The First Riva 50 Metri, RACE
Embracing all the qualities of the Riva brand, the 2019 superyacht RACE is celebrated as the paragon of its portfolio. The 49.9-meter/ 164-foot masterpiece, inspired by Carlo Riva’s Caravelle steel-hulled series popular in the 1960s and 1970s, is the first yacht delivered by the Ancona-based Riva Superyachts Division. Distinctive, refined, and a joy to sail, RACE is in a class of its own.
Take the name, for instance. RACE reflects a passion for speed from its very hands-on owner and long-time Riva collaborator, Piero Ferrari. Working together with Riva parent company Ferretti Group’s product strategy committee, along with Officina Italiana Design and the Riva Superyachts team, RACE further elevates Riva’s already stellar functional and aesthetic position.
Throughout its long history beginning in 1842, Riva has displayed a respect for the art of Italian yacht building. Attention to detail and fine craftsmanship that establish a yacht as a Riva are subtly on display throughout RACE in all the right places. Stamped with the Riva logo, gleaming hardware is impeccably wrought and beautifully polished, down to the exquisite door handles fitted to the owner’s own hand. Think custom bollards, moorings, and drain covers. Mahogany and polished steel on gunwales, cap rails, and lifelines continue the nod to Riva’s heritage.
Also present and accounted for, the Ferrari brand adds pulse-quickening details that complete the yacht’s truly distinctive, one-of-a-kind status. Think obvious choices like a captain’s chair borrowed from the Ferrari California driver’s seat, and a steering wheel sculpted from a sizable block of solid titanium. Think less obvious, more technical choices such as innovative use of honeycomb construction, fiberglass, Corian, and Nomex to keep weight to a minimum while improving durability.
Exterior Details
A two-decade working relationship between Officina Italiana Design and Riva easily decided the design firm co-founders Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta as the right choice for both exterior lines and interior design. The duo is responsible for the design of all contemporary Riva builds.
Creating the clean chic signature and understated luxury expected of Riva yachts for the past two decades, Officina Italiana Design set to work on RACE, knowing this yacht for one of Italy’s most revered luxury brands must be breathtaking.
Dovetailing their mastery of the Riva elements with Ferretti’s Product Strategy Committee engineers and architects, Micheli and Beretta penned a simple profile; masculine, elegant, and timeless. Windows on the bridge rake back, paying homage to Carlo Riva’s 1978 Vespucci. The forward lean of the steel displacement hull, the angles of the glazing, and the strong sweeps of the ascending aluminum superstructure suggest motion. The refined aquamarine waterline lets everyone know she is, without a doubt, a Riva.
Interior Details
An effortless extension of the beautiful decks and outdoor spaces, the interior of RACE displays a light, fresh welcome to life at sea for up to ten guests in five cabins. Excesses removed, and essentials refined, guests are encouraged to focus on the experience itself, celebrating amid comfortable surroundings and perfectly balanced furnishings without unnecessary design distraction.
Hushing footsteps and softening the spaces, large, plush area carpets lay atop white Apuano marble floors. Walls of leather echo leather-covered headboards, while slatted mahogany panels add depth and privacy to ceilings and walls, serving the additional purpose of disguising air conditioning vents. LED spots respond to the sophisticated Lutron automation system, enabling guests to fine-tune the lighting according to mood. Statuarietto marble tables finished in polished steel strips stand at the ready next to pale grey leather sofas and chairs, accented with deep grey pillows and throws and the occasional splash of color.
A glass-framed main stairwell graces passage from the main deck to both the lower and upper decks. Amidships, an additional stair connects the lower deck galley and crew quarters to the main deck service area, dining, and deck space. This design departure localizes service traffic away from guest areas, and offers extra space to the main deck.
A dumbwaiter delivers silent service from the galley on the lower deck to the main and upper decks. Cold room and abundant storage are adjacent to the lower deck galley as well, keeping service areas efficiently located. Exceptional livability aboard RACE is enhanced by the optimization of space, ensuring its owner a high degree of privacy as the crew moves freely to efficiently complete daily operations.
