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Owner’s Circle: J.R. Ridinger on the Hunt for Utopia IV
J.R. and Loren Ridinger are the people behind the brand-new Rossinavi superyacht Project Vector, the fourth generation in their continuously evolving family of yachts named ‘Utopia’. We spoke to J.R. Ridinger to find out more about the new 63m (206’) project and how on board experiences are curated through next generation design.
Having come from the classic world of twin-screw and deep v-hulls, this new project presented an entirely new cruising experience, ticking every specification for their next big project while opening a world of opportunities for creative customisation.
“I had been looking for a boat for over a year and a half,” begins J.R. Ridinger, Owner of Utopia IV. “I wanted to move up and this is my ‘in your fifties’ big move […] but we couldn’t find anything that fit the specifications. This came up […] somebody had commissioned it and they couldn’t follow through so I looked at it and said ‘wow’.”
Named Utopia IV, this brand-new project is a 63-metre sleek and sporty superyacht which reflects the evolution of the brand perfectly. The Ridinger’s largest yacht on the water, Utopia 4 was designed by Enrico Gobbi and the Team For Design studio to match style with capability; marrying a high-tech profile with a top speed of 28 knots.
“The engineering and design met in such a way that it was a beautiful boat with revolutionary engineering. All my boats had been Dutch or American, but this design was so minimalistic, it fits so well the boat. I don’t see how anybody that is prejudice to any motif wouldn’t like this.”
The team at Rossinavi has worked with J.R. and Loren Ridinger to shape the new project into a their dream superyacht, offering endless lifestyle options for friends and family, open living spaces and vast exteriors, most notably the extended living space in the beach club.
“I’m really thrilled,” adds J.R. when discussing his ongoing work with Rossinavi. “I think the integrity of the family, their experience and their engineering and design capabilities and bringing them together is going to make them iconic.”
"How can you have a shallow draft at seven feet, 270 feet or 63 metres and go up to 28 knots, something’s wrong here. But the more I researched it, the more the mathematics made sense, it’s a new paradigm."