In the elite yachting category, only one name has an unparalleled cachet Riva. Throughout the marine industry, and in the world of the most exclusive luxury products, the name “Riva” carries a sublime, mythical status that is the envy of yacht builders the world over. One of the oldest and most successful powerboat builders in the world, Riva is one of the most beautifully crafted boats, and, amongst the most sought after status symbols Riva boats have no equal! The Riva mystique was born in 1842 when a young fisherman named Pietro Riva started a modest business repairing storm-damaged boats. From his base in picturesque Sarnico, a small northern Italian town on the banks of Lake Iseo, Pietro soon expanded the scope of the Riva business to include boat building. From the start, Riva boats were known for their exceptional quality and craftsmanship, thereby earning a prestigious reputation that laid the foundation for the Riva legend.
In the 1880s Ernesto Riva, one of Pietro’s sons, took over the Riva yard. While maintaining the tradition of impeccable quality and craftsmanship, Ernesto added another dimension to the Riva product: innovation. He began by fitting piston engines to Riva boats for the first time, and built larger boats to carry passengers and cargo.
Ernesto’s son, Serafino, succeeded his father and shifted the focus of the company to smaller, outboard engine boats. It was at this time that Riva became known for producing fast performance racing boats, achieving speeds never before seen on water. This racing tradition carried on through the first and second world wars with Riva achieving a series of successes in national and international motorboat racing.
In tandem with racing, the company initiated the production of pleasure boats. From the outset, Riva pleasure boats were immensely popular not only for their quality but also for their luxury and elegance. In the 1950s Carlo Riva took over the yard and created a range of wooden boats with such exceptional quality, style and elegance that the Riva brand became a worldwide sensation.
In the late 1950s and ‘60s movie divas, protagonists of high society from actors to crowned heads, from playboys to sporting champions “all had a passion for Riva boats, irreplaceable status symbols in all fashionable marine locations.
Today’s Riva yachts are built in the same tradition of impeccable craftsmanship that made classic famous.
One can say that Carlo Riva invented many years ago the pleasure boat market in Europe.
Every Riva has an individual personality expressed through meticulous attention to detail. The lines of the boat, the carpentry, the chrome, the lacquer-work, the leather, the fabrics and the fittings are all of the best quality and demonstrate impeccable taste.
Riva yachts’ refined, elegant and timeless beauty on the water is backed up with state-of-the-art design and performance capabilities. The well-known structural quality of Riva hulls results from the use of the very best resins, whose special cream shade is a Riva signature. Hulls are reinforced with Kevlar. Wooden bearers under the engines are filled with foam to help dampen vibration. The Riva tradition of attention to detail is focused on providing the best possible boating experience.
Riva & Ferretti Group
Riva through the manufacturing of magnificent boats, with incomparable design, represent the top of the Luxury yacht world.
In May 2000, Riva joined forces with another remarkable boat company, Ferretti Group, with an eye towards expansion. This commitment extends to superior customer service throughout the entire life cycle of Ferretti boat ownership. There are many details that have made Riva a legend from tradition, excellence, and attendance to detail, performance, innovation, ergonomics material and research and development …… Each Riva boat is a masterpiece of design. Riva’s portfolio features thirteen luxury yachts from 33 footer Aquariva designed by Gucci to the mega yacht Athena 115.
After the successful 115’ Athena, flagship of the fleet since 2005, Riva continues its adventure in the mega yacht segment, with a refined model: 92’ Duchessa. Curved, racy lines harmoniously design the profile of this yacht which encloses all the elegance of Riva style in her 28 metres, as always in a solution featuring its unique, original design. Mauro Micheli’s pencil, the work of his team at Officina Italiana Design and Riva’s Technical Office have once again managed to sketch a winning yacht.
Today, clean and essential lines, sophistication and originality, exclusive design and unique style and matchless character define Riva. This balanced synthesis between elegance and innovation mark new steps in the history of international boating design. Pietro’s spirit lives on. His ambition and vision is inspiring testimony to where Riva is today. Riva is still building boats nobody else possibly could.
For Riva and its owners — people who want the best, expect the best and live the best — the legend continues.
