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Lemme tell you—there's no denying Dutch naval architect Frank Mulder's way with a drawing board. Within seconds, the 56's digital tachs were pushing 1600 rpm (meaning we were doing dang near 30 mph), and I was zooming around the Atlantic like a wild-and-crazy bumble bee spiraling in on a jar of honey, four- to six-footers be darned. The ride was dry, the cornering tight, the down-sea tracking flawless, and thanks to the raised deck under my Pompanette Platinum Series helm chair, the visibility superb all the way around.
Additionally, the New Age QL trim tabs worked like gangbusters, electrically levering the bow rapidly down in head seas and just as rapidly up for cornering and down-sea runs. Even going astern was a blast! In fact, while thundering backwards into the seas to simulate chasing a trophy fish, our Furuno NavNet GPS plotter registered a velocity of 5 knots, a development that nearly filled the cockpit at one point and prompted the only complaint I've got: cockpit drainage seems comparatively slow, most likely because Riviera decided to reduce the size of her scuppers for the American market—something about nixing the chance of losing hooks and other odds and sods. Nix the restriction, I say.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
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There's one last performance highlight worthy of mention. Upon returning to Waterway Marina, with the 56 poised stern-first at the mouth of her narrow little slip, one of our passengers yelled from the cockpit up to the flying bridge, "Watch out, Bill! There's a line trailin' in the water off the port piling—favor the starboard side." Although I'd already energized the standard SidePower bow thruster "just in case," the precise oomph of our test boat was such that I never had to use it. A couple of bumps to the gearshifts, and the 56 slid home like greased lighting.
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Jim Raycroft |
Once the Caterpillars were shut down, I came across more examples of niftiness, lots aimed at American anglers. For starters, the three-stateroom, three-head layout was roomy and offered, among other things, gorgeous, precisely joined cherry cabinetry (with a robotically sprayed, high-gloss poly finish), ample shower stalls, even ampler walkaround queen berths (with innerspring mattresses) in both the midship master and VIP forward, and nicely crafted Starion countertops in the heads and U-shape galley.
Next up came the schematically laid-out, stand-up engine room. It offered, among other things, easy-to-service, inboard-mounted secondary fuel, oil, and transmission filters on both mains; an elegant, understandable-at-a-glance fuel manifold system; PSS dripless shaft seals; and a Delta T ventilation system with big intake and exhaust fans.
And finally there was a fishfighting arsenal that included a huge cockpit with snag-resistant inset hawse cleats, a big, round-cornered baitwell with see-through panel, and a set of space-saving wraparound steps. Added conveniences included an electrically activated rod locker in the saloon overhead, a "spotter seat" for watching baits from aloft at the rear of the flying bridge, and a raft of prewiring runs in the hardtop for electronics and other options.
As he helped me heft my test gear ashore at the end of the day, I told Riviera's Chris McCafferty, "This baby reminds me of the first Riviera to hit the states years ago—a 38-footer, I believe."
"Hmmm," he replied, in a polite Aussie accent, "Don't remember that one, Cap'n Bill. Musta been before my time."
For more information on Riviera Yachts, including contact information, click here.
SPOTLIGHT ON: Trim Tabs
Our 56 was equipped with some nifty trim tabs from QL Marine, a company closely affiliated with Volvo Penta. As you can see from the drawings here, blades or "interceptors" move vertically, generating lift when fast-flowing water encounters them. All parts are reportedly sealed for life, the system is all-electric—no hydraulics involved—and there’s only one hull penetration required, a small hole for a wire run.
My take on the system is upbeat. I feel it works faster than hydraulics. Moreover, the tabs automatically retract when you shut down your engines, obviating tab adjustments prior to getting underway again. Plus all components are fabricated from corrosion- and marine-growth-resistant composite material.—B.P.
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This article originally appeared in the June 2007
issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
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