First launched from Feadship's De Vries yard in Aalsmeer in 1964, Serena was (and is) a 73-foot yacht—a member of the yard's Caravelle series. Seven of these boats were launched between 1961 and 1965, all of them featuring De Voogt designs, and all of them fast and made from steel. "[They] were one of three different custom-series vessels created in partnership with Riva," reps for Feadship explained in a recent press release, "who owned an ultra-modern yard in Sarnico, Italy. Both his astonishing eye for fine detail and his flair for marketing had a profound impact on the way Feadship operated at a crucial time in the brand's development. In short, Carlo Riva dared to be different and taught Feadship the value of trial and error and taking on new challenges."

Now called Alcor (though she'll reportedly return to being called Serena), the boat is now undergoing an extensive refit at the De Vris Makkum yard, where trainees and teachers will work on her overhaul together. "There are two reasons that we have decided to approach the refit in this way," Sijbrand de Vries, the general director of De Vries Makkum has said. "Firstly, it is an excellent way to train young people in a way that prepares them for working later on the far larger luxury yachts that Feadship builds today. Secondly, considering the historical importance of Serena, which was build by the grandfathers of the present directors at De Vries, this is a prestigious project for all concerned."