Roman Holiday

The SportRiva 56 is the latest in this famous Italian line

By Dudley Dawson

My auburn-haired sweetheart and I are fortunate to live on piece of waterfront heaven in the Carolinas. Near perfect—the only thing that would make it better would be a fully restored Riva Aquarama moored out back. I’ve been a sucker for Rivas since my first glimpse of those now-classic mahogany speedboats. The newest offering from the venerable Italian builder has only added to my enthusiasm for the brand.
The SportRiva’s hull is fiberglass rather than mahogany, and she’s a full-fledged yacht rather than a runabout, but it’s clear she shares the genes. The new model is a 56-footer with the sleek styling of Riva’s sport cruisers, but she carries a low-profile flying bridge that complements her look while adding usefulness.

Specifications:

LOA: 57’ 8”
Beam: 15’ 3”
Draft: 4’ 7”
Displ.: 65,500 lbs. (full load)
Fuel/Water: 660/145 U.S. gals.
Power: 2x MAN V8-900 CRM,
887hp @ 2300 RPM
Top/Cruising Speed: 32/28 knots
Range: 245 nm @ 28 knots
Price: $2,994,613 with options

From the days when Carlo Riva personally oversaw the production of his namesake craft, the builder, now a part of Ferretti Group, has enjoyed a reputation for quality design and construction. Details aboard the SportRiva 56 support that opinion. The details are sometimes obvious, as in the perfect fit and stitching of the soft leather upholstery. Other places, the evidence is subtle, as in the safety interlock on the electric grill that’s part of the aft deck bar. Try to shut the cover with the grill still energized, and an alarm will let you know it, helping to avoid a fire.
Another place where Riva’s attention to safety shows is the engine  room. The SportRiva 56 is set up with a V-drive configuration and it takes a fair amount of horsepower to assure a 32-knot top speed on a boat built as solidly as this one. As a result, the diesels are big and access is a bit tight at the after end of the engine room, but all routine service items have been located forward, to the extent possible, so they’re easy to reach. In addition, the stub shafts and constant-velocity couplings are covered by step plates for safety and for easier access outboard. In a belt-and-suspenders approach, there’s also a secondary guard around the shaft. You can’t truly appreciate the importance of that feature unless you’ve witnessed the aftermath of a coupling on an unguarded shaft letting go at 2,300 rpm.
Of course, safety and sensibility should always be of primary importance, but this yacht would not be a Riva without the brand’s well-known Italian flair, style and fashion. Her striking Roman Bronze hull, a medium brown that is reminiscent of varnished mahogany and flawlessly smooth glasswork sets her apart from any pretenders.
The Milan design influence is clearly evident. The boat’s interior joinery is light with a satin finish and accented by polished stainless steel. The lower helm is composite with a dark gray gelcoat finish and the padded fabric that flanks the console resembles woven carbon fiber.  An open yacht is nice when the weather’s moderate, but an air-conditioned saloon is preferable for boating in the South. Fortunately, the SportRiva doesn’t make you choose. The aft saloon bulkhead, almost entirely glass in stainless steel frames, keeps everything snug inside unless you prefer otherwise. In the latter case, the glass swings and slides out of the way, opening the saloon to the covered aft deck and creating a single spacious alfresco area two-thirds the length of the yacht.
Inside the deckhouse, the saloon lies to port. The galley is on the lower level aft, a negative for some owners, but it is open to the saloon and has an opening port so there’s no need to feel claustrophobic. Here and in the saloon, cabinet and drawer space abounds for the essentials, including padded stowage for the included flatware, china and glass, and dedicated knife and cookware drawers. There’s also that Italian essential, a wine cooler with fitted corkscrew. Off the galley is a single-berth crew cabin. On owner-operated boats, it would serve well for a teenager.
Forward, the accommodations include the owner’s cabin forward and two convertible cabins amidships. The master has an island queen berth and a private ensuite head with a circular shower. Two ports bring in lots of light and air, which the hatch overhead augments, as well as serving as an emergency escape. The convertible cabins have twin berths, one of which can be slid against the other to create a queen.
My one big gripe with the SportRiva 56 is the Americanization of an otherwise beautiful yacht with a plethora of warning labels, obviously dictated by lawyers sensitive to our legal system. Get real. I’ve been to Italy often enough to know that many of the women there should come with warning labels, too, but that would just spoil the effect. The same is true of the SportRiva. Peel off the labels, treat her with respect, and you’ll find there’s considerably more fun than danger.