Shipyard portrait: 180 years of nautical heritage - how Riva is establishing itself as a brand
Pietro, Ernesto, Serafino, Carlo: for decades, the Riva shipyard passed from father to son, each generation bringing new vision to transform what began as a local boatyard with a solid reputation for build quality into an icon of Italian style. Today, Riva is an international legend whose products are collected and grow in value. The renowned Italian boatbuilders, currently operating in three locations in Italy, celebrated their 180th anniversary in 2022.
It all began in 1842 in Sarnico, a small town on Italy's Lago d'Iseo. The story goes that a sudden squall damaged the local fishermen's boats so badly that many thought they had lost their livelihood. Pietro Riva, a young boat builder who had just arrived in the area from Lake Como, set about repairing the local fleet, earning the respect and admiration of everyone whose boats he saved.
Ernesto Riva, Pietro's son, continued to build boats on Lake Iseo, but increasingly focussed on larger vessels for transporting goods and passengers. After the First World War, Serafino Riva - the third generation of the Riva family to take over the company - began to explore the world of motorboat racing and built powerful piston engines into the first-class boats that brought success to his family's shipyard even then. Serafino Riva's racing boats won many competitions in the emerging racing scene between the First and Second World Wars. But Rivas were never just famous for their speed; they were always technically state-of-the-art, but also always beautiful.
Riva established itself as a brand
In the 1950s and 60s, under the leadership of Pietro's great-grandson Carlo, Riva became a brand with an established position as a manufacturer of some of the most elegant and glamorous boats in the world. In the heyday of La Dolce Vita, it was Ferrari on land and Riva on water, as Alberto Galassi, CEO of the Ferretti Group, recalls:
I believe that to find another brand whose strength is comparable to that of Riva, you have to look to the automotive world, namely Ferrari, another example of a unique and legendary brand that has research and innovation in its DNA and at the same time an unrivalled style."- Alberto Galassi
Carlo Riva was born in Sarnico on 24 February 1922. When he took over the family business, he was ready to switch Riva production from various types of work boats to exclusive objects of desire. In 1954, he opened a new shipyard with a modern approach to production. Here Carlo wanted to create boats that were unique in form and substance. The centrepiece of this facility was Riva's office, the "helm station", which he had designed himself. It is located in the centre of the shipyard and is flanked by two pillars and a 40-metre-high arch equipped with cranes that can lift boats of up to 20 tonnes. The wheelhouse and the entire shipyard are listed as examples of modern architecture - highly unusual for an industrial complex.
When visions become reality
As an entrepreneur with vision, Carlo Riva recognised the importance of brand image and marketing. Anticipating the needs of owners, he founded Riva Boat Service in 1957 to provide technical support and customer service. The first service centre was the historic R.A.M. in Sarnico, followed two years later by the Monaco Boat Service in Monte Carlo and other centres around the world. He also invested in material research and switched from marine plywood to fibreglass in the 1960s.
While the shipyard produced many famous models such as the Ariston, Tritone, Sebino and Florida, it was the Riva Aquarama that was presented at the international boat show in Milan in 1962, immediately making headlines and eventually becoming an icon. It is one of the most elegant boats of all time. Her unmistakable lines are emphasised by lacquered joinery, polished chrome and leather details that testify to style, elegance and luxury. The name of this mahogany glider is reminiscent of jet-setting playboys like Porfirio Rubirosa, who romped along the Grand Canal, or glamorous women like Brigitte Bardot, who travelled the warm waters off St Tropez - always on board their own Rivas. In the first year of production, 21 Aquaramas were sold. One year later, the Aquarama Super was developed, followed by the Aquarama Special in 1971. In total, Riva produced 784 of these boats, with the Aquarama and the Aquarama Super remaining in production until 1971 and the Aquarama Special until 1996.
Alberto Galassi himself is a fan of the Riva Aquarama Super and is the proud owner of this model. "I think it's the most beautiful boat ever built - the elegant lines made me fall in love with the brand," he says. Just as the Riva shipyard was passed down from father to son, the Ferretti CEO inherited his love of Riva from his father. "In 1974, my father and some of his friends bought the smallest Riva in production at the time, a Riva Rudy made of GRP," Galassi recalls. "I later fell in love with the Aquarama Super and bought it. I still own both models and wouldn't give them up for the world. Riva is a kind of faith, a way of life, a sign of elegance. When I look at my Aquarama, I see more than a boat, I see a work of art, a stroke of genius by Carlo Riva and an icon of Italian style."
While the Aquarama defined the lines and glamour of Riva, the shipyard also built other models where composite materials, engine performance and aerodynamic shapes set the tone. These included day cruisers such as the Riva 2000 and the St Tropez, which were produced until 1992, as well as the flagship model Superamerica, a voluminous flybridge format that remained in production in various lengths and for over 20 years.
The perfect mix: timeless elegance and contemporary style
Carlo Riva retired from the family business in 1972, but Giorgio Barilani, who had started at Riva in 1956, remained in office as head of design until 1996. In 2000, Riva was taken over by the Ferretti Group, whose portfolio now consists of seven strong brands: Wally, CRN, Custom Line, Ferretti Yachts, Pershing, Itama and Riva. The new owners decided to revise and further develop the design of the Riva models. This was commissioned to the Officina Italiana Design studio under the direction of Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta, who work closely with the product strategy committee and the marketing and design departments of the Ferretti Group. New coupé and flybridge models such as the Rivarama and the Rivale were introduced every year from then on. This intensive design innovation was supported by the establishment of a new Riva shipyard in La Spezia and the further expansion of the CRN shipyard in Ancona. "Riva is the only shipyard to offer yachts from eight to 60 metres in length - each model is a perfect blend of timeless elegance and contemporary style," says Galassi. "To achieve this, we have planned and invested carefully, paying attention not only to innovation and design, but also to all aspects of engineering, technology and safety that have always made Riva a benchmark in the industry."
Today, the historic Riva shipyard in Sarnico builds boats ranging in length from 27 to 68 feet, such as the Iseo, the Aquariva Super and the Rivarama Super. The hulls and decks are built side by side, with great attention paid to detail and materials. Colours and woods exclusive to Riva, such as mahogany and "rigatino", which are part of the brand's history, are still used today. The yacht builders still paint the wooden surfaces in 24 coats to make them as glossy and resistant as possible and colour the screw heads to match the colour of the hull. Even though the models were changed and updated with the parent company, the best aspects of Riva quality remain the same even after decades.
Riva continues to develop
Just as the needs and wishes of yacht owners have changed over the years, Riva has also reorganised itself. To enable the construction of larger yachts, a Riva shipyard was opened in La Spezia in 2004, which grew to an area of over 28,000 square metres in 2007. This facility, where Rivas ranging in length from 68 to 110 feet are built, has enabled the brand to expand its model range while maintaining the strict guidelines established at the Sarnico shipyard in terms of attention to detail, innovation and design excellence. Current Riva models laminated in La Spezia include the Perseo and Argo.
In 2012, the brand celebrated its 170th anniversary, together with the 90th birthday of Carlo Riva and the arrival of the 63' Virtus, one of the largest open-formers ever built by the shipyard.
Two years later, the 122-foot-long "Mythos" became Riva's flagship. It was the first model that CRN welded entirely from a lightweight aluminium alloy in Ancona. While the importance of the shipyard in Sarnico is more than just sentimental, Ancona is where the Riva engineers and designers are based. And it is the place where the largest models are produced. The shipyard in Ancona has an area of almost 80,000 square metres, of which around 25,000 square metres are covered. The shipyard, which is owned by the Ferretti Group, is dedicated to the construction of CRN, Pershing and Custom Line models as well as the yachts from Riva's Superyachts division, such as the 50 Metri, which was presented for the first time in 2019.
Yachts are built in co-operation
"Today, all Riva yachts are created in close cooperation between the Officina Italiana Design studio, the product strategy committee headed by Piero Ferrari and the Ferretti Group's design department," explains Galassi. He recalls the launch of the first Riva 50 Metri "Race", which was built in Ancona, as one of the best moments of his career. "We held an event at the Arsenale in Venice in 2019 and it was a real thrill because we were able to realise one of Carlo Riva's dreams. He built larger steel-hulled yachts like the Caravelle and the Atlantic in the 1960s and 70s, and when I told him we were designing a 50-metre yacht, he just said, 'Make her beautiful: 'Make her beautiful'. He didn't live to see it, but the 50 Metri is a true legacy of Riva's standards of beauty, style and innovation," Galassi says.
Continuing a 180-year-old brand jewel, which is also an international style icon, harbours great risks and potential. But just as the Riva shipyard has been passed down from father to son over generations, Galassi is convinced that the Ferretti Group will be up to the task in the years to come. "I can only say that with great love comes great responsibility. Riva existed before I came on the scene, and the brand will remain a legend even after my time. It is not only an important part of Italy's nautical heritage, but also its artistic heritage, and I feel morally obliged to keep the brand alive in all its splendour. We will continue to develop new models every year to adapt our production to the high expectations customers have of the Riva brand. But above all, we will keep the Riva brand in the hearts of all its fans," says Galassi.
After 180 years, a brand is more than just loved, it is revered; and the Ferretti Group is in a position to maintain and even expand Riva's appeal for generations to come.
This article appeared in BOOTE EXCLUSIV issue 04/2022 and was revised by the editorial team in June 2023.
