Tuesday, February 28, 2012

CARLO RIVA'S BIRTHDAY USHERS IN IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARIES FOR THE RIVA BRAND


The 90th birthday of the "Pioneer of the Boating Industry", Mr Carlo Riva, marks the beginning of a year featuring a series of extraordinary events for Riva, a brand of the Ferretti Group, which will culminate in the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Aquarama and the 170th anniversary of the brand.



Everything is ready in Sarnico to celebrate Carlo Riva, the globally renowned and esteemed entrepreneur whose unique ingenuity has left an indelible mark in the history of pleasure boating and who, over the years, was capable of turning the Riva brand and the Sarnico boatyard (which have been part of the Ferretti Group since the year 2000) into a reference for the entire Italian and global boating sector.
 
"I have always cruised towards Riva as one would cruise towards a longed-for horizon, and I have always considered Carlo Riva as a master I owe a lot to, from both a professional and a personal standpoint. This is why I am delighted to be able to give him my best wishes for this extraordinary moment in his outstanding life," says Ferretti Group’s Chairman Norberto Ferretti.
 
Carlo Riva was born in 1922.  He is an engineer and was appointed “Pionere della Nautica” by UCINA (the Italian Marine Industry Association) in 1988 and “Personnalité de la Mer” by Albert II of Monaco in 2005.
 
Born into a family of boat builders, he had an immense passion for boats and boat building since his early years and was then the Master.  In the 1950s, he turned the brand into a synonym of style, status and perfection, thanks to models like Ariston and TritoneSebino and Florida, all the way to Aquarama, which was launched in 1962. Riva yachts have been the object of desire for noble people, actors, sports champions, businessmen and celebrities such as Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Liz Taylor, Sean Connery, Jean Paul Belmondo, Richard Burton, and Jackie Stewart. But there were also royalties, princes, and sheikhs from all over the world have enjoyed the superior qualities and luxury of the line.

The motor boat Aquarama, whose 50th anniversary is being celebrated this year, embodied the triumph of Carlo Riva’s production philosophy, becoming the symbol of the shipyard and of the Riva brand everywhere in the world.
 
Celebrations will not end with Carlo Riva's birthday and the anniversary of his legendary Aquarama.  In fact, these important occasions will usher in a long series of events that will unravel throughout the year and will culminate in the celebrations, in June, of the brand’s 170th anniversary.
 
On that occasion, a special website will be created, featuring in-depth, interesting information about the 170 fantastic years of this business adventure, characterized by inexhaustible passion for innovation, design, and the constant improvement of the boats' quality and safety, all aspects which have turned Riva into a true icon in the world of luxury and international boating.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

RIVA 86 DOMINO: DAY BOAT DELUXE

Nice review and photos of the sleek Riva 86' Domino by Diane Byrne at YachtWorld. For more information, please click here.

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The Riva 86 Domino makes a bold statement by borrowing elements from her smaller sisters and even her sister companies.

Riva is one of eight brands under the Ferretti Group banner. Much like a real family, the sister brands have their own style and customer bases. They also like to borrow their sisters’ things every now and then. Such is the case with the newest Riva to debut stateside, the 86 Domino. (The model was initially introduced in Europe in 2009, but as always, the builder waited to bring her overseas, incorporating American-oriented features as well.) She certainly has similarities to smaller models in the Riva lineup. But she further shares DNA with her sleek and speedy sister brand Pershing, and even her more traditional sister brand Ferretti.


The Riva 86 Domino is powered by twin MTU 16V 2000 M93s to a cruising speed of 36 knots.

If you’re familiar with Riva’s offerings to 115 feet, you’ll likely note a resemblance between the 86 Domino and the 68 Ego Super. The 86 Domino is intended as an evolution of that smaller design, offering more spaces for entertaining and relaxing. But in considering the entire Ferretti Group family, you’ll also likely have Pershing come to mind. Indeed, the Riva 86 Domino, and even the 68 Super Ego, are far more Pershing-esque, with aggressive, open styling.

The 86 Domino is also Pershing-esque in performance, boasting a reported 38-knot top end and 36-knot cruise. Whether the twin MTU 16V 2000 M93s are at full throttle or dialed back for cruising speeds, the 86 Domino should see a range of more than 300 nautical miles. That makes her decidedly a dayboat, again much like Pershing. What she doesn’t have, however, are the surface drives that Pershing has offered from the start. Is the exclusion the result of a Ferretti Group family argument? Actually, it’s more like a family agreement. After all, siblings need to have some things all their own.

When Ferrettis first landed on U.S. shores in the 1990s, they were famed for having lift-open glass partitions between the aft deck and saloon. Riva’s management team really liked the way this transformed the indoor and outdoor spaces, so the 86 Domino is the first Riva to incorporate this signature feature from the early days of Ferretti Yachts. The transformation is quite effective when the glass panel, to port, is kept open in combination with the sliding door adjacent to it.


The open, airy saloon area gives an extraordinary feeling of spaciousness for an 86-footer.

Also effective is the feeling of spaciousness inside this Riva. There’s excellent headroom, plus an open main deck straight to the helm. Further adding to the effect is plentiful light spilling in from the large side windows, the glass roof, and the windshield. The only separation between spaces is the 55-inch LCD television, positioned just aft of the triple helm seats.

Of course, this being an Italian-built yacht, style is as important as space configuration. Grey-stained oak is used for the sole, and walnut is employed for cabinetry, with brown leather inserts. The furnishings may seem simplistic, but remember, this is a yacht intended for harbor-hopping and day cruising, not inside-living 24-7.


The master stateroom runs full-beam, taking advantage of both sets of hullside windows.

If you do enjoy overnight cruises, though, the Riva 86 Domino naturally will accommodate you and your guests. The master suite and three guest staterooms are all belowdecks. The full-beam master boasts the signature Riva hull windows, along with a vanity and a settee. Fully forward is a VIP cabin with a queen berth, and between the VIP and master lie two twin cabins. A nice touch — the starboard twin cabin positions the beds on tracks. This way, you can slide them together to make the stateroom an extra VIP. A consequence of the layout, however, is the narrowness of the foyer connecting the staterooms. It’s a bit cramped, surprising particularly because of the openness of the deck above.

As could be expected aboard a luxury day boat, you and your guests can enjoy sunbathing on the 86 Domino’s foredeck. It’s more like a mini cockpit, with a dinette seating six accompanying the sunpad. This makes it an ideal, private spot for meals or even cocktails. Should you wish some shade, a bimini can be installed.

The Riva 86 Domino has reportedly enjoyed strong sales so far on both sides of the Atlantic. According to Riva’s management team, some owners have even requested a nearly identical design in a 120-foot length.

Here’s hoping sibling rivalry doesn’t break out.



Monday, February 6, 2012

WATERWAYS FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER

Special issue for the Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show, February 16 - 20 on Collins Avenue!  Included are all the yachts, new and brokerage, to be displayed.
Additional features include the Ferretti Custom Line 100' and many beautiful brokerage yachts available but not scheduled to display in the upcoming show.