Australia’s luxury motor yacht builder Riviera celebrated another year of achievements in 2021 as the company navigated through the challenges of the past year.
Throughout the year, Riviera maintained a steady course to meet global demand while laying the foundations for future growth.
Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst praised his team at the recent end-of-year team ‘thank you’ for their passion and commitment that continues to supporting Riviera owners and representatives around the world.
645 SUV world premiere
Riviera launched its largest SUV yet, the 645 SUV, expanding the choice of models in this sporty and adventurous collection to six in 2021.
The 645 SUV enjoyed her world premiere in April and was acclaimed for her longer-range offshore cruising, extensive accommodation, premium comfort and luxury.
The desirability of the 645 SUV was evident at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show where she made her US premiere in October. Six new owners across the length and breadth of the US from Florida, Puerto Rico, California and the Pacific North-West are now looking forward to their future boating adventures aboard their 645 SUVs.
Boat shows return
International boat shows made a return to the annual boating calendar this year. In Australia, Riviera presented its largest showcase of the year in May, with 12 models at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show.
The show also played host to the ninth Riviera Festival of Boating where signature boating education and social events brought the Riviera family together. In Europe, Riviera proudly showcased three models in the continent’s leading in-water boat show, the Cannes Yachting Festival; while at Fort Lauderdale, the world’s biggest in-water boat show, Riviera presented a 10-model showcase.
The 78 Motor Yacht: A new era approaches
After 41 years of evolution, launching over 5,800 yachts, Riviera this year announced a new flagship of the fleet, the 78 Motor Yacht, with a design that represents a distinguished new era for the company.
The 78 MY will have a world premiere in early 2022.
This vessel will create a flagship motor yacht experience for boating enthusiasts, accompanied by Riviera’s renowned build quality and owner support.
Extended warranty confidence
Riviera’s dedication to excellence was further advanced with the announcement of industry-leading support for Riviera owners through a comprehensive extended warranty program.
Riviera now provides even greater owner confidence with two-year Express and seven-year Structural Limited Warranties. Owner assurance is further enhanced by the five-year limited warranties on Volvo Penta and MAN-powered yachts.
Living the Riviera dream
While adhering to local restrictions in their respective jurisdictions, many Riviera owners this year were able to enjoy the unique camaraderie that accompanies ownership of a Riviera motor yacht.
This saw patrons make the most of the Riviera lifestyle wherever they were around the world.
From Florida to British Columbia, and from the Whitsundays to Port Lincoln, motor yacht owners were supported by a passionate team from the global Riviera representative network who hosted many exclusive boating adventures for them throughout the year.
A new representative in Panama
Riviera expanded its presence in the Americas with the appointment of AlphaBlue Marine as the company’s representative in Panama. AlphaBlue, led by Gerald Gomez, has established a new office and team for AlphaBlue Marine in Panama City’s newest and most exclusive marina complex, the Ocean Reef Island Marina which will become a focal point for Riviera motor yacht service and sales in Central America.
Exporter of the Year
Riviera was honoured with three major industry awards this year, reflecting the international admiration of Riviera motor yachts.
This has been driven by advances in design, engineering and luxury.
Riviera was named Exporter of the Year for 2021 in the Australian Marine Industry Awards in May. Riviera was again honoured in October by the Premier of Queensland Export Awards, winning the Manufacturing and Advanced Materials Award category.
The honours continued in November with Riviera named the national winner of the Manufacturing and Advanced Materials Award at the prestigious Australian Export & Investment Awards.
Growth in the United States
Driven by the growing respect for Riviera motor yachts in the US, Riviera loaded seven new yachts in a single shipment to Miami, Florida, in the largest ever single shipment to the United States.
Leaving Australia in October, five of the motor yachts aboard were among the 10 magnificent models showcased by Riviera at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
Volvo Penta IPS milestone
Since embracing the innovation and evolution of Volvo Penta’s Inboard Performance System (IPS) and adopting the technology over 13 years ago for many of the company’s luxury motor yachts, Riviera this year officially celebrated the installation of the system in more than 1,200 motor yachts.
This milestone highlighted the global popularity and performance of the ease-of-boating propulsion system, with Volvo Penta announcing earlier this year that it had delivered more than 30,000 IPS units to the international marine industry.
Facility expansion continues
Riviera this year continued to invest in its production facility and expand its team to a higher level through an ongoing program of quality recruitment.
“We’re fortunate to have the best people in the marine industry on site, sharing a passion for building world-class luxury motor yachts,” said Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst.
“Our senior and highly experienced tradespeople are exceptional mentors for our trainees, as they guide them on a path to be the master craftspeople of the future.”
Riviera recently broke ground on the latest stage of a multimillion-dollar expansion program, the construction of a new lamination centre. Upon completion, the lamination centre will be the largest building at the company’s Gold Coast facility and will further the delivery of advanced boatbuilding technology employed by Riviera’s team on site.
The expansion program this year was enhanced by the deployment of new CNC and laser-cutting equipment and the commissioning of a new transporter capable of easily manoeuvring motor yachts of up to 100 tonnes on Riviera’s Gold Coast site.
Looking forward to 2022
Riviera recently hosted an end-of-year team appreciation event where Mr Longhurst praised the 850 in attendance for another year of stellar achievements.
“The work you have done amid the challenges of this year has been remarkable and is a credit to you all,” Mr Longhurst told his team.
“At Riviera, we are all building somebody’s dream every single day, and the pride and passion demonstrated in your work is what makes the Riviera motor yachts we create today so very special.”
“I look back on the past year with immense pride in our accomplishments. I am a huge believer that anything is possible when we are committed together.”
“Looking ahead to 2022 and beyond, there is so much more to come from Riviera,” said Mr Longhurst.
