Tag: Australia

Riviera Yachts Debuts Two Models

Riviera Yachts impresses an international audience with its debut of the luxurious 72 Sports Motor Yacht and the adventurous 395 SUV.

There are several similarities between the United States and Australia. English is the primary language, both cultures like a good party and long coastlines establish strong ties to boating, which naturally brings the countries together in the marine industry. Australia’s Riviera Yachts, for example, started in 1980 and a mere three years later, exported boats to the U.S.

Then in 2000, Riviera opened a state-of-the-art factory in Coomera, Australia, just down the river from Sanctuary Cove, home to one of the top boat shows in the world and where I first laid my eyes on their two newest yachts.

72 Sports Motor Yacht

The 72 Sports Motor Yacht, the largest of all of Riviera’s product offerings, was artfully angled off the dock. This drew attention to her rounded parallelogram windows, which accented the hull beneath high bulwarks forward. Matching black-masked windshields on the main deck and enclosed flybridge said this yacht was styled as a gentleman’s sportfisherman, with a 175-square-foot cockpit, outriggers, teak decks surrounded by no less than a dozen rod holders, a lighted circulating baitwell with window, extra tackle storage, and twin fish lockers. There was no fighting chair, but the cockpit sole is reinforced to accommodate two. Forward twin stairwells lead up to the mezzanine, and the console between them contains a beverage cooler, twin electric grills and a fold-up sink with engine room access beneath.

The mezzanine is set up for dining and entertaining. A forward-facing settee has twin teak tables for convenient entry but when combined, they form one long table that seats 10 with additional chairs. A pop-up window provides an easy pass-through to the galley with pivoting bar stools below. A portside door leads down to a cabin with head, storage, a stacked washer and dryer, and crew bunks; its proximity to the mezzanine and cockpit makes it the perfect day head without tracking through the salon. Engine room access is also through this cabin as is well-thought-out access to a garbage bin in the back of the galley that allows for discreet trash removal.

Cruiser Approved

There’s a crane davit and room to cradle a large RIB on the foredeck. However, this transforms into a comfortable seating area when the tender is removed. Wide side decks with raised gunwales and rails provide safe passage around the perimeter, and a portside door amidships leads to the galley, salon and the internal pilothouse staircase.

The main deck interior layout positions the fully equipped galley aft for convenient access to the mezzanine. Twin, L-shaped lounges in the salon, recessed lighting, high-end furnishings, and glossy walnut cabinetry create a modern, elegant look throughout the cabin. Below decks accommodations include a king master amidships, queen VIP forward and a twin cabin that converts to a double. A starboard twin bunk cabin is standard or can become the master head in the Presidential layout.

An aft-facing stairway from the salon leads up to the bridge lounge, where the skipper and guests enjoy a 360-degree view and plenty of seats to relax. Twin helm chairs give the captain a centerline view of the Garmin glass bridge and through the large windshield. A console to the right places throttles, trim tab controls and other critical functions within easy reach. Starboard seating can be used as a forward-facing lounge with an angled backrest.

A sliding door leads to yet another conversation area on the aft deck, with seating, a table, wet bar, and an aft steering station that provides full visibility of the cockpit for fishing and docking. The Twin Disk EJS Joystick here controls variable speed transmissions as well as hydraulic thrusters for maneuvering the boat smoothly without jerking or lunging.

Optional MAN V12-1900s power this Riviera Yachts 72, and a Seatorque “BOSS” system with V-drives reduces vibration and noise. Shafts are sealed in a tube and bathed in oil from the couplings to the props, while rubber mounts dampen vibration and allow thrust to push on the vessel rather than pressing back against the engines.

395 SUV

On the opposite end of Riviera’s size spectrum, the new 395 SUV proved a popular model with show attendees for its single level, large cockpit and abundant amenities, all signatures of the SUV line. The ample swim platform carries a tender on snap davits plus a railing with a cutting table and rod holders above it. The transom side holds a pull-out compartment designed specifically to store an outboard and is topped by a concealed counter with a sink and electric grill. The cockpit has flip-out seating on the sides and aft-facing fixed seating with a table that adjusts for different configurations.

Interior seating to port is across from the galley and includes a hydraulic pop-up window for continuity to the cockpit. A double helm seat is forward; controls include a joystick for the standard Volvo Penta IPS-500 engines. A love seat on starboard, like the other seating, is raised to provide great visibility whether at the dock, at anchor or when cruising.

Twin, electric-opening sunroofs overhead bring in additional light and, when combined with open side windows, ventilate the salon and helm. On the foredeck, a large sunpad with drink holders provides a place to lounge. Accommodations below include a queen master forward, single head with separate shower. A midship cabin beneath the main salon with three single berths, two of which combine into a double.

Tough Decisions

The Riviera 395 is small and mighty. There are a lot of useful features into an easy-to-manage package. Australians and Americans use their boats in similar ways, and Riviera builds them to fit this boating lifestyle. They provide a nice balance of sitting and gathering areas both in and out of the elements. Additionally, the cockpits equally suited for entertaining or fishing, and fast and efficient performance.

The more I thought about these two new models on the opposite ends of the Riviera spectrum, the more I liked them both. The 72 Sports Motor Yacht is obviously a lot more boat, but the 395 SUV has strong appeal.

When comparing spec sheets and pricing, if you are looking to spend four to five million dollars on your next boat, the Riviera 72 Sports Motor Yacht is equally adept at fishing and cruising. Plus it has a host of large entertaining spaces ideal for all types of gatherings. But if your parties aren’t quite as large and you want to cruise with a few guests or have a small family, the Riviera 395 SUV is ideal.

Whatever size or style of powerboat you’re looking for, Riviera Yachts has two great new options. Both the 72 Sports Motor Yacht and 395 SUV will be at the 2018 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. A flybridge version of the 395 SUV should arrive in time for the 2019 Miami Boat Show.

By Arnie Hammerman, Southern Boating August 2018

Riviera 72 Sports Motor Yacht

LOA: 72′ 3″
Beam: 19′ 8″
Draft: 6′ 1″
Dry Weight: 103,600 lbs.
Fuel/Water: 2,378/264 gals.
Standard Power: 2x MAN 12V-1800
Optional Power: 2x MAN 12V-1900
Cruise/Top Speed: 23/35 knots (with optional power)
Range: 498 nm @ 23 knots
MSRP: starts at $4,265,000

Contact: Riviera Yachts
riviera.com.au

Riviera 395 SUV

LOA: 39′ 6″
Beam: 13′ 9″
Draft: 4′ 7″
Dry Weight: 27,557 lbs.
Fuel/Water: 396/103 gals.
Standard Power: 2x Volvo Penta D6-IPS 500
Cruise/Top Speed: 24/31 knots
Range: 300 nm @ 24 knots
MSRP: starts at $750,000

Contact: Riviera Yachts
riviera.com.au

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Go South for Scuba

If you’re a scuba diving enthusiast, your daydreams may feature a yacht, land-based luxury, racing fish-filled currents, calmer conditions, staggering depths, sunlight-filled shallows, inquisitive marine life or probably some combination of all of these. Whatever your preferred base and dive profile, add these six diving locations in the Southern  Hemisphere to your underwater bucket list.

Raja Ampat, Indonesia

Off Indonesia’s West Papua province, the 15,000-square-mile Raja Ampat archipelago has tremendous marine biodiversity: more than 75 percent of the world’s hard coral species, half of the world’s soft corals, 1,500 fish species, and 700 mollusk species.
Another heartwarming feature is its status as Indonesia’s first shark sanctuary; sea turtles, rays and dugongs are also protected.

While scuba sites are superb throughout the archipelago, Misool in the south has some of the best. Explore swim-throughs and say hello to Papuan scorpionfish at the Dunia Kecil (“small world”) site. Become mesmerized by otherworldly soft coral gardens at Whale Rock, and meet multitudes of fish—barracuda, Spanish mackerel and more—flying through Karang  Bayangan’s currents. Between dives, ease into a lake filled with ethereal jellyfish, their sting so mild it’s undetectable.

WHEN TO GO
October – April

DIVE CHARTER
Beautifully crafted, 167-foot Dunia Baru has seven ensuite cabins and is an ideal base for remote dive adventures. duniabaru.com

Ari Atoll, Maldives

For wonders on a grand scale, head to Ari Atoll, one of 26 natural atolls in the remote and vulnerable 1,190-island Maldives archipelago. Whale sharks cruise its outer edge year-round; if you’re lucky, you’ll swim close to the planet’s biggest fish, awed by their
might and magnificence.  However, this atoll has smaller delights as well. At the Hafsa Thila dive site, for example, hundreds of psychedelically colored anemones and anemonefish create a striking dream world. At nearby sites, giant moray eels, sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, and fish—fusiliers, butterflyfish, tangs, parrotfi sh, and more—add to the enchantment. Migratory reef manta rays are also common, and one manta event is well worth a detour. Between June and November, at high tide during the full and new
moon, up to 200 hungry rays gather for plankton feeding frenzies in Baa Atoll’s Hanifaru Bay, so add this to your scuba itinerary, if possible.

WHEN TO GO
Year-round, although seas tend to be calmest in March.

DIVE CHARTER
128-foot Four Seasons Explorer has 10 staterooms and one suite. Charter her or book a place on a scheduled cruise. fourseasons.com/maldivesfse

Christmas Island, Australia

With a narrow fringing reef harboring 600 species of fish, 88 species of pristine coral, caves, and steep walls plummeting to the deep sea, remote Christmas Island—in the Indian Ocean and closer to Indonesia than the Australian mainland—offers a bounty
of dive sites…64 altogether. These include the Rhoda Wall, which begins at 60 feet and descends to 10 times that; Daniel Roux, a lively coral outcrop; and the Thunderdome
and Thundercliff caves. The former cave has a dark, air-filled chamber in its inner reaches; rise for a breath here and let your imagination toy with its chair-shaped natural formation known as “Neptune’s Seat.” Does a sea goddess rule from here?

WHEN TO GO
November to April for whale sharks; November for the red crab migration; and May to October if you’re visiting via yacht.

LANDBASED EXPLORATION
Christmas Island Wet’n’Dry Adventures offers daily dive trips. divingchristmas.com

Similan and Surin Islands, Thailand

To sample Thailand’s best scuba diving, venture into the Andaman Sea, about 40 miles west of Khao Lak, where 11 granite boulder islands (the Similans) attract boatloads of divers and snorkelers, thanks to the good visibility, intriguing underwater boulders, coral gardens, and other marine life.

Hin Muan Deaw (“whole roll of film rock”), a sea fan and soft coral-covered rock near islands No. 5 and No. 6, and West Ridge (near No. 10), which features a manta cleaning station, are just a couple of must-visit sites. The area’s most exquisite dive, though, is 40 miles north, in Mu Ko Surin National Park. Here, Richelieu Rock—a flat, horseshoe-shaped, sedimentary limestone rock draped in pink, red and purple corals—rewards divers
with a dizzying display of fish as well as turtles, manta rays, moray eels, and scorpionfish.

WHEN TO GO 
The Similan Islands are only open to visitors from November to mid-May with the best visibility between December and March.

DIVE CHARTER
Dunia Baru can include the Similan Islands on charters traveling to or from Myanmar’s Merguiarchipelago. duniabaru.com

Rainbow Reef, Fiji

Fiji is blessed with more than 4,000 square miles of coral reef and more than 1,000 fish species. Dive sites are scattered throughout the 333-island archipelago; however, make Rainbow Reef, in the narrow Somosomo Strait between Vanua Levu and Taveuni, your first stop. Here, about 20 scuba sites are spread along its southern section. The abundance of soft coral is the result of water rushing through the channel during tidal shifts, thus providing nutrients for marine life.

The Great White Wall—a scenic vertical wall of soft, white corals—is the most famous site and is best experienced during low slack tide, when the current is minimal and the soft corals are visible. After descending to 49 feet, you’ll enter a swim-through filled with soldierfish and fairy basslets. Exiting at about 82 feet, turn left and begin drifting along the spectacular wall, which extends to depths of more than 130 feet. Remember to move away from the wall at least once to properly witness its grandeur.

WHEN TO GO
April – October; check with your dive guide for the best tidal window for the Great White Wall.

LANDBASED DIVE LUXURY
Laucala Island, a 40-minute boat ride from the Great White Wall, offers diving day trips and glamorous villas. laucala.com

Lady Elliot Island, Australia

If close scuba encounters with manta rays and sea turtles sound like your version of heaven, book a trip to Lady Elliot Island, a coral cay on the southernmost Great Barrier Reef. Expect to fall in love as reef manta rays dance elegantly around cleaning stations such as Lighthouse Bommie; for the ultimate treat, visit in the Austral winter and early
spring, when humpback whales migrate along Australia’s East Coast. Their song, audible on nearly every dive, will fill your senses. Keep your fins crossed that one swims past before you surface.

WHEN TO GO
July and August

LANDBASED EXPLORATION
Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort offers dives twice daily. ladyelliot.com.au

DIVE CHARTER
Ocean Alliance represents a number of yachts that charter on the Great Barrier Reef. oceanalliance.com

Story and photos by Kara Murphy, Southern Boating September 2017

Karrie Webb

This LPGA hall-of-famer trades her golf clubs for fishing poles in the off-season to play on a different kind of course…one that leads to monster fish aboard her 32-foot Intrepid.

Karrie Webb is recognized as one of the greatest female golfers of all time. The world’s fifth-ranked female player holds the record for most Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour victories with an impressive 41 major titles. When Webb won the Women’s British Open in 2002, she became the first player in LPGA history to achieve the “Super Career Grand Slam” by winning all five majors, including the du Maurier, which is no longer held. In just the last six months, Webb kicked off the season by winning the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in February and the JTBC Founder’s Cup in March.

Webb’s grandparents introduced her to golf, and she was inspired to pursue it as a career after she watched Greg Norman play the Queensland Open in 1986. “I would go out with my grandparents every Saturday morning with plastic clubs, but by the time I was seven years old I was too strong and kept breaking them. My grandparents promised they would get me a set of golf clubs for my eighth birthday so that was my official start in golf,” says Webb. That was in the early 1980s, the same time Greg Norman was becoming known as the best player in the world. “When I was 11 years old I told my parents I was going to be a professional golfer when I grew up, and I never wanted to do anything else.”

Webb’s parents and grandparents also inspired her love for boating and most of all, fishing. “I grew up along the coastline of Australia near the Great Barrier Reef. I did some deep-sea fishing with my family, but we mainly stuck to backwater creek fishing. My parents and grandparents had a ‘creek hut’ on a sandy out-crop at the mouth of a large creek with the Pacific Ocean on the other side. We could only get there by boat and we spent all our free time there,” reminisces Webb, the eldest of three girls. “Until I was 12 or 13 years old, I was kind of like my dad’s little boy. Wherever he wanted to go, I wanted to go—and he really loved fishing—so all my memories of hanging out with him on the water are my favorite fishing stories. He instilled a true passion for boating in me.”

Years later Webb moved to Orlando, Florida, but soon realized she couldn’t be away from the coast so she moved to Boynton Beach, where Ayr Waves II found its home on her boatlift. “In ’06, I had a really good year on the tour, so my Intrepid 32 was my reward, and I still love it. If I ever get another boat, I’ll get another Intrepid. Being on my boat is definitely my main hobby when I’m not on the course. I’m pretty fair-weather when it comes to fishing, but even if it’s really windy I don’t mind cruising along the Intracoastal—and I don’t think about golf at all while I’m out there,” says Webb, who taught herself the prep work required for fishing. “Since my dad would always help me, I could bait my hook but that was about it. I wanted to learn all the techniques and be able to do everything, so now I feel like a true angler.”

Like most fishermen and women, Webb says her dream day fishing is a day filled with catching with a fish fry at the end of it. “There is a lot of work that goes into deep-sea fishing, so it’s definitely more enjoyable when I can stand on the dock and filet a big catch. Since my hands are a pretty important part of my career I filet my fish a little slower than others, but I still filet them alongside everyone else.”

Webb primarily fishes off the coast of South Florida but has taken Ayr Waves II to the Florida Keys a few times. “I’ve gone down to the Keys for lobster miniseason a few times and since I’m competitive, chasing a lobster to get it in my bag becomes a mission. I don’t dive as much as I fish, but it is another activity on my list of things to do more often once my schedule slows down. The last 10 years, the British Open has been scheduled for the same week as mini season.”

As a professional athlete, Webb enjoys the thrill of the game…big game fish, that is. “I’ve never caught a tarpon, so that’s definitely on my list of dream catches, along with all the great game fish. I’ve caught a big dolphin and a white marlin off of Boynton inlet, but I’ve never caught a sailfish. I also want to make it to The Bahamas when the tuna are running.” Webb says many other choice catches are where she grew up near the Great Barrier Reef and insists they are some of the best-tasting fish in the world—coral trout is her favorite and she also enjoys barramundi, a relative to snook that is just as tasty and highly regulated.

As much as Webb would like to make more time for boating and fishing, her sights are set on June 2016—the qualifier for the Summer Olympics. “I’ve accomplished so much in golf, so goal setting has been really hard in the last few years except for trying to win golf tournaments. So when it was announced that golf could be in the 2016 Summer Olympics for the first time since 1904, that became my goal.”

Webb turns 40 this year to round out a remarkable 18-year professional career. Once the 2016 Olympics are over she will consider taking more time off the course. “I’ve only made one trip across to The Bahamas, but I want to do a lot more of that. It’s hard to find the time right now because the best time of year to go is the summer, which is my busiest season with golf, but The Bahamas is my biggest bucket list item,” says Webb, who adds that she also wants to charter a crewed catamaran and cruise the Virgin Islands. “When I start to wind down my professional career and have more time, I will fill it with anything that has to do with being on a boat.”

By Christine Carpenter, Southern Boating July 2014

Riviera 50 Enclosed Flybridge

Aussie Tough

Riviera Yachts has built top-quality boats for 34 years, launching more than 5,000 to date. The Australian builder has developed a reputation for turning out tough, strong boats that love bashing out to the fishing grounds. All that toughness, however, isn’t just limited to Riviera’s boats. During the global economic meltdown that began in 2008, Riviera and its dealers in 30 countries were hit hard financially—so much so, in fact, that it sought bankruptcy protection. That protection is usually only a first step and is generally followed by the appointment of a receiver and subsequent auction of the bankrupt firm’s assets.

But Riviera’s management team did not follow the usual pattern. They chose, instead, to tough it out and effectively manage the company back to financial health. Such an approach puts a massive strain on management, creditors, dealers, suppliers, and employees—in most cases, the bankrupt company can barely function, but that’s not what happened at Riviera. In fact, the builder not only continued to build—albeit at a reduced level—it developed new models and added new features to existing models. The end result is an encouraging recovery story and led to one of the newest Riviera offerings, the 50 Enclosed Flybridge.

Having tested several Rivieras—all equipped with the traditional open flybridge—I’d expected the enclosed flybridge model would prove to be an even better boat than those I had previously bashed around in. It was.

This newest Riviera with crisp, contemporary styling boasts a standout dock presence. Despite being one of the smaller boats tied along the dock, it was the vessel that first attracted my attention—and it will compare well with U.S. sportfish boats in the 55-foot range. As one would expect from such an experienced builder, the glasswork was excellent, perfectly fair, without signs of haze or print-through. Access to the vessel is off the swim step through either a port or starboard transom gate. The swim step is nearly the same height as most docks, which makes getting on and off the vessel safe, quick and easy.

Riviera designers have put together an open-plan saloon to take advantage of the fact that there is no inside helm station. The interior is bright and cheery, and will remain so even on a dull day due to the substantial amount of window glass. Windowsill heights are low enough that anyone sitting at the U-shaped dining settee and table, or on the lounge across from it, can comfortably see outside without stretching or getting up.

The U-shaped galley at the aft end of the saloon will become the focus of onboard entertainment. With the stainless-steel-framed aft saloon door pinned open and the similarly framed large glass window locked in the up position, the galley opens completely onto the aft deck. The bar directly across from the galley not only allows the cook quick and easy access to wines and spirits for sauces and other cooking requirements, but also allows those on the back deck to grab a cold one without having to move through or congregate in the saloon.

The galley’s easy access to the aft deck will allow the cook or caterers to easily prepare meals for more than a dozen people—especially when combined with the aft deck barbeque center. This area of the boat is also well protected from rain or blazing sun by the extended saloon roof.

Staterooms and heads are forward and down from the deck house, with the stairway ending on a landing or vestibule often seen on much larger yachts. Access to all three cabins is off that space. The 50 Flybridge we tested featured three staterooms: two with queen beds and the third with a pair of twins. By selecting a pod-drive system for this new model, Riviera has added five and a half feet to the interior hull living space compared with the traditional shaft-drive system. Riviera designers have thus been able to offer two nearly identical cabins. Both have plenty of natural light thanks to hull windows, plenty of storage, optional opening ports, and full ensuite heads—each with enclosed shower stalls. Riviera believes this layout allows the owner to choose either stateroom as the master.

My sea trial provided further evidence of this model’s mettle—from a cold start the twin 600-hp Cummins diesels fired instantly, without smoking or rattling. During our entire run the engines ran flawlessly as modern computer-controlled diesels are supposed to do. Once we cleared the no-wake zone, the vessel handled sharp turns easily, even going hard over from port to starboard.

This new Riviera manages to keep faith with those who want a traditional tough, strong, well-built fishing machine, while at the same time serving as a comfortable family motoryacht. The enclosed flybridge is a design stroke of genius. It’s large enough to allow the skipper to socialize with the whole family in style and comfort but offers staunch protection from the weather.

Visibility while cruising is unparalleled. The fit and finish throughout the vessel is excellent, and all equipment and appliances are first class. The pod-drive system, combined with joystick controls, will make anyone a great boat handler.

If one is looking for a boat that can function as both a fishing machine and a family cruiser, the new Riviera 50 Enclosed Flybridge should be on the “must see” list. One should also remember that the Queensland company has proven itself—during the recent recession—to be as tough as the boats it builds.

SPECIFICATIONS

LOA: 56′ 8″
Beam: 16′ 5″
Draft: 3′ 10″
Weight: 50,706 lbs.
Fuel/Water: 793/198 U.S. gals.
Power: Twin Cummins 600HP with Zeus pod drives
Cruise/Top Speed: 23/28 knots
Range: 307 nm @ 25 knots
MSRP: $1.47 million (plus $79,400 shipping)

CONTACT:

Chris McCafferty
(561) 267-1995
cmccafferty@riviera.com.au
rivieraaustralia.com

Roger McAfee, Southern Boating May 2014

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