Project: Final Delivery of 200ft Super Yacht Utopia IV by RollDock Sky - a Semi-submersible Specialty & Heavy Cargo RoRo Ship

Client: Roll Group, Netherlands

Location: Newport, Rhode Island

Deliverables: Edited Aerial Drone Video and Photographs of the RollDock Sky discharging Utopia IV Super Yacht into Newport Harbor, to be used for marketing on Roll Group's website, and featured in SuperYacht Industry Magazine.

Crew/Equipment: Professional two Operator Drone Team (pilot and camera operator) with DJI Inspire 2, DJI X5S micro 4/3 Camera

Drone Video of Final Delivery of Super Yacht Utopia IV in Newport RI Harbor by RollDock Sky Cargo Vessel.

Mike Gearin and Petr Hejl, PhotoFlight's two operator drone camera team had a great opportunity to apply their extensive experience with marine and ship drone photography and video while helping their client, the Roll Group (Amsterdam, Netherlands), document one of their  large specialty Cargo vessels delivering a 200ft Super Yacht Utopia IV in Newport harbor, Rhode Island.

Rolldock Sky Delivering Utopia IV Super Yacht In Newport RI, Drone Photography and Video by Photoflight Aerial Media

RollDock Sky is a 460 ft long semi-submersible heavy lift cargo vessel, operated by Roll Group, with capability to Roll-on/Roll-off, or Float-on/Float-off by opening a gate at the rear of the vessel and submerging it by up to 40ft (12m). This allows this unique cargo ship to transport other ships within it, as shown in the drone video of RollDock Sky delivering 200ft Superyacht Utopia IV in Newport, Rhode Island harbor.

Utopia IV is a 200ft (63m) High-speed Transatlantic Superyacht, built by  Italian yacht builders Rossinavi. Described by the builder as "the perfect compromise between a tri-deck motor yacht and a pure speed boat", it took four years to build and was launched in Italy in March of 2018. It can accomodate 12 guests split across six cabins and staff of up to 13 people. It features 70 sq/m beach club in the transom, three spa pools, and a touch-and-go helipad. It was delivered to its owners in Newport, Rhode Island in September 2018.

Rolldock Sky Delivering Utopia IV Superyacht In Newport RI, Drone Photography by Photoflight Aerial Media

PhotoFlight Aerial Media drone operator team has worked closely with Roll Group marketing department on planning and coordination of the shoot. Marine shipping drone video production presents its own unique challenges, as both drone photography and ship operations are heavily dependent on the weather, and the ship schedules are affected by many other factors along the way. Constant communication and flexibility are very important to the success. Our team is well experienced with drone photography and video of ships and yachts in many different conditions and environments, and can provide our clients with unique insight, expertise, and guidance during both planning and execution stages, unlikely to be offered by most of our competitors.

The logistics of executing professional drone photography and video of ships can also be challenging, as most of them require a secondary chase-boat and a drone operator that is comfortable flying off a boat. Photoflight maintains a network of trusted charter boat providers to readily cater to our shipping industry client's needs for professional drone photography of their ships and cargo in iconic places like New York Harbor, Newport Harbor, Boston Harbor, and many others.

Drone Camera Equipment choice is also equally important - each drone camera unit offers different capabilities in endurance, wind resistance, photo and video quality, ease of transport and operations in difficult open water conditions. PhotoFlight Aerial Media maintains a fleet of drones and drone camera equipment to ensure the best results in often very unique and challenging operating conditions. We offer full equipment redundancy, reducing the possibility of missing the shot due to technical problems. For this project, we chose our DJI Inspire 2 with DJI X5S m4/3 drone camera. This ensured professional looks and more than sufficient quality and resolution of drone photographs for magazine print and web, while allowing us to stay in the air for over 15 minutes while capturing amazing 4K drone video of the crucial moment of delivery. The final drone video has a great professional look, and was edited in-house by Photoflight Aerial Media.

Behind-the-Scenes Video of our skilled two operator drone team filming the spectacular moment of the Superyacht delivery.

We would love to work with you!  PhotoFlight Aerial Media team of professional drone operators is proud to be the drone photographer of choice for many clients from marine and shipping industries. Our experience, expertise, and dedication to our client's projects is unrivaled by our competitors, and we would love an opportunity to prove it to you! Contact us today and allow us to help you tell your unique story in a way only professional drone photography and video can.

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