Feadship Larisa Unveiled and Renamed W After Major Refit

Originally launched as Larisa seven years ago, W now dons a striking new metallic silver hull and major interior upgrades while retaining the coveted features of a classic Feadship build. 

“After buying W in 2019 I set out to not only refit my newly acquired Feadship to my specific requirements but to also renew her in every possible respect while ensuring that she remained 100% a Feadship,” comments her experienced owner.

“Owning a Feadship gives one an enormous sense of pride and I am convinced that the only way to retain full Feadship pedigree is to access the formidable talents and capabilities of the entire Feadship organisation. It was wonderful to be able to bring her back to the Netherlands and know that she would be upgraded by many of the same people that actually created her seven years ago. No one in the world knows a Feadship like the people that actually built her and that shows in the exceptional results of this refit project.” 

As well as new livery and antifouling, W’s time in the shed sees her emerge with two more staterooms, a larger Jacuzzi on sun deck and modifications to her interior layout. This allows four extra guests to stay in her six cabins, and increases the total POB capacity with crew from 22 to 26. W’s main deck lounge has been re-envisioned to make for a more open and uniformed space, while the former VIP stateroom on lower deck has been converted into two guest suites to port and starboard. 

The interior craftsmanship of Bannenberg & Rowell, who first styled the yacht in 2013, has been largely retained, complemented by various additions made by the owner together with Fort Lauderdale-based A La Mer, Inc. 

W has also seen various upgrades in her technical capabilities, with all major systems upgraded to that of a new build launched today. This includes comprehensive upgrades to the wheelhouse, on-board lighting switched from halogen to LEDs, renewed AV and IT systems, overhauled engines and other smaller maintenance jobs. 

Feadship was able to exercise considerable flexibility in completing the project, working with the owners’ team and undertaking the initial project in Aalsmeer and the dry-docking phase in Makkum. 

As can be expected, the health and travel situation surrounding the COVID pandemic of course presented its own unique set of challenges to overcome. 

“An additional challenge was the need to have travel restrictions lifted before key crew members could rejoin the vessel,” explains project manager Hans van der Wiel. “The owner was very impressed with how these unprecedented issues were handled, especially because much of the refit had to proceed with only ‘remote’ consultations possible with his team. The owner’s original decision to send W from the Med to the Netherlands for the project based on Feadship’s unrivalled reputation for keeping to agreements has been fully validated.”

Undertaking W’s refit with the same yard that launched her was also motivated by the owner’s desire for her to remain in every way a Feadship, even after re-launch. “The owner is delighted that the end result does not look like a refit – you really would feel that W was built this way in the first place.” adds Van der Wiel. 

W begins her second life on the water with a fresh new look, layout, and a Feadship Authenticity Certificate under her belt. This quality affirmation is granted to Feadships refitted or maintained under the My Feadship programme, and offers official recognition of top condition to the owner’s peace of mind, as well as adding to the resale value.