Riviera remains strong in Thailand
Riviera Marine in Australia have been building their iconic flybridge sportfishers for over 30 years and their reputation as solid, family cruisers is well known the world over. Since being tasked in 1998 by a client to find the most suitable powerboat for use in Phuket, and eventually deciding on a Riviera 39, Lee Marines relationship with Riviera began and today, 16 years later, we are proud to call ourselves one of the companies longest standing authorized dealers with many boats from across the range having been sold and delivered to happy customers in Thailand.
In 2015, the Riviera range of craft spans 16 models over 4 distinct styles being Flybridge, Sport Yacht, SUV and Belize Motoryachts.
So what is it that makes these boats so special? Lee Marine GM and long time Riviera aficionado, Martin Holmes, explains;
“Riviera boats are just like the Aussies who design and build them – no frills, solid and honest. You will find lots of elbow room everywhere, plenty of fridges (for the XXXX or VB) and the ubiquitous BBQ for cooking all the fish you’ll catch. Aussies love the life outdoors and the large cockpits and opening rear bulkheads are a nod to this. The attention to detail and build quality is what Riviera remain famous for and I have met many clients and captains who have a deep appreciation for Riviera when compared with much larger, and more expensive vessels. I call it the Goldilocks factor – not to much, not too little – but just right.”
They have a wealth of boat building experience and a loyal following of owners who become part of the Riviera family. Quite often, as they become passionate about their boats, they are happy to provide feedback for future Riviera designs. Take the Riviera 515 SUV for example – the entire boat was designed in-house using latest CAD design software. This allowed for some very exact utilization of spaces giving natural light, max headroom and perfect sightlines as well as making sure that the boat had smart storage built in from scratch. The Riviera team then built a full size mock-up of the interior inside the factory and invited owners, suppliers, dealers and anyone interested to come aboard and experience the ‘true’ boat before even laying the hull so that the feedback could be collected and evaluated into the final design. Simple, but extremely effective. Such is their commitment to building a great boat that will stand the test of time rather than rushing out a half-baked new model.”
The Riviera 515 SUV – Sports Utility Vessel – was launched in May 2014 and was an instant success as it joined the entry level 445 SUV and bigger brother 565 SUV. The Riviera 515 SUV shares the same hull and general layout of the Riviera 50 Enclosed Flybridge – another best seller in the Riviera range that was recently displayed at the Singapore Yacht Show – and is a handsome and capable boat. She combines the high-performance, blue-water cruising and fish-raising abilities of the classic Flybridge collection with the single-level, leisurely entertaining features of the very popular Sport Yacht design. The SUV truly is … the best of both worlds.
“Over the years we have found the reliability and longevity of Riviera boats to be great assets for owners in Asia. Two of the first boats sold to Phuket 16 years ago are still in the marina owned by the original purchasers. Perhaps they stand the test of time a little too well! Having sold many Riviera’s through our brokerage, we can also attest to the fact that they hold their value better than lesser brands, basically down to excellent build quality and a focused, timeless design.”
In summary – the boats are truly excellent and provide a comfortable, safe and reliable platform for any families boating ambitions. The relatively low Australian Dollar of late means that they are exceptional value and now is the time to buy. From the entry level 40 footers to the flagship R77 – if you own a Riviera then you become part of a family of owners around the world who understand that these boats are something very special indeed.
The annual Riviera Festival of Boating is being held in Australia from May 21st to 24th and Lee Marine will be there and getting to grips with all the latest developments from Australia’s most awarded luxury boat builder. We look forward to bringing you all the news and latest models. Look out for new Riviera boats coming to a Phuket marina near you in 2015.
Written and supplied by Martin Holmes