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RIVA BOATS: STYLE AND MYTH
Roma - (Adnkronos Multimedia) - This is not like any other motor boat, not even the most luxurious and powerful. It is also a symbol, of beauty, uniqueness and quality. And it is one of the Italian products most appreciated in the world. This is the Riva motorboat, which, in all its variations and innovations, has continued to seduce for over half a century.
Founded in 1842 in Sarnico, a small town in northern Italy on the banks of Lake d'Iseo, Riva is one of the world's oldest and most famous shipyards. Pietro Riva, a young boat builder, managed to repair some boats which had been damaged in a storm and soon afterwards began to build boats of exceptional quality, acquiring a reputation which was destined to last for generations. In 1880 Ernesto Riva, one of Pietro's sons, took over the management of Cantieri Riva, and to the quality and craftsmanship which had made his father famous, Ernesto added another element which would turn out to be crucial - innovation. He was the first to install internal combustion engines on boats, and built vessels for passengers and goods.
Ernesto was succeeded by Serafino, who suspended the construction of large boats to launch Riva in a new sector. And in 1921 it was Serafino Riva, on board a racing boat driven by an outboard motor, who first exceeded the speed of 24 km per hour. The yard's success was confirmed in the period between the wars, when the story of Cantieri Riva was marked by a series of victories in national and international speedboat competitions. Alongside the production of speedboats, the company developed pleasure boats, which from the beginning earned a reputation not only for their quality but also for luxury and elegance. In the 1950s, this heritage of experience and prestige was passed on to Carlo Riva, who created a range of wooden boats of exceptional quality, style and elegance. The Riva brand became a legend the world over. Kings, princes, sultans, actors, sporting champions and celebrities all chose Riva. No one has managed to match the beauty, quality and prestige of a Riva, which has always been found in the most important and exclusive harbours in the world. Among the celebrities who have owned a Riva are Brigitte Bardot, Dino de Laurentiis, Richard Burton, Sean Connery, Peter Sellers, the Shah of Persia, Prince Ranieri of Monaco and King Hussein of Jordan. And still today, celebrities, famous businessmen, entrepreneurs, sports stars and the international jet set remain faithful customers of Riva.
In 1969 Cantieri Riva, once more proving themselves at the forefront of the sector, began building hulls in glass reinforced plastics. The product range was extended, and the quality and design continued to embody absolute excellence. In May 2000, with Riva becoming part of Gruppo Ferretti (www.ferretti-yacht.com), the largest group in the world in the sector of luxury pleasure boats, a new era began. New models were designed, to reaffirm a unique design, which for years had been entrusted to Mauro Micheli and the Officina Italiana Design. Today, Riva is a synonym for style, beauty, innovation, design and quality the world over. Micheli says that "working for a shipyard like Riva is a great challenge every day. It means working at the highest standards of quality, both in terms of labour and of materials used. It also means working to extremely high expectations in a sector in continuous development and for a traditionally attentive and demanding clientele. At the Officina Italiana we don't like flashy boats, which express merely formal virtuosity. We do not indulge in gratuitous design touches, just for the sake of superficial effect. We love classic designs, which are uncompromising and clean ".
With over 2000 employees and almost 500,000 square metres of surface area, the shipyards of Gruppo Ferretti (14 in Italy and one in the US), respond to the most advanced and innovative criteria of international shipbuilding. In 2004, the group recorded a turnover of € 557 m
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