“Loren and I are living the dream on Utopia IV.” So writes JR Ridinger, who with his wife Loren owns this newly delivered megayacht from Rossinavi.
The Ridingers just departed the shipyard aboard their 207-foot (63-meter) yacht this week. What’s more, they’re chronicling and sharing their travels via their personal social media channels. Their first stop: the picturesque port of Portofino, Italy. They didn’t stay long, though. The Ridingers and Utopia IV have an ambitious itinerary set for the next month. Monaco, the South of France, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and more are on their list.
If the Ridingers’ reactions so far are any indication, then truly, Utopia IV is a little slice of heaven for them. While in Portofino, for instance, JR Ridinger commented on how the yacht looked at night. “It was truly a sight to behold as this stunning vessel illuminated the harbor,” he writes on his website. “It’s hard to believe we are actually here and this is not a meditation, illusion or dream.”
He continues, “It was so farfetched and out of reach when first thought of, and the challenges of engaging the project were too complicated for most people to tackle.” The Ridingers commissioned Utopia IV as their first new build. While they’d owned yachts before, including a 150-footer they still have, all were brokerage buys. For this project, they wanted a larger, sporty-performing megayacht still usable in relatively shallow water.
The Rossi family, owners of the Rossinavi shipyard, found the engineering and construction solutions. The shipyard terms her a blend of trideck with a pure speedboat. Uncommon for her LOA, Utopia IV draws just 7’2” (2.2 meters). In addition, she reportedly can hit 28 knots with quadruple MTU engines and waterjets.
In another video posted on his website, JR Ridinger says one of his favorite places aboard so far is the master suite balcony. “Loren and I are blessed beyond words for this experience,” he also writes. “We look forward to making new memories on Utopia IV with our friends and family and thank the amazing team at Rossinavi for their brilliant design and incredible craftsmanship.”
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