As part of Experience magazine’s ‘What’s in a Name’ series, we look at the intriguing and oftentimes entertaining stories behind the names of three Riviera motor yachts at home in the U.S.
From the obvious to the obscure, it seems the only common thread between the inexhaustible diversity of boat names is how meaningful they are to their owners. At Riviera HQ these names are a constant source of curiosity, and invariably lead us to ask: ‘What’s the story behind the name of your luxury motor yacht?’
Today we look to the US and speak with three Riviera owners to celebrate the very special practice of naming a boat.
Cruising between Florida and New Jersey on the east coast are Gary and Jody Epstein, on their new Riviera 6000 Sport Yacht, Eppytome.
“When you grow up with the last name Epstein your nickname is always Eppy,” says Gary who, alongside his wife and sons Jason and Geoffrey, has been boating for almost 25 years. “I have shared this nickname with my grandfather, father, my kids and now my grandchildren. Like most boaters we have owned many boats. However, we never dreamed we would own a boat like a Rivera 6000.”
When Gary decided to acquire the Riviera, he did the same thing he always does. He told his family, sent them thousands of photos of it, and gave them 30 days to reply with their best new boat name ideas to be put to a vote.
"Once I saw the meaning of ‘epitome’, which, by the way, is ‘a person or object that is defined as a perfect example of something’,
I reminded my kids that I may not be as smart as they are, this dumb dad paid for college, graduate school, medical school and this beautiful new Riviera 6000."
GARY EPSTEIN
“Within 24 hours my beautiful and intelligent daughter-in-law Maria said: ‘How about Eppytome, like epitome but spelt Eppy’. First, I thought, what’s epitome? Then my son Geoffrey, who had just completed a master’s degree in digital media magna cum laude, and Jason and Maria, who are both doctors, said: ‘Dad are you stupid? Don’t you know what ‘epitome’ means? Besides, it contains our family nickname’.
“Once I saw the meaning of ‘epitome’, which by the way is ‘a person or object that is defined as a perfect example of something,’ I reminded my kids that I may not be as smart as they are; however, this dumb dad paid for college, graduate school, medical school and this beautiful new Riviera 6000,” says Gary.
Rather a smart move, Riviera HQ quips. Incidentally, a year later we introduced the 645 SUV, deemed the epitome of its line.
Next up we spoke with the ebullient Jeff Taylor in Pennsylvania about Megnificent, a name we correctly thought might be linked with his wife, Meg. The Taylors have been sailing for 45 years and only two years ago made the change to their first motor yacht.
“When we got off our first power boat Meg and I said to one another, how magnificent. Then I looked at Meg and said, no, it’s Megnifcent. We upgraded to the Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition in November 2021 and the name stuck, because it too is magnificent.”
Jeff says the 5400 is a better fit for the couple’s lifestyle. We’re also relieved to learn the Sport Yacht’s spacious design serves to preserve marital peace as well as canapes. “We like to entertain a lot and the way the galley is positioned aft, with its rear window opening up to the cockpit, makes for a great entertaining boat.
We love it, it’s fabulous. We just brought her up from Vero Beach, Florida to Baltimore, Maryland. It was just the two of us on the boat for 13 Days, and over 1,100 miles, and we didn’t even kill each other.”
Finally, for those of us ‘Down Under’, the name of James and Kathie Markiewicz’s Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht, Golden Domer, is baffling. It turns out this name is an excellent conversation starter, especially in the US Midwest, and pays homage to a time and place that set James up well in life.
“Notre Dame is a university in South Bend, Indiana, that is well known for its football team. The administration building is topped with a golden dome and its graduates are sometimes referred to as ‘domers’, thus Golden Domer became the perfect name,” Jim says.
"We have made many new friends, all thanks to the name ‘Golden Domer’. It’s amazing the people we’ve met because of the name as we’ve toured the Great Lakes, including alumni, students and fans of the school. We’ve even met a former leprechaun — that’s the university’s mascot."
JIM MARKIEWICZ
Jim and Kathie spend most of their summers on the Great Lakes of Michigan, Huron and Erie. “We have made many new friends, all thanks to the name ‘Golden Domer’. It’s amazing the people we’ve met because of the name as we’ve toured the Great Lakes, including alumni, students and fans of the school. We’ve even met a former leprechaun — that’s the university’s mascot. In the Midwest we have dock masters who were graduates of Michigan State University. There is a friendly rivalry between the two schools. I have fond memories of college; unfortunately it was a long time ago,” he adds.
One of Jim and Kathie’s favourite things to do on their extended trips through the Great Lakes is to cook – anything from pancake and sausage breakfasts, through to steak dinners.
“Entertaining friends is so easy thanks to the double grill in the cockpit and the great galley with the convenient pass through to the cockpit,” says Jim.
Jim and Kathie took delivery of Golden Domer in 2020. “She arrived in Philadelphia, had to go to Delaware for final work, then, because of Covid travel restrictions, her trip to Michigan was complicated. The Erie Canal was closed, and Canada wouldn’t allow private traffic through the St. Lawrence.
“The delivery captains had to do a reverse Great Loop — down to and across Florida, through the Gulf of Mexico, up through Alabama and Tennessee, into the Mississippi River to the Chicago River, into Lake Michigan and finally arriving at her home port in Northern Michigan. Talk about a shakedown cruise. Golden Domer ran beautifully, according to the delivery captains. We were very thankful for the excellent work done by our Riviera dealer, Matt Mrozinski, of Lake Michigan Yacht sales, to get this delivery accomplished.”
Riviera HQ looks forward to discovering the story behind more unique names with so much thought and care put into their selection. To be featured in an upcoming series of ‘What’s In a Name’ please email: news@riviera.com.au with your own story behind the name of your Riviera.
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