THE OWNERS
Expat British owners Joe and Cheryl Pengelly have owned several Rivieras, so moving up from their 61-footer to the new Riviera 72 is not such a big step. The former merchant navy engineer and his wife, who is a trained nurse, are a practical couple with many thousands of sea miles under their belt, so they knew exactly what they wanted from the new 72.
“While the 61-footer left Cheryl and I wanting for nothing and she performed admirably throughout, we wanted better ocean-going capability, 3000-plus mile range and increased outdoor living and entertaining space,” says Joe.
When on land the couple call New Zealand home but, having voyaged for six months back in 2013 – a trip that included a circumnavigation of NZ and a cruise of the Pacific that totalled more than 5,000 nautical miles – it whetted their appetite for more of this region.
RIVIERA MODS
“Riviera was accommodating regarding modifications and extras we may require so long-range fuel tanks (10,500l) were first on our list, for obvious reasons,” says Joe.
Other modifications include a larger table in the aft cockpit, a removable chart table on the flybridge (instead of the pull-out bed), an automatic ice chip feeding system to both cockpit fish bins and upgraded freezer units.
“Fin stabilisation is my preference for a better all-weather solution, driven by 24 VDC servo motors and provided by Humphree. The system will integrate with the trim tabs to provide for a very effective, efficient system, saving both space and weight. This will free up the lazarette for storage and save weight/engineering.”
The 72 is large enough to fit all this and more aboard but is of course a large vessel to manage. “We are very comfortable handling the boat ourselves. Following the sea trial Cheryl was very comfortable with all aspects of the boat handling.
“The modern EJS system with joy stick control of main engines and hydraulic bow and stern thrusters, provides for easy control of the boat. I have to say, I would be quite happy to operate the boat on two engines and a bow thruster as per the previous boat. As we get older, we would use crew as required,” says Joe.