riva yacht race

• Motorcycles
• Car of the Month
• Destinations
• Men’s Fashion
• Watch Collector
• Art & Collectibles
• Vacation Homes
• Celebrity Homes
• New Construction
• Home Design
• Electronics
• Fine Dining
• Baja Bay Club
• Costa Palmas
• Fairmont Doha
• Four Seasons Private Residences Dominican Republic at Tropicalia
• Reynolds Lake Oconee
• Scott Dunn Travel
• Wilson Audio
• 672 Wine Club
• Sports & Leisure
• Health & Wellness
• Best of the Best
• The Ultimate Gift Guide

Riva Debuts Its First-Ever Superyacht—and It’s Big, Bold and Beautiful

The 164-foot vessel is riva’s largest yet..

Danielle Cutler

Danielle Cutler's Most Recent Stories

• Learjet’s Speedy New Business Jet Comes With Its Own Mini Executive Suite
• This New 146-Foot, All-Aluminum Superyacht Comes With a 3-Level Master Suite
• Heesen Just Sold Its Second Hybrid Superyacht, the Sleek 163-Foot Project Electra
• Share This Article

Just before sunset of a steamy June evening in Venice, Italy, men in black tie hop off sleek wooden water taxis and limo tenders in front of the historic Arsenale, while female passengers, dressed in scrappy, shimmery finery, step cautiously so as not to catch their pencil-thin heels in the gaps of the planked docks. Sipping Champagne they make their way down a candlelit blue carpet along the water’s edge into the canopied party.

• Tesla May Need to Worry About Xiaomi’s New 400-Mile EV
• Someone Finally Made a One-Person Scooter That Drives Like a Tank

Four Seasons Just Unveiled the First Itineraries for Its Luxury Cruise Ship

The ambience and mood of the festivities befit a royal marriage. But the entrance that the assembled guests await with increasing anticipation is not that of a bride in a flowing white gown. Rather, it’s a marine vessel: Riva ’s new flagship yacht, the Riva 50M, or as Alberto Galassi, CEO of Italian parent company Ferretti Group, later calls it, “Riva Cinquanta Metri.”

The crowd of yacht owners and the like will have to wait. First comes dinner, prepared by Galassi’s childhood friend— and Michelin three-star chef— Massimo Bottura , who brought along the entire staff of his Osteria Francescana in Modena to do the cooking.

After dessert the orchestra kicks in, spotlights sweep the horizon, and fireworks light up the starry sky. Finally it’s here: The 164-foot Race , Riva’s largest vessel ever, grandly cruises into the water space in front of the venerable Venetian shipyard. The captain gracefully turns the superyacht this way and that, as if Race were preening down a catwalk, giving the crowd a look at each side of the yacht. Although much, much bigger than the Aquaramas and Floridas of old, the multi-deck superyacht is still clearly recognizable as a Riva thanks to its head-turning silver hull, glossy mahogany handrails and teak flooring that flag this boat as Aquarama kin.

Fireworks welcomed Race into the lagoon in front of Venice’s Arsenale  Federico Ferretti

“You can tell a Ferrari from other sports cars. You can tell a Riva from other boats. That’s the mission,” Galassi explains over lunch at the Hotel Danieli the next day, his buoyant and humorous mood reflecting the success of the prior night’s gala.

To be sure, for many yachting enthusiasts, the name “Riva” conjures up beautiful and speedy wooden boats helmed by the likes of Brigitte Bardot, George Clooney and Pierce Brosnan, both on-screen and off. Founded in 1842 on the shore of Italy’s Lake Iseo by Pietro Riva, the company became known in the 1950s for the runabouts that sped along Italian lakes and the Mediterranean: elegant, well-crafted polished-wood pleasure boats. Riva started with the Ariston, then revealed the Tritone (the first two-engine yacht), the Sebino (the company’s first series) and, soon after, the Florida, made famous by Bardot (hers was a 1959 rendition). In 1969, Riva started building in fiberglass, which it still uses today, although it continued to produce runabouts in wood until 1996, when the last Aquarama Special was completed.

Commissioned by the serial-yacht-owning son of a man who started a very well-known automotive company, Race is the first example of what Galassi says will be not only a new line of superyachts but also a new era of building for Riva. Designed inside and out by Officina Italiana Design—the studio founded by longtime Riva designer Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta— along with Ferretti Group’s engineering team and the Ferretti Group Product Strategic Committee, the yacht has a profile that’s simple and clean, with a long foredeck, central superstructure and aggressive prow, all packaged in a metallic-paint hull that Galassi describes as the antithesis of a “white whale.”

Courtesy of Riva

It is also the manifestation of a wish that creative force Carlo Riva shared just before he died in 2017 at age 95. “This is the dream of Carlo Riva coming true,” Galassi says. “He told me one day, ‘Make a stainless-steel displacement Riva like we did in the ’60s,’” referring to the Caravelle and Atlantic motor-yacht series—steel boats, conceived by Carlo, that were considered the superyachts of that era.

Race , hull No. 1 of the new series, is constructed of steel and a light aluminum alloy and features a main-deck master suite with a private lounge (for the owner to watch his beloved auto racing), outfitted with a comfy white-leather U-shape sofa, a flat-screen TV and Ferrari memorabilia. This uncommon layout is made possible by the lower-deck placement of the kitchen, which is typically just aft of the master on the main deck. (A dumbwaiter connects all decks for easier food and beverage service.)

The master bedroom is decorated in grays and creams, a masculine yet sophisticated nod to the owner’s request for quiet tones. ( Race ’s owner selected Micheli for the interiors; subsequent Riva 50M buyers may bring aboard decorators of their own choosing.) A drop-down terrace provides an over-the-water relaxation space, incredible views and sea breezes—plus direct access to the water for those brave enough to dive the distance.

Alberto Cocchi

Four more staterooms reside on the lower deck, and a captain’s cabin is off the high-tech wheelhouse, equipped by Team Italia. A Ferrari racing seat takes center stage at the helm. Crew quarters are forward of the lower-deck cabins. Overall, the yacht accommodates 12 guests within its cavernous 30-foot beam, in addition to nine crew.

Throughout the yacht’s interior, soft fabrics and leather and neutral colors add to the feeling of serenity—as do the vessel’s generators, which, emitting less than 40 decibels of sound, are just a quiet hum, even when standing next to them in the engine room. A pair of MTU Iron MAN 8V 4000 M63 engines produce 1,360 hp each, propelling Race to a 15-knot top speed and providing a range of 3,000 nautical miles at 12 knots.

The skydeck, the uppermost of the four decks, will likely be a favorite spot for guests, thanks to the requisite hot tub, bar and lounging areas. The shade-supplying radar arch is in bold black, with stylized stainless-steel details easily seen from afar—a unique sight. “Get a look at the exterior navigation lights,” urges the fine-art-loving Galassi over lunch. “They are [like] a sculpture.”

The 50M’s water-level beach club stows a Williams Dieseljet 625 tender when the space is not in use by seaside sunners. But haul that thing out and you can open up the transom door and side hatch to take advantage of this sea-level entertainment deck and its breezy, open-air lounge with easy access to the water.

Besides kicking off a new superyacht series for Riva, the 50M lets the brand claim a spot at Ferretti Group’s new Superyacht Division in Ancona, Italy, where subsequent vessels will share construction space with the company’s other large bespoke yachts . Another thing they share: fulfilling ocean-lovers’ deepest desires.

“At the end of the day,” says Galassi, “you’re buying a dream.”

Danielle Cutler started covering yachts, marinas, and the yachting industry in 2005. Besides writing and editing yacht content for Robb Report, Danielle has worked for Yachts International and the…

Read More On:

More marine.

This New 131-Foot All-Aluminum Superyacht Lets You Take a Dip at Tip and Tail

This 92-Foot Yacht Has a Deck Big Enough for Your Chopper

Lexus Just Unveiled a Speedy New 68-Foot Yacht

Culinary Masters 2024

MAY 17 - 19 Join us for extraordinary meals from the nation’s brightest culinary minds.

Give the Gift of Luxury

Latest Galleries in Marine

Unica 40 in Photos

8 Fascinating Facts About ‘Wayfinder,’ a 224-Foot Catamaran With a Helipad That Doubles as a Pickleball Court

More from our brands, bitmoji is coming for your pets, unequal 3-point lines mar women’s elite eight results, comedian’s copyright lawsuit against steve coogan’s company baby cow heading to trial, christie’s secures sale of $30 m. de la cruz collection, the best exercise mats for working out, according to fitness experts.

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• Boat Pro Home
• Pricing Plan
• Superyacht Insight
• Product Features
• Premium Content
• Testimonials
• Global Order Book
• Tenders & Equipment

Gallery: Inside Riva's First 50 Metre Superyacht Race

Inside race.

BOAT takes a look inside the first  Riva 50 Metri superyacht Race .

The Beach Club

A seven-metre tender is held below in Race's garage, which has a shell door for launching. When it is launched, the space is transformed into a beach club with loose furnishings. There is enough space for the area to be used as a gym even when under way with the tender inside.

The Main Deck Saloon

The interior of Race is modern, masculine and distinctively Riva. There isn’t a dizzying array of materials; instead the design team concentrated on a uniform colour palette of grey and white, accentuated by mahogany, stainless steel, white statuario marble with grey veining and an abundance of glass.

The Upper Deck Saloon

In order to make the space feel larger, windows inside the upper saloon descend on either side and the aft doors open fully, letting a breeze come through and creating an indoor/outdoor living area.

The Upper Deck Aft

The sun deck.

The sun deck is covered by a carbon-fibre hardtop with a forward angle, matching the geometry of the exterior. The stylish lounge chairs are crafted from mahogany bases with leather straps that raise or lower the back.

The Guest Cabin

Below decks are four guest cabins – three doubles and one twin. The materials are the same that you would find in the owner’s area, with a prevalence of leather and grey tones.

The Master Cabin

“Following the owner’s wishes, the galley is situated on the lower deck – this is just one of the layout options of the Riva 50,” says Officina Italiana Design chief designer Mauro Micheli. “This allowed us to obtain more space on the main deck and create a unique master suite.”

The Master Cabin Office

The master cabin ensuite, sponsored listings.