Smart & Sexy

 
Beauty, brains and a James-Bond birthright: Riva's Sunriva has it all.

By Story by Dag Pike
Photos by Robert Holland

During my long career on the water, I've had many memorable days at sea. Now, I have another noteworthy experience to add to my list: a sea trial aboard one of the most beautiful boats in the world in one of the most perfect boating destinations. On this day, I had to pinch myself to see if it was all real.

I was in Monte Carlo, and the town was relaxing in the wake of the Monaco Grand Prix, which had been run the weekend before. The rich and famous who had descended on the town to watch this renowned motor race were gone, but you could still smell the rubber on the roads around the harbor where the race had been run. With the onset of summer and the perfect weather that it brings to the French Riviera, this was the ideal day to sea-trial the newest boat from Riva, the 33-foot Sunriva.

Monte Carlo is considered the spiritual home of Riva, even though the boats are made in Italy. It was in this harbor that film stars and royalty would come for their yachting experiences back in the 1950s. The traditional wooden Rivas were "the boats for the region. With a Riva, they could head to St. Tropez for lunch or visit friends on their yachts moored in Villefranche Bay just down the coast. Wooden Rivas, such as the famous Aquarama, were the fast boats of choice for the Riviera. The boat I was testing, the smart and sexy Sunriva, is a direct descendant of the Aquarama.

Monaco Boat Services was my host for the sea trial; this group has been selling Rivas in Monte Carlo for more than 50 years. To start the day off in style, we had lunch at the Monaco Yacht Club on the waterfront in one of the most famous harbors in the world. Here you could be sitting next to a celebrity or a billionaire. They all come here to eat at some time in their lives. A few years ago, I had lunch here with Prince Albert, the heir to the Monaco throne.

The Sunriva is not entirely new. It's based on the same hull and machinery package that was developed for the builder's Aquariva, which was launched back in 2001. The Aquariva, which is still in the builder's line, was designed to be a modern fiberglass version of the traditional wooden Rivas. It exudes quality, and many yachtsmen consider it to be the ultimate "style boat. Likewise, the Sunriva is an upscale day boat with plenty of panache, but its layout differs from the Aquariva, which has a cuddy cabin forward. The Sunriva is a walkaround-style model with a center console. It also has less varnish than its sibling, so you could say it's a more practical version of the Aquariva.

Features include a sun bed/social area forward and a center console that conceals a small head. Behind the driver's seat is another long sun bed that's mounted on top of the engine hatches. At the stern, you'll find one of the most stylish teak swim platforms on the water.

The metallic silver finish on the hull and parts of the interior makes the boat stand out from the crowd. Seats and sun beds are covered in a practical tan fabric that Riva developed specially to resist suntan lotion. Varnished teak accents are on the grabrails and the "fendering around the stern. The pronounced reverse sheer gives the boat a powerful, sporting image, and the tumblehome at the transom is both traditional and classic. You have to admire Riva for its courage. It has produced a boat that is a long way from today's popular designs, yet it looks both sensible and beautiful.

The modern fiberglass hull is a modified deep-V with 15 degrees of deadrise at the transom. That means it's deep enough to cushion the ride in lively seas, but shallow enough to offer good planing performance. As I discovered on my sea trial, this hull works; it's one of the driest midsize boats I've ever driven. Even when we ran the boat hard in the choppy seas outside the harbor, not a drop of water came on board. I could sit or stand at the three-person helm seat, which comes with an adjustable bolster for the captain, although it took a bit of work for me to get the seat positioned just right. There's also stowage beneath the seat and a footrest.

At the helm, there are white-faced Riva gauges and a row of switches. I'd like to see these switches organized differently; it was not always easy for me to find the trim tab switches when I needed them. There were no indicators for the tabs either, so trimming the boat required a bit of guesswork, but I soon got the hang of things. The vertical wheel is Riva's own style; it requires one turn each way to maximum helm.

The test boat was powered by two 370-hp Yanmar V-drive engines (no other power is available at this time), which yielded a brilliant response for high-speed work. Top speed was 42 knots at 3500 rpm. The Sunriva coped with waves extremely well; even the wakes of passing boats did not disrupt its equilibrium. In the harbor, the engine's two-speed gearboxes made for gentle maneuvering.

Below the engine hatches, the quality compares with that of the boat's exterior—only the best. There is a surgical-like cleanliness about the engine compartment on the Sunriva that suggests reliability.

When you tire of driving this boat, you have some of the comforts of home in the forward end. A wet bar unit provides a fridge and a sink. The table between the U-shaped lounge rises and falls electrically; when lowered, it completes the large sun bed. Press another switch and a section of the foredeck lifts; out comes a folding bimini top for sun protection while socializing.

With the Riva Sunriva, you can climb aboard, throttle up and head into a world that is open to just a select few. You will be the envy of your neighbors. The Sunriva is at the top of the boating tree and my only regret is that after this experience, few other boat rides are going to seem quite the same.

©Motor Boating Magazine, January 2005