voluminous room. The windows are almost full-height, granting the occupants excellent views and natural lighting while maintaining privacy within. A widescreen TV is placed in the wall opposite the bed, and the storage is integrated seamlessly into the surroundings. The en-suite bathroom is finished in marble and has twin sinks and bathtub with shower.

Lower Deck Guest Twin Cabin

The remaining guest cabins on the lower deck enjoy an abundance of space as well as cutting edge amenities and en-suite facilities, making these bedrooms just as much of a tranquil haven after a busy day.

The crew of 23 are accommodated on the lower deck, and their areas have received just as much attention to detail. There is a crew mess for meals and downtime, and the team of professional chefs have plenty of space in the cutting-edge galley to prepare stunning creations for everyday meals or to mark a special celebration.

Exterior of motor yacht TATIANA

The engineering is just as impressive with a pair of engines and a generator producing a top speed of 19 knots, a cruising speed of 12 knots and an extensive range of more than 6,000 nautical miles. The fuel capacity draws on 155,000 litres and has an economical fuel consumption of approximately 250 litres per hour.

Luxury yacht TATIANA is built to IMO Tier III certification and at the time of writing is the cleanest yacht in her class: The special exhaust system aboard M/Y TATIANA produces 100% clean air emissions that further enhances her eco-friendly credentials for a greener future for travel.

Bilgin Yachts is also currently building a 50m/164ft and 74m/242.8ft luxury yacht both due for launch in 2022, plus a new 85m/278.9ft superyacht due for launch in 2023 when she will become the new flagship for the yard.

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "Amazing 80m mega yacht TATIANA: An in-depth look at Bilgin's Flagship".

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Bilgin launches largest Turkish-built superyacht: 80m TATIANA

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By Katia Damborsky   21 February 2020

The first hull in the Bilgin 263 series, the 80m/ 263ft motor yacht TATIANA has been launched at Bilgin's facilities in Turkey today.

The largest yacht ever built in Turkey hit the water today during a private launch ceremony at Bilgin's yard in West Instanbul.

TATIANA  will now undergo outfitting before her new Owner takes delivery in spring or early summer 2020.

The exterior design and naval architecture of the motor yacht come from Turkish designers Unique Yacht Design. London-based studio H2 Yacht Design has crafted her elegant interiors.

TATIANA sports sleek and streamlined exterior styling and plenty of exterior deck areas. On-board highlights include a generous spa pool on the upper deck forward and a large pool on the aft deck with glass fronting. Lounging and dining areas are evident across all the yacht's ample deck spaces.

Accommodation is offered for 16 guests in eight cabins, including a master suite, three VIPs and four double cabins. Meanwhile, the crew quarters allow for a staff of up to 24 people.

[She is] atrendsetter among steel-aluminium superyachts of today. Emrecan Özgün, Chief executive and founder of Unique Yacht Design

The yacht was sold to a three-time Bilgin client who purchased the yacht in October 2015. Construction began in March 2016.

Chief executive and founder of Unique Yacht Design, Emrecan Özgün, described Tatiana as a "trendsetter among steel-aluminium superyachts of today."

He continued: "With her design and comfort elements, the Bilgin 263 is truly one-of-a-kind. We created a very attractive yacht with a sleek and sexy profile while avoiding high dosage design clichés."

We created a very attractive yacht with a sleek and sexy profile while avoiding high dosage design clichés. EMRECAN ÖZGÜN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND FOUNDER OF UNIQUE YACHT DESIGN

TATIANA is the first in the 263 series. The second is set to launch later this year, while the third will be delivered in 2021. 

It is not yet known whether TATIANA will become available for private yacht charters .

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Bilgin 80m Superyacht Tatiana

From the piercing bow to the full-beam beach club, Bilgin Yachts’ 80-meter luxury superyacht Tatiana invites a breathtaking visual sweep from stem to stern. Launched in February of 2020, this Bilgin flagship is the standard-bearer for two additional yachts in the 263 series to be delivered in the next couple of years.

Synergies of Style

Tatiana is the largest build to date to emerge from the Bilgin yard, displaying talents owned by the industry’s best, in harmony with the owner’s vision. Transferring passion to page, Unique Yacht Design penned the design for Tatiana’s classic new profile. Based in Antalya, Turkey, Unique Yacht Design founder Emrecan Özgün looks to Tatiana as “A trendsetter among her contemporaries,” owing to her aesthetics, quality, and elegance, paired with her economical operation.

Emphasizing quality and sustainability, the Bilgin brand borne by Tatiana serves to confirm the yard’s elite status as a member of Turkey’s yacht-building hub. Closely following Italy and the Netherlands as a top shipbuilding destination, forty-eight Turkish yacht builders have delivered more than 440 luxury yachts in the past twenty years. Owning five generations of boat building history reaching back to the early 1900s, Bilgin Yachts has turned out modern, handcrafted boats since the 1960s. Bilgin currently operates four shipyards in Istanbul, six facilities in total, with their own in-house furniture production and marine stainless steel mechanical workshop. The company produces cabinetry, fittings, hardware, cranes, gangways, deck railings, and dozens of other pieces so integral to a quality yacht build, maintaining 90 percent of each build in-house.

Lastly, embracing a gracious human touch, H2 Yacht Design created a wealth of welcoming spaces conducive to social gatherings. Contemporary yet comfortable, with exceptional connection to the sea, Tatiana is both balanced and beautiful. H2 Yacht Design’s Johnny Horsfield describes Tatiana’s crisp, contemporary design as being built with “layers of luxury.”

By the Numbers

Tatiana’s 1,680 GT 80-meter steel displacement hull and aluminum superstructure has a beam just over 12 meters and a draft of 3.5 meters. She is fitted with an environmentally-aware exhaust system providing 100% clean air emissions meeting the most current IMO Tier III standards. Two 2,560 kW engines power Tatiana to a top speed of 19 knots. At a cruising speed of 11 knots, Tatiana can go on a 5,000 nautical mile adventure.

Tatiana easily hosts a dozen guests in eight staterooms, each with en suite bath. Appointments are luxurious without pretension, instead embellishing the yacht’s focus on comfort and natural light.

The owner’s deck sits forward at the very top of the yacht. Additionally, three VIP staterooms and four double/twin staterooms are located on the main and lower decks. Accommodations for 23 crew are located forward on the lower deck, with adjacent crew mess, lounge, laundry, and separate service stair leading to the main deck galley. 

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Welcome to the New Build section of Bilgin Yachts! Currently, we`re excited to have 11 ongoing projects underway, including the impressive 263-III, the sleek 243, and a range of luxurious vessels like the 163 series and the majestic 170 and 173 models. Explore our ongoing endeavors and witness the craftsmanship and innovation that define Bilgin Yachts.

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Hot on the trail of 56 superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs and subject to seizure

• Published: Mar. 06, 2022, 2:04 p.m.

French authorities have seized the yacht Amore Vero linked to Igor Sechin, a Putin ally who runs Russian oil giant Rosneft, as part of EU sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The boat arrived in La Ciotat on Jan. 3 for repairs and was slated to stay until April 1 and was seized to prevent an attempted departure. (AP Photo/Bishr Eltoni) AP

• The Associated Press

The massive superyacht Dilbar stretches one-and-a-half football fields in length, about as long as a World War I dreadnought. It boasts two helipads, berths for more than 130 people and a 25-meter swimming pool long enough to accommodate another whole superyacht.

Dilbar was launched in 2016 at a reported cost of more than $648 million. Five years on, its purported owner, the Kremlin-aligned Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, was already dissatisfied and sent the vessel to a German shipyard last fall for a retrofit reportedly costing another couple hundred million dollars.

That’s where she lay in drydock on Thursday when the United States and European Union announced economic sanctions against Usmanov — a metals magnate and early investor in Facebook — over his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.

“We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets,” President Joe Biden said during his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, addressing the oligarchs. “We are coming for your ill-begotten gains.”

But actually seizing the behemoth boats could prove challenging. Russian billionaires have had decades to shield their money and assets in the West from governments that might try to tax or seize them.

Several media outlets reported Wednesday that German authorities had impounded Dilbar. But a spokeswoman for Hamburg state’s economy ministry told The Associated Press no such action had yet been taken because it had been unable to establish ownership of the yacht, which is named for Usmanov’s mother.

Dilbar is flagged in the Cayman Islands and registered to a holding company in Malta, two secretive banking havens where the global ultra-rich often park their wealth.

Still, in the industry that caters to the exclusive club of billionaires and centimillionaires that can afford to buy, crew and maintain superyachts, it is often an open secret who owns what.

Working with the U.K.-based yacht valuation firm VesselsValue, the AP compiled a list of 56 superyachts — generally defined as luxury vessels exceeding 79 feet in length — believed to be owned by a few dozen Kremlin-aligned oligarchs, seaborne assets with a combined market value estimated at more than $5.4 billion.

The AP then used two online services — VesselFinder and MarineTraffic — to plot the last known locations of the yachts as relayed by their onboard tracking beacons.

While many are still anchored at or near sun-splashed playgrounds in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, more than a dozen were underway to or had already arrived in remote ports in small nations such as the Maldives and Montenegro, potentially beyond the reach of Western sanctions. Three are moored in Dubai, where many wealthy Russians have vacation homes.

Another three had gone dark, their transponders last pinging just outside the Bosporus in Turkey — gateway to the Black Sea and the southern Russian ports of Sochi and Novorossiysk.

Graceful, a German-built Russian-flagged superyacht believed to belong to Putin, left a repair yard in Hamburg on Feb. 7, two weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine. It is now moored in the Russian Baltic port of Kaliningrad, beyond the reach of Western sanctions imposed against him this past week.

Some Russian oligarchs appear to have not gotten the memo to move their superyachts, despite weeks of public warnings of Putin’s planned invasion.

French authorities seized the superyacht Amore Vero on Thursday in the Mediterranean resort town of La Ciotat. The boat is believed to belong to Igor Sechin, a Putin ally who runs Russian oil giant Rosneft, which has been on the U.S. sanctions list since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

The French Finance Ministry said in a statement that customs authorities boarded the 289-foot Amore Vero and discovered its crew was preparing for an urgent departure, even though planned repair work wasn’t finished. The $120 million boat is registered to a company that lists Sechin as its primary shareholder.

On Saturday, Italian financial police in the port of San Remo seized the 132-foot superyacht Lena, which is flagged in the British Virgin Islands. Authorities said the boat belongs to Gennady Timchenko, an oligarch close to Putin and among those sanctioned by the European Union. With an estimated net worth of $16.2 billion, Timchenko is the founder of the Volga Group, which specializes in investments in energy, transport and infrastructure assets.

The 213-foot Lady M was also seized by the Italians while moored in the Riviera port town of Imperia. In a tweet announcing the seizure on Friday, a spokesman for Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said the comparatively modest $27 million vessel was the property of sanctioned steel baron Alexei Mordashov, listed as Russia’s wealthiest man with a fortune of about $30 billion.

But Mordashov’s upsized yacht, the 464-foot Nord, was safely at anchor on Friday in the Seychelles, a tropical island chain in the Indian Ocean not under the jurisdiction of U.S. or EU sanctions. Among the world’s biggest superyachts, Nord has a market value of $500 million.

Since Friday, Italy has seized $156 million in luxury yachts and villas in some of its most picturesque destinations, including Sardinia, the Ligurian coast and Lake Como.

Most of the Russians on the annual Forbes list of billionaires have not yet been sanctioned by the United States and its allies, and their superyachts are still cruising the world’s oceans.

The evolution of oligarch yachts goes back to the tumultuous decade after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, as state oil and metals industries were sold off at rock-bottom prices, often to politically connected Russian businessmen and bankers who had provided loans to the new Russian state in exchange for the shares.

Russia’s nouveau riche began buying luxury yachts similar in size and expense to those owned by Silicon Valley billionaires, heads of state and royalty. It’s a key marker of status in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and size matters.

“No self-respecting Russian oligarch would be without a superyacht,” said William Browder, a U.S.-born and now London-based financier who worked in Moscow for years before becoming one of the Putin regime’s most vocal foreign critics. “It’s part of the rite of passage to being an oligarch. It’s just a prerequisite.”

As their fortunes ballooned, there was something of an arms race among the oligarchs, with the richest among them accumulating personal fleets of ever more lavish boats.

For example, Russian metals and petroleum magnate Roman Abramovich is believed to have bought or built at least seven of the world’s largest yachts, some of which he has since sold off to other oligarchs.

In 2010, Abramovich launched the Bermuda-flagged Eclipse, which at 533 feet was at the time the world’s longest superyacht. Features include a wood-burning firepit and swimming pool that transforms into a dance floor. Eclipse also boasts its own helicopter hangar and an undersea bay that reportedly holds a mini-sub.

Dennis Cauiser, a superyacht analyst with VesselsFinder, said oligarch boats often include secret security measures worthy of a Bond villain, including underwater escape hatches, bulletproof windows and armored panic rooms.

“Eclipse is equipped with all sorts of special features, including missile launchers and self-defense systems on board,” Cauiser said. “It has a secret submarine evacuation area and things like that.”

Eclipse was soon eclipsed by Azzam, purportedly owned by the emir of Abu Dhabi, which claimed the title of longest yacht when it was launched in 2013. Three years after that, Usmanov launched Dilbar, which replaced another slightly smaller yacht by the same name. The new Dilbar is the world’s largest yacht by volume.

Abramovich, whose fortune is estimated at $12.4 billion, fired back last year by launching Solaris. While not as long as Eclipse or as big as Dilbar, the $600 million Bermuda-flagged boat is possibly even more luxurious. Eight stories tall, Solaris features a sleek palisade of broad teak-covered decks suitable for hosting a horde of well-heeled partygoers.

But no boat is top dog for long. At least 20 superyachts are reported to be under construction in various Northern European shipyards, including a $500 million superyacht being built for the American billionaire Jeff Bezos.

“It’s about ego,” Cauiser said. “They all want to have the best, the longest, the most valuable, the newest, the most luxurious.”

But, he added, the escalating U.S. and EU sanctions on Putin-aligned oligarchs and Russian banks have sent a chill through the industry, with boatbuilders and staff worried they won’t be paid. It can cost upwards of $50 million a year to crew, fuel and maintain a superyacht.

The crash of the ruble and the tanking of Moscow stock market have depleted the fortunes of Russia’s elite, with several people dropping off the list of Forbes billionaires last week. Cauiser said he expects some oligarch superyachts will soon quietly be listed by brokers at fire-sale prices.

The 237-foot Stella Maris, which was seen by an AP journalist docked this past week in Nice, France, was believed to be owned by Rashid Sardarov, a Russian billionaire oil and gas magnate. After publication of an earlier version of this story, AP was contacted Sunday by yacht broker Joan Plana Palao, who said his company represents a U.S. citizen from California who purchased the Stella Maris last month. He declined to disclose the name of the buyer or the person from whom the boat had been purchased.

On Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a new round of sanctions that included a press release touting Usmanov’s close ties to Putin and photos of Dilbar and the oligarch’s private jet, a custom-built 209-foot Airbus A340-300 passenger liner. Treasury said Usmanov’s aircraft is believed to have cost up to $500 million and is named Bourkhan, after his father.

Usmanov, whose fortune has recently shrunk to about $17 billion, criticized the sanctions.

“I believe that such a decision is unfair and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honor, dignity and business reputation,” he said in a statement issued through the website of the International Fencing Federation, of which he has served as president since 2008.

Abramovich has not yet been sanctioned. Members of the British Parliament have criticized Prime Minister Boris Johnson for not going after Abramovich’s U.K.-based assets, which include the professional soccer club Chelsea. Under mounting pressure, the oligarch announced this past week he would sell the $2.5 billion team and give the net proceeds “for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, location transponders showed Solaris moored in Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday. Eclipse set sail from St. Maarten late Thursday and is underway in the Caribbean Sea, destination undisclosed.

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