Utopia is luxury charter yacht built by Holland based shipyard Feadship de Vries and delivered in 2004. She was designed by De Voogt Naval Architects and was built in full compliance with the large yacht commercial code (MCA) and according to 100 A1, SSC, Yacht (P), Mono, G6, LMC and UMS class specifications. The yacht was refitted in 2006 and 2007 after changing the owner in Holland. This year, 2013 she went to extensive refit again.

Utopia has enormous windows that give a bright and almost al fresco feel to many areas of the interior. The interior decor has classic influences in terms of its paneling, while the furniture pieces use both modern-day and antique reproductions in various woods. A contemporary atmosphere is embellished by the primary use of light natural oak with mahogany inlays and inlaid oak burl panels.

Interior designers Redman Whitely Dixon, working initially with the owner’s interior stylist Michael McQuiston, have succeeded in retaining an overall sense of continuity throughout the vessel. There is also a wide selection of marbles : Giallo Siena, Calacata Borghini, Crema Valencia, Brecia Benou and Red Damasco.  Contemporary seating, sofas and coffee tables are blended with some more traditional furniture by Cassina, an Italian company.

The Giallo Siena floor is offset by inlaid diamond shaped tiles and bordering in black Portoro marble. Polished Stucco Antico Venetian plaster walls and some 20 layers of sandblasted marble add to the sculptured effect. A double sided staircase rises all the way to the top of the yacht to a faux ‘skylight’ panel. This architectural design offers superb views of the different decks as the suspended stairs wrap around those above and below. The classic, leather-bound hand rail was created by the same craftsmen that make steering wheels for Bentleys.

The dining room is located forward. Chic Fendi chairs and a glass chandelier add sparkle while dark wall coverings bring a genuine feeling of warmth to this area. A fancy piece of furniture divides the dining room from the lounge – a credenza with curved ends, special veneers and inlaid detailing on the doors.

Such is the space available in the main deck lounge that two distinctive seating arrangements have been created to port and starboard, both with sofas and armchairs from Phillipe Hurel and Christian Liaigre. Either side of the sofa are custom-designed hollow cubes made of walnut with wrapped gold leaf squares inside. Room remains for a mix of leather stools from Promemoria and wooden tables by Modenature, plus a pair of small desks at the aft end should anyone wish to write a letter or play cards.

A giant plasma screen TV is flanked by speaker panels covered in natural horse hair material in a striped pattern. These form part of an exceptional centralized audio-visual solution from Meridian, which allows guests to choose between a wide selection of films or CDs at any time – even if three people should wish to use the same item simultaneously in three different locations but at five minute start-up intervals from each other.

Accessed via a guest lobby (with another coffee station), the two identical forward VIP suites utilize the full beam to great effect, with massive American sized beds and vast mahogany armchairs. There is also a delightful ‘children’s cabin’, with twin beds and a Pullman recessed into the wall; a similar added berth option is found in the two twin cabins on the lower deck.

The effect of Utopia’s spectacular hull windows is immediately perceptible in the aft suite bathroom, enveloping the bath in natural light. All bathrooms benefit from clean lines and a fresh look, with luxurious marble counter-tops and giant mirrors in dark wood frames. The inlays in the floor are quite stunning and each bathroom has a slightly different center panel in the floor; the marble choices give a further distinguishing feel to each bathroom.

The middle deck is entirely devoted to the owners and typifies the incredible standard of accommodation found onboard Utopia. Located forward, the stateroom is entered via a lovely study, where an air of richness is provided by the walnut and walnut burl paneling, leather armchairs, sofa and desk, and a light gold-colored carpet.

This is an excellent spot for a meeting, facilitated by the carefully considered layout of this whole area. An extra doorway in the walk-in wardrobe in the owner’s bedroom makes it possible to leave the bedroom – via a private pantry and gymnasium – without intruding on any business being conducted in the study. This arrangement also enhances the ability of crew members to discreetly service the owner’s bedroom. Incidentally, the gymnasium is genuinely worthy of the name, capable of hosting four pieces of exercise equipment plus washing facilities and a television.

While the large windows offer fantastic views in many areas of Utopia, they reach their zenith in the owners’ bedroom. Electric curtains lower silently to reveal a truly stunning 180-degree vista, with the giant bed being precisely positioned to fully appreciate the effect. In the unlikely event that the owners tire of the view, a huge flat screen television pops down from the ceiling. The bedroom also contains a breakfast area and a pair of day beds from Christian Liaigre.

The air of splendor continues in the centrally located bathroom. One of the highlights here is a glorious spa bath (complete with waterfall taps), which nestles under a skylight. There is also an incredibly long double-basin counter, resplendent in red-green marble, a steam shower, a bidet and his-and-her toilets. The bathroom cabinets have a series of mahogany and black lacquer columns, with gold mesh panels in-between.

Doors leading out onto the exterior sidewalks provide the owners with access to the forward section and Jacuzzi. Aluminum privacy gates on either side alert crew if the owners prefer not to be disturbed.

The sky lounge can be seen as the day room for the owners and their family, especially when the fine aft deck area (with full dining facilities) is taken into consideration. Less formal than its main deck counterpart, the saloon includes a long oak bar and a fireplace. This latter feature adds further atmosphere to the room, especially as a world cruiser like this will not always sailing be in a tropical climate.

Moving up a deck to the wheelhouse, the use of dark brown and blue/gray leather brings a sense of variety to this entire space. Two large Zimmer & Rohde sofas are located port and starboard so that owner and guests can observe Utopia’s progress through the stunning vertical windows. Ultimately, of course, this is a technical control room, and the equipment more than matches the highest standards. All systems are integrated to new heights for a Feadship, overseen by a central control panel with five multi-purpose screens.

The wheelhouse deck also contains a navigation room, a captain’s cabin designed and equipped to attract the very best skipper, a pantry and the AV center. A concierge lobby leads onto the aft deck and a small semi-enclosed embarkation area where guests can wait to board the helicopter or be received in style. Here, as on every deck, there is a beautiful powder room with Venetian plaster wall finishing. Each powder room has individual marble flooring and individual basin cabinets specially made in Italy in various finishes, ranging from oak and oak burl, and mahogany with a mother of pearl inlay to a faux tortoise shell finish.

The design and logistics of the lower deck were established around three key requirements: A huge aft peak lazarette, tender bays to free up outdoor living space on the decks, and accommodation for a large number of crew members.

Doors lead off either side of the aft passage to two large tender garages, complete with a fueling station. One houses a blue Chriscraft 28 launch with a Volvo Penta KAD 300 EDC DP diesel engine, ideal for all weathers. With its teak decking and stainless steel fittings, the other main tender is more of a floating limousine: A custom-built Ribtec Riviera 850 rigid inflatable with a 300 hp Yanmar diesel engine driving a Hamilton waterjet. Both tenders are launched sideways though hydraulic gull-wing doors in the hull.

There is a further tender stored in the aft peak, which serves as an MCA-compliant MOB boat. This is a Ribtec Riviera 500 rigid inflatable has a 120 hp Yanmar diesel engine, again driving a Hamilton waterjet.

The aft end is a hybrid of the transom hatch concept with more architectural style elements. A large crane is in place for lowering toys into the water and a custom-made ladder descends from the swimming platform into the water.

Furthest forward on the lower deck is the crew area, which includes six double and two triple cabins, all with ensuite bathrooms. Feadship’s vast experience of how a boat functions on an everyday basis is in evidence here. There is a crew boarding area via a side hull door, where the staff can also load provisions straight from the crew tender and place them in the adjacent food lift. A separate toilet can be used by customs officials and the like while also serving as a crew day head. The large pantry has everything but cooking facilities to avoid cooking smells in this busy area. And the huge half beam mess is spacious enough for the entire crew to come together. This mess also serves as a control station, with a replication of the cameras and alarms found on the bridge.

The tank deck contains a laundry room, refrigeration and freezer stores, a climate-controlled wine cellar (including a writing desk), an engineer’s workshop, linen storage, pump room and technical facilities for Utopia’s two Quantum zero speed stabilizers.

On a boat of this size, the outdoor facilities are bound to be magnificent and Utopia certainly doesn’t disappoint. The walkways alone are impressive, sufficiently wide to create the impression of being on a ship rather than a yacht. This feeling is magnified by the sight of an expansive helicopter deck, which includes a five-ton crane capable of launching a submarine.

Suitable for a Bell 427 or similar, the helipad has a proprietary pneumatic system with sensors that activate the moment the helicopter touches down and instantaneously secure the craft into place. Originally developed for French military purposes, this solution makes rough weather landings far easier. It also supports the principle of keeping the helicopter on board wherever Utopia sails in order that it can serve as the primary tender.

Among all this ultra-modern equipment nestles a bar cabinet, a first hint for arriving guests that Utopia is geared to outside entertainment. Both the main and middle deck aft areas are semi-shaded and have a buffet bar, large dining table and a wealth of seats. The sun deck is covered with a composite sunshade, and contains a buffet and BBQ set-up, marble-topped bar with full facilities, a large whirlpool and lots of outside seating and sunbathing options. Finally, there is another lovely seating area on the Portuguese bridge.

Luxury yacht Utopia is available for hire in Mediterranean and Caribbean area.