The new Riva sport-fly, an exciting combination of innovative vision and legendary style, was presented at the Ferretti Group Private Preview 2020.

Only Riva has the history, inventiveness, appeal and inspiration to create a boat that anticipates the future but is permeated by the evocative mood of tradition. The production and creative capacity of the shipyard, which has continued to maintain its stability and vitality in 2020, has been exploited to the full to realise a sport-fly of dazzling beauty, a groundbreaking mixture of style, technology and innovative materials.

Riva 88’ Folgore, heir to one of the brand’s top best sellers, introduces novelties in the exterior and interior design, in the ergonomics, and in the materials used, combining them with the classic hallmarks of Riva’s legendary history. 26.92 m (88.4 ft) long and 6.31 m (20.8 ft) wide, the yacht is a product of collaboration between Officina Italiana Design, the firm headed by Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta that designs the entire Riva range, the Product Strategy Committee led by Piero Ferrari and Ferretti Group’s Engineering Department.

PROJECT PHILOSOPHY

Built from composite materials, with carbon fiber reinforcements in the superstructure, Riva 88’ Folgore is entirely focused on efficiency, with a design developed specifically to embrace materials like marble, crystal glass and stainless steel, but without affecting performance. Turning to the design, the course set by Officina Italiana Design with the Dolceriva continues to hold true: the new design of the hull windows, reminiscent of a black brushstroke along the silver side of the yacht, rises towards the deck and meets an original and innovative hull-deck coupling system, where the stern area makes space for a steel-edged air intake.

The iconic mahogany and steel detailing, combined with carbon fiber elements, epitomises the perfect balance between past and present that has typified Riva boats in recent years. This is the merit of a sophisticated functional design, as can be seen in various elements, including the navigation lights framed in polished stainless steel, or the continuous aquamarine waterline. The walkway handrails are also carbon fiber and steel, with a section on the starboard side that also acts as the handle for the access door to the interior. Making this boat even more unique is the innovative windscreen, manufactured with spherical crystals that result in a slight counter-curvature, a detail that looks set to become a Riva hallmark.

Another innovative style feature is the glass roof in the superstructure, which swings open both towards the stern and the bow, to allow fresh air in either when cruising or at anchor. Under the roof is a slatted structure that separates the interior and exterior spaces if desired. The standard solution is a fixed roof. The first unit has a Shark Grey hull with Bright Black detailing, classic colours in the Riva tradition of recent years.

EXTERIORS

Aiming to offer a design that combines aesthetics and functionality, Riva 88’ Folgore delivers a comprehensively redesigned stern concept, with a rear door that swings open into two different positions: parallel to the waterline for use as a 6 m2 beach club, and submerged for launching and recovering the tender. The garage can house a Williams SportJet 395 and a jet ski.

Two sets of teak side steps lead down to the 22m2 multifunctional cockpit area. In the bow, the first unit has a huge dining area with a sofa that can be transformed into a sunpad by operating the up-down mechanism that raises and lowers the polished mahogany tabletop. On the left is a service unit with a storage compartment, an icemaker, and either a fridge or the third command station for stern mooring operations. On the starboard side, the mobile bar next to the stairs to the sport-fly has a Stone by Florim marble top that opens electrically and two stools, an original solution catering to a mainly American clientele.

The crew quarters can be accessed through a companion hatch under the stairway, as well as from the galley on the lower deck.

In the bow, the layout of this first unit features a huge C-shaped sofa with a coffee table that swings open to reveal a big storage area and, further forward, a sunpad on the deckhouse that can accommodate at least four people. Integrated in the sunpad is a small sun hood that is opened by an electro hydraulic mechanism. The entire 23 m2 area can be covered with awnings.

The 20 m2 sport-fly offers the owner even more ideas for ways to relax in comfort, with a big sunpad plus sofa in the stern, another sofa with a coffee table and pouf on the port side, and yet another sofa on the starboard side. The helm station with its stainless steel inserts is centrally positioned in the bow, with a pivoting backrest shared by the sofa, and features two 16-inch touchscreen displays. This area too can be completely covered with awnings.

INTERIORS

Entered through the glass door in the cockpit, the interiors on the main deck are divided into lounge, dining and helm station areas. The open space lounge has an unimpeded view of the sea and is a perfect example of the unmistakable Riva style. The height of all the interior areas touches 2 m and is even higher on the lower deck, contributing to unparalleled comfort.

A carefully chosen mix of wood, leather and steel characterises the onboard decor on both the main and lower decks. The dominant wood on this first unit is polished rosewood, combined with pale or dark coloured leather inserts and white parquet. These pairings and the contrasting white and black lacquered sections of ceiling create surprising contrasts that infuse the boat with a refined, classical elegance, enhanced by the natural light that floods in through the continuous side widows and front windscreen. The lounge is furnished with a big ice-coloured Poliform sofa on the starboard side, facing a cabinet with a TV up to 55 inches in size. A grey marble Poliform coffee table rounds out the furnishings.

Also on the port side is the dining area, where the big tinted glass table, with a stainless steel base and grey Minotti chairs with charcoal-coloured nubuck backrests, seats up to eight.

In the bow, the helm station with two adjustable-height leather seats is positioned on the starboard side and separated from the lounge by a full-height tinted glass partition, a solution that amplifies the pleasure of privacy. The captain can also enter and leave through the door next to the helm station on the starboard side, without having to pass through the lounge and dining area.

LOWER DECK

The lower deck offers the owner four cabins: the full beam owner’s suite in the centre of the yacht; a VIP cabin in the bow with a double bed and two wardrobes; a VIP cabin on the port side with a wardrobe and convertible twin beds; and a double cabin with a wardrobe and twin beds. They all have their own bathrooms. The starboard cabin’s bathroom also acts as a day head. Mirrored surfaces dominate all the cabins: walls clad with tinted mirrors and widescreen TVs are cleverly paired with wood, leather, fabric and colours that match those on the main deck.

The 20 m2 owner’s suite is proposed with three different layouts: the first unit will be fitted out with optional version A, which has one big owner’s bathroom, a walk-in closet and a vanity table with leather and aluminium Living Divani chair. The furnishings are rounded out by several pieces of freestanding furniture chosen by the owner, including a Poliform brown leather chair, a black-painted steel Frank coffee table by B&B Italia, and a silver armchair by Minotti. The cabin is entered by means of three white marble steps, while the floor, shower and basin top in the owner’s bathroom are finished in white and gold polished Calacatta marble.

The standard version has a smaller bathroom and two walk-in closets, while optional version B offers the possibility of two bathrooms with separate services and a single central shower, in addition to the walk-in wardrobe.

The galley and crew quarters on 88’ Folgore are both on the lower deck for maximum privacy. A door separates the galley from the main deck, with access via a stairway, while another door on the opposite side divides it from the crew quarters. The latter contain a mess area, two cabins with bunk beds and head, and a laundry with a washing machine plus a clothes dryer on request. One of the two entrances to the engine room is located here, while the other is in the cockpit.

PROPULSION AND TECHNOLOGY

This first Riva 88’ Folgore unit is fitted with a pair of MTU 16V 2000 M96L engines rated 2,638 mhp, for a top speed of 39 knots and a cruising speed of 33 knots. The standard propulsion solution is a pair of MTU 16V 2000 M96 engines rated 2,435 mhp, which drive the yacht to a top speed of 36 knots and a cruising speed of 30 knots.

The helm station on the main bridge has Xenta electro hydraulic steering gear, with independent rudder management for sporty turn optimisation, and a LOOP integrated dashboard developed in collaboration with NAVIOP-SIMRAD, which integrates onboard monitoring with navigation and manoeuvring instruments and from which the captain can manage the entire yacht. This unit is equipped with three 19-inch touchscreen displays. A manoeuvring joystick is also installed, featuring docking mode functionality for easy handling in confined waters, such as when mooring alongside, with lateral movement obtained by the combined action of the main propellers and the proportional bow thruster. In addition to all this, a Dynamic Positioning System maintains the yacht in the same position even in strong winds and currents: the perfect solution when preparing to moor or while waiting to refuel or for a bridge to open. The new model is fitted with Humphree stabilizing fins.

To offer maximum comfort at anchor too, the yacht can also be fitted with the Seakeeper SK26 gyroscopic stabilizer.