The Feadship Olympia, launched in 1969, is back at the Royal De Vries shipyard. The megayacht is undergoing a top-to-bottom refit lasting through next year.
The 84’6” (25.8-meter) megayacht was originally christened Monara (below) for an Italian owner. She subsequently sold and was rechristened Olympia. She has borne that name for the past several years. She’s not “just” a classic yacht being restored, though. Her history is noteworthy. The Feadship Olympia was commissioned as the sistership to Din-Dina III (now Sultana), the latter for yet another Italian owner. Interesting enough, the Italian ties go even deeper. Famed boatbuilder Carlo Riva collaborated with Feadship and the De Voogt design office in the early 1960s. In customary Italian fashion, he helped imbue Feadships with more flair. Feadship had a few yachts built in Italy during this period. The business partnership ended in the late 1960s, due to the weak Italian economy. However, Riva’s influence remained. The original owner of Olympia was just one client inspired to commission a yacht as a result.
The Feadship Olympia undoubtedly reflects the styling of the decade. Note, for example, the canoe stern and the pronounced bow flare. Thankfully that classic appeal will remain through the refit. Olympia’s traditional appeal is being preserved inside, too. The megayacht’s accommodations, for eight, were already stripped out over the summer, prior to Olympia arriving at Feadship. The owner and crew wanted to ensure that there were no corrosion problems, which thankfully did not materialize.
In yet another tie to the past, the Feadship Olympia is being restored by the same team that refitted Sultana nearly two years ago. The owner of Olympia followed the progress of the year-long refit. The owner of Sultana was quite satisfied with the work, further helping settle the decision.
One final historic connection: The Feadship Olympia will be rechristened Monara come springtime 2015.
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