This love story revolves around a man, his wife, and their incredible superyacht. Diamonds, roses, and chocolates are sweet but not sweet enough for entrepreneur Rudolf Booker, who opted for a Feadship luxury vessel, Kiss Yacht, to floor his wife on Valentine’s Day nearly a decade ago in 2015. The vessel, which carries a permanent kiss of love in the form of a matching red boot stripe, was launched among much pomp and flair. Red-colored bubbly and balloons enveloped the 153-footer. It was not the biggest Feadship delivery of that year but still one remembered for breaking ground and cementing relationships.
Feadship CEO Henk de Vries called Kiss Yacht “the most complicated object ever to have been painted in this way”. The workers used an electrically-charged spray nozzle to seamlessly paint the metallic paint outside in one clean sweep to avoid any irregularities in color. Her exterior and naval architecture were done by the late Ed Dubois, and her interiors by RWD, lending an eternal charm that is found only in the luxurious suites of the world’s best hotels.
Let’s first talk about the best area of Kiss – the owner’s deck. This $32 million ship accommodates the affluent businessman and his spouse in a private deck that includes a cozy saloon, terrace, and penthouse-style cabin.
It is truly incredible to find a massive master cabin terrace in a 153-foot motor yacht. This spacious and intimate space was created to allow the owners the best vantage point of the boat. They can revel in amazing views in the company of family and friends while eating and making memories on a large dining table. The yacht made for love featured a children’s suite, complete with a room for nannies and a teacher.
The layout of the room was adjusted to include a bunk to create more room to play. This suite also featured a study desk, toys, ambient lighting, storage, and easy-breezy design elements. The sundeck is where the family alights to make the most of the superyacht spa pool. The transom beach club has a special hydraulic ladder and platform that work as stairs or a diving board, and when down into the water act as a safe swimming area for kids with railings.
A lot changed over the last nine years for this elegant ship. It was sold by Edmiston in June 2023 and is now named Lady Victoria. Meanwhile, the owner of Kiss, Booker, got divorced and moved on in life and boat with the Lurssen Moon Sand yacht.
Who is Rudolf Booker?
Born in 1975, Booker is a celebrated entrepreneur, best known as the founder of Payvision. The man is clearly ruled by love, and his fate changed when his mother remarried Dutch billionaire Frits Goldschmeding. The Amsterdam FinTech entrepreneur founded the payment processor Payvision in 2002. With a net worth of $200 million per Superyacht Fan, in 2018, ING Bank took a keen interest in Payvision. ING bought Payvision, with a 75% stake in the company. The New York-based tycoon owned a private jet, the Dassault Falcon 7X jet worth $15 million, in addition to his yacht.
