Utopia IV: Today’s Unrivaled Superyacht

Working hard and playing hard are synonymous with Loren and JR Ridinger, highlighted in the superyacht Utopia IV. The new 63 meter luxury yacht designed for the Ridingers is a unique performing superyacht with a sporty essence and great attitude. Utopia IV’s captivating design aesthetics are like a large coupe automobile: sporty, elegant and above all, fast. It features a well-balanced and pure exterior with sleek, strong lines and a slender silhouette. The interior design of the yacht is a blend of minimalistic style and sophisticated Italian taste. Fitted with a large stern beach club, she offers an outdoor swimming pool and floor-to-ceiling windows which fill out her three decks. The master suite contains a private Jacuzzi, sitting room, office and private balcony. The layout includes six cabins for a maximum of 12 guests, plus crew accommodations for 13.

Interior styling comes from Team 4 Design (Enrico Gobbi). Meticulously curated with Loren Ridinger, the fabrics and textiles on the yacht were carefully chosen to enhance the beauty of the design and were sourced from top global luxury brands such as Hermès and Armani Casa. The combination of her sexy eloquent design and unparalleled engineering distinguishes Utopia IV, garnering her two very prestigious awards — winner of World Superyacht Awards “2019 Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts – 40m and above” and the winner of International Superyacht Society Awards “2019 Best Power 40m – 65m.”

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For the build, the Ridingers worked with Rossinavi, an Italian luxury yacht builder, to ensure that every aspect of construction would end in perfection – both in design and function. With this in mind, the couple took to the high seas shortly after Utopia IV’s ceremonial launch. This maiden voyage would last the entire summer of 2018, from the Riviera throughout the Mediterranean. The Ridingers, along with their family, closest friends and business associates, relished every opulent amenity Utopia IV offers, including gourmet meals prepared by the Ridinger’s acclaimed chef. Thought of as the perfect vessel, the Ridingers learned that some smart enhancements would take Utopia IV to the peak of her performance potential.

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During the initial inauguration of Utopia IV, her Captain, Antonio Gerini, and the Ridingers quickly realized that the stabilization of the yacht was not at all what was represented and required when sold to them. After an incident, while cruising off the coast of Italy — where she rolled 17 degrees to port and starboard — it was clear the stabilization was less than acceptable and they were going to need to immediately address it. Although the superyacht was built with an immense gyrostabilizer, the expectations of its performance were now questionable. With such a magnificent vessel, was this going to be the one and only voyage for Utopia IV? 

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After a multitude of discussions and inquiries, the Ridingers were able to resolve the issue of stabilization at significant expense that allowed Utopia IV to become the best in its class — as she was supposed to be from the beginning — and deserving of all of the awards bestowed upon her. With the help of Naval Architect Jamie Benoit of Murray & Associates, comfort and reliability would be found across the entire operating range with the addition of fin stabilizers; the gyrostabilizer now serves as a zero-speed stabilizer that is used at anchor and when docked.

“Utopia IV came with a gyrostabilizer the size of an automotive minivan. Gyrostabilizers have made an industry resurgence in the sub-80 foot market but are now becoming more prevalent in larger vessels. While gyrostabilizers have their place, there are some methods available to determine if the gyrostabilizer will be all that you need or if fin stabilizers may also be of value,” said Benoit.

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Just like Benoit, IMTRA Corporation considers gyrostabilizers and fin stabilizers to have their own specific values and purposes. In business since 1952, IMTRA Corporation is known as a customer-focused provider of quality solutions and products to the marine, energy, and transportation markets.  This includes stabilizers.

Before yacht builders make any decisions, they can have stabilizer manufacturers utilize boat data to simulate how the vessel will respond in various conditions at sea. IMTRA Corporation goes on to say that the stabilizer manufacturer can even “model the roll of the boat and how different size fins or gyros will reduce the motion on a percentage basis,” which allows both boat and yacht builders the ability to assess the best size and type of stabilizer suited for each vessel.

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In the case of Utopia IV, she entered Rybovich SuperYacht Marina in West Palm Beach in mid-September 2019 for the addition of a 4-fin electrically actuated stabilizer system by CMC Marine. Next, the Ridingers put Utopia IV to the test by hosting 150 guests for a star-studded New Year’s Eve extravaganza, immediately followed by a winter Gulfstream crossing to their Cat Cay, Bahamas retreat with family. Both affairs proved, without a doubt, that Utopia IV is now unsurpassed as the premier superyacht on any waterway.