What looks, feels and even smells like the Presidential Suite of a five-star hotel.....but floats? The interior of the new mega-yacht White Rabbit, of course! Grant Pereira shows us around.

I was recently invited by the proud owner of the White Rabbit to cruise around Phuket in his pride and joy - a 165 foot Feadship that took three years to build. With the owner�s personal supervision at every stage of its development, it was certainly worth the wait as the final product is an exquisite boat.

The White Rabbit has three decks. The lower deck holds five guestrooms, one of which was designed to make the owner�s numerous Japanese friends feel completely at home. The entire room is well fitted - Japanese style - with tatami mats et al that have been flown in from Japan. All five rooms have attached bathrooms and television sets that can receive up to 18 channels including CNN, Star and other cable channels. At the touch of a button, the television screen converts into a chart (the same as on aeroplanes) that instantly tells you where you are, how far away you are from your next destination, the estimated arrival time and the local time there - how�s that for information! One deck up is the main lounge, the formal dining room and the owner�s suite. The owner�s suite takes up the entire length of the 30 foot beam and uses a total of 900 square feet - the size of a small apartment! The fittings in the ensuite, as in all the other bathrooms, are of especially selected Italian marble. The walls of the suite, guestrooms and lounges are adorned with original 18th and 19th century oil paintings with a seascape theme - some of Sotheby�s finest. The plush surroundings are made more opulent with the liberal use of dark mahogany that lends considerable contrast to the light- coloured carpets and furniture. At the corner of the lounge stands a Steinway grand piano for those who are musically inclined. The main lounge and dining area has a centre piece - a 7m bronze sculpture of seabirds and bamboo that spans two and a half decks. On the third level is the recreational-cum-meeting room. Besides the usual electronic video games and jackpot machines, there is a circular bar that doubles as a card table and a huge boardroom table that converts into a full roulette board. The bridge is completely automated with state-of-the-art electronics. There is a large TV screen that informs the officer on watch exactly where the White Rabbit is and whether there are ships approaching - even floating objects as far as 1km ahead can be detected to give the officer ample time to alter his course. Steering-wise, it is literally a breeze. There is no steering wheel. In it�s place is a 30cm switch that turns with ease to set the compass bearings. After that it is plain sailing.

• The White Rabbit is manned by a crew of 12 who - from the captain right through to the messboy - take great pride and effort to keep her running efficiently and looking as though she was just delivered yesterday! They say the of a man�s wealth is reflected by the toys he possesses. If this is truly the case, then I leave it to your imagination when I say that the accessories on board look like the owner has bought an entire toy store. Besides the usual tenders and jetskis, the White Rabbit has the following on board: 1 A fully equipped 27ft gameboat that no doubt will catch more than its fair share of bottom dwellers and mid-water pelagics.
• An amphibious craft that is ideal when you are anchored off Patong Beach, Phuket, and have the urge for a seafood lunch. Simply launch the amphibious and you can literally drive to a restaurant of your choice.
• For a different aerial prospective, there is a light-powered glider that takes off and lands on the water.
• The kick in the head must surely be the three-man submarine that is capable of reaching a depth of 300m (1000ft). With a range of 3000 nautical miles and a cruising speed of 13 knots at 1200rpm, the White Rabbit can easily reach The Maldivis or even New Zealand from Singapore without refuelling.

Already, there are plans for a round the world cruise with immediate destinations being Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji to fish and generally have a good time. There are also plans to visit Gulf Harbour Marina in New Zealand which is generally considered the biggest marina in Australasia. When I asked the owner what he thought of his $51 million beauty, he said: "It�s extravagant and expensive to maintain but I am happy with her."

The brochure on the White Rabbit describes the owner as one who �loves to entertain, has a passion for deep sea fishing and the desire for speed�. To me, The White Rabbit is a profound statement from a senior captain of industry that shows his great love and zest for life - certainly a jewel in the crown of a self-made man and my fishing buddy.

* The owner of the White Rabbit is a keen angler and he�s happy when he�s out fishing - it doesn�t matter if he is jigging for baitfish or battling giant tuna so long as he�s on the water. The speed of the White Rabbit is adjusted so that she always arrives on the trolling grounds at daybreak so that he can start trolling immediately. He can even adjust the speed so that he can troll surface lures from one destination to another. Especially designed rod-holders were installed on the White Rabbit. When a fish is hooked, the stern ramp is lowered and the fighting chair is fixed and the rod passed down. The owner even installed an electronic winch attached to a flying gaff so that large fish can be easily winched onboard. The owner is one of the hardest working and optimistic anglers I know. He�s always busy jigging for baitfish, scooping squid or cutting bait for others. I always imagine that if he ever fell into the sea the first thing he would do is to check his pockets to see if he�s caught any fish!!