RIVIERA CRUISING ON $100M BOATBUILDING BOOM
RIVIERA has sold its 20th luxury sports motor yacht reaching $100 million in sales in the process and defying any COVID-19 downturn.
The Riviera 72 SMY, called Alberlee, is heading to Perth where new owner Mike Albert, a Singapore-based director of Apple Inc’s customer care unit for Asia-Pacific, will take possession.
“I had been looking at Riviera for the past several years, and especially the flybridge models. It had to be large enough to accommodate our family as well as our parents and sisters with their families,” Mr Albert said.
“When the 72 SMY was released it was exactly what we were looking for – it was exceptional. Not only the size of the boat and the options on her, but the finish was just magnificent. That hooked me.”
Coomera-based Riviera spent two years developing both the 68 and 72 sports motor yachts, which have sold for about $5 million each.
The Riviera 72 is powered by twin MAN V12 turbo diesel engines delivering up to 1900hp and a top speed of about 33 knots. At a cruising speed of 20 knots, the 72 SMY provides a cruising range of 650 nautical miles.
The 20 yachts sold so far are cruising destinations all over the world, including the Caribbean, Vanuatu, Indonesia, the Mediterranean and Thailand, and more are being completed for the United States.
“The launching of Hull 20 is a celebration for the entire Riviera team since the world premiere of the 72 SMY in 2018,” Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst said.
“She was developed and engineered to be the ultimate motor yacht for Riviera owners, and she is the most advanced motor yacht of her class as our owners will attest.”
Riviera isn’t the only Gold Coast luxury boat builder kicking goals.
Maritimo last week held a ‘virtual press conference’ with media from all over the world to launch its new M55 flybridge motor yacht.
“The new M55 long-range cruising flybridge motor yacht fuses the latest advancements in motor yacht technology and design with all of the legacy features of the iconic M-Series models past,” Maritimo director of design Tom Barry-Cotter said.
Four of the yachts, which sell for $2 million, have sold so far.