COUPÉ OR CONVERTIBLE?
Headed by founder and CEO Davide Cipriani, CentrostileDesign is an Italian frm that provides technical support for design development and prototyping in various felds of production, including the boatbuilding industry. Working with Ferretti’s inhouse engineers, Cipriani and his team were responsible for developing the 88 Florida’s hardtop concept from the structural analysis to industrialization. (The electro-hydraulic actuating system was optimized by Besenzoni.)
“Riva came to us with the brief to create a hardtop system like the ones we know from the automotive sector, but which is still relatively unexplored in the yachting industry, especially on boats over 20 meters [65 feet],” Cipriani says. “Starting from this seemingly simple brief, the main challenge was to perfectly integrate the design and functionality into the elegant aesthetics that Riva is renowned for.
“We began by studying the shape of the roof so it would match the coaming of the forward cockpit and could be opened and closed in one fuid movement. This was easier said than done, not least because of the sheer size of the roof [more than 120 square feet], which dictated the use of carbon fber, also for the supporting arms, for maximum strength and rigidity combined with minimum weight. Finite element analysis was also used to study the metal components of the drive system, which are made from special hardened stainless steel. Although highly complex, the result is a quick, silent and fuid mechanism for an accessory feature that is both elegant and functional.” the hardtop can be used safely at high speed, but, as with convertible cars, it should be raised or lowered when the boat is at a standstill.
This is not the frst convertible boat. Reversys Boat, Hi-Tech Marine and Vikal International have all developed smaller boats or superyacht tenders with convertible tops that function much like those on cars. But the Riva system neatly resolves the issue of where to stow the hardtop. Stefano de Vivo, chief commercial offcer of Ferretti Group, says the 88 Florida is the only open convertible over 80 feet (24.3 meters) LOA on the market.
—J.R.
Offcina Italiana Design co-founder Mauro Micheli originally thought about adding a hardtop to the Rivarama more than a decade ago, but only now, after considerable research and development in conjunction with hydraulics specialists Besenzoni and an engineering group called CentrostileDesign (see sidebar), is the concept being put into practice. Originally, the mechanism was to include an intermediate position to serve as a bimini top over the forward seating area. Considering the complex engineering involved, this function was eliminated. It will likely reappear as the technology evolves,
thanks to ongoing research.
“The hardtop is virtually invisible from the side and doesn’t affect the overall open design of the yacht in the least,” Micheli says. “It results from matching the technical development of materials and the engineering of the movement with stylistic research to enhance the personality of the yacht.”
Like all opens, the 88 Florida is a boat designed for outdoor living on the water, with generous seating and lounging areas from bow to stern. The transom door folds up to reveal a garage that can house a tender of nearly 13 feet (4 meters) and a PWC. A Williams Turbojet 385 is available on request. For launching, the pantographic aft platform can be lowered 3 feet into the water, also providing a convenient aid to anyone swimming off the stern.
The lower-deck accommodations consist of four en suite cabins: three forward and the full-beam master suite abaft the galley and dinette. Two crew cabins with independent access are next to the engine room. The deliberately vintage interior styling recalls models from the late ’80s and early ’90s such as the Bahamas, the frst Riva penned by Offcina Italiana Design. The Louis Vuitton-style leather straps and buckles that decorate the Florida’s headboards derive
from the 27-foot (8.2-meter) Riva iseo. light elm veneers with a satiny, peach-skin manopesca fnish combine with the leather detailing and fabrics in warm shades of honey and ripe wheat, providing a chic, yet welcoming touch.
The standard engine confguration with a pair of 2,435-horsepower MTU diesels produces a top speed of 38.5 knots and a cruising speed of 34 knots. When Yachts International sea-trialed the yacht in Monte Carlo, in perfect conditions, the steering was light to the touch and the hull tracked obediently, even during high-speed maneuvers. a more powerful engine package with two 2,639-horsepower MTUs pushes top speed to 40.5 knots with a 35-knot cruise.
Most big, open yachts today are not opens at all. Even the biggest, the Mangusta 165 (50 meters), cheats by having a fybridge. The 88 Florida marks a triumphant return to a concept that appeared to have had its day, with a measure of style and panache that only Riva can deliver.