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Even after all these years, a new Riva is an event. All that iconic imagery—so carefully cultivated by the Ferretti Group's marketing people—of the 1960's jet set aboard its classic mahogany runabouts has given the shipyard a priceless cachet, one that to this day remains unique among boatbuilders. And even though Riva has endured its share of strife over the last 20 years or so, it still has it.
Of course, such iconography also gives the current custodians of the fabled Sarnico brand a very hard act to follow. Everything they do is inevitably measured against the perfection of the past. But they have not shied away from the challenge. Since the launch of the exquisite fiberglass Aquariva in 2001, a boat that's as pretty as the old mahogany runabouts but a damn sight easier to build at a profit, the company has embraced its heritage, turning out a succession of premium-priced, retro-style craft with names like Rivale and Rivarama that manage to effortlessly eclipse their rivals by simply being so much better looking.
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Inevitably, then, the unveiling of this new Riva was one of the main events of last fall's Cannes boat show, even though at first glance she looks to have more in common with the company's more cutting-edge, modern designs—the Ego and Vertigo ("Viva La Riva," May 2007)—than with the mahogany-inspired retro revolution.
According to Riva sales and marketing director Francesco Frediani, the whole idea for the SportRiva 56 came about because of demand for a hard-top version of the classically styled Rivale from customers in the Middle East and Asia (who want to stay out of the sun and turn on the air conditioning) and in northern Europe (who want to stay out of the rain and turn on the heat). If Frediani had been at an American boat show, he would have probably been talking about Seattle and Florida.
Frediani describes the SportRiva as "a fusion between a fly bridge and an open." I would describe it as gorgeous. The standard color is cream, but the show model was finished in a lustrous, shimmering "Roman bronze." The flying bridge is small but perfectly adequate, and while there is nothing retro about the look, there is something about the design philosophy—the big windows, purposeful-looking hull, and the lightweight, minimalist flying bridge—that reminded me of the old Riva-Bertram sportfishermen of the 1970's.
The "open" origins of the design are manifest in the main-deck layout, which cleverly incorporates the flyingbridge steps into the radar mast so that they hardly interrupt the flow of the spaces at all. The Rivale's aft sunbed has been transformed into a dinette on the SportRiva, raised to create space underneath for a 10'7" Avon jet RIB. And the saloon, with its recessed galley almost invisible on the starboard side, enjoys so much light from the enormous window area that you feel like you're almost outside.
Down below, the SportRiva has compact, three-cabin accommodations, with the matching guest twins side by side amidships. The port cabin is the larger of the two, with berths that slide together to create a double, and it also enjoys access to the day head.
The forepeak owner's suite has a roomy, two-part head and shower, large stowage lockers on each side, and a big double berth mounted centrally. The decor in the interior is a modern, rich, and subtle blend of blond oak veneer and leather with pale fabrics, cream linings, and plenty of natural light.
There are numerous details to remind you that you're aboard a high-end Italian yacht: the bespoke stowage for the Caligaro cutlery and Dibberu bone china, the curved drinks cabinet in the saloon with its leather lid, and the way the galley steps lift, clearing the bulkhead alongside by a carefully engineered millimeter.
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