Riva 33 Aquariva and 44 Rivarama

If this is boating Italian-style then we must do the Italian thing - parade and sashay on a nautical passeggiata. A roaring run down Port Jackson, a sweep past the prime minister's Kirribilli digs, a saunter before the teeth of Luna Park, and across the gape of the Harbour Bridge. Then, a final fling around the mouth of Circular Quay, past the Opera Hose, and down the jaws of a wind-swept Sydney Harbour. Let me at 'em.

Though my eyes were streaming and my hair was horizontal, I didn't doubt for a minute that we stopped joggers in their tracks, had ferry masters looking on in envy, and that the black helicopter that swooped overhead was taking a closer look. Later in the day, as the throngs emerged on the harbour, I caught anglers gazing from under floppy hats, sailors, and other powerboaties looking with lust.

On the harbour, as indeed on the Med, Riva's 33 Aquariva and 44 Rivarama solicit attention with their charm and wow factor. This is one reason why the list of past Riva owners includes Brigitte Bardot, Dino de Laurentis, Richard Burton, Sean Connery, Peter Sellers, Prince Rainier of Monaco, the Shah of Persia, and King Hussein of Jordan. Nowadays, when you become a Riva owner you also get the keys to an exclusive online club.

I met the Riva sales manager, Francesco Frediani, late last year in Sydney and the well-dressed Italian told me the phones hadn't stopped ringing ever since rock star Robbie Williams recently bought the Italian boatbuilder's biggest luxury cruiser, the 115ft Athena motoryacht, which he named MY RW, for, er, a reported £8 million.

With a Riva dealership now in Sydney you too can joint the A-list. Though you won't get change out of $850,000 for the 33-footer. The 44-footer seen here will set you back about $1.78 million. But these are image-enhancing motorboats of a prestige akin to a Ferrari, but in my eyes at least, have far more sex appeal.

 Along with racing boats, the production of pleasure boats grew and, in the 1950s, Carlo Riva inherited the yard and created a range of famously stylish wooden boats that are collectors' items today. In 1969, Riva adopted fibreglass construction but retained its traditional lines. Now, as part of the Ferretti Group, the world's third biggest boatbuilder, Riva maintains its distinction by, among other things, having a selective production run. It makes just 11 of the 33-footers seen here each year, for example, and the waiting list is at best nine months, I'm told.

Now, after decades of drooling from afar and on the back of all that family history, I had not one but two Rivas at my disposal. So as you can imagine, this was a very special moment. Certainly one worth getting out of bed for to beat the weekend traffic. It was still early on a Saturday morning when we took to the harbour Riva-style. While the weekend warriors hadn't yet stirred, the four-blade bronze propellers were soon whirring astern of the brace of Rivas.

ROMAN CHARIOTS
Riva boats are very much floating fashion accessories and a seamless blend of old and new. Traditional lines, hand-beaten chrome fittings, and classic column or stick shifts meet high-tech diesel engines with two-speed automatic gearboxes, push-button onboard gadgetry, a lofty lux factor, and a high price to match.

The 33 Aquariva is an especially good example of Riva's evolution. Its hull is a monohedron or constant-vee, designed with 16.5 degrees of deadrise and spray rails on the running surface, plus aft side fins for further water deflection. With a beam of just 2.8m, this is a comparatively narrow boat, just like the old race boats of yesteryear. This, and its sharp entry produce a wonderfully smooth and comfortable ride.

The 44 Rivarama carries more deadrise, with an 18 degree monohedron hull and a lot more volume. Its beam of 3.88m ensures the boat contains accommodating decks and accommodation down below. Think New York apartment, Italian designer soft furnishings, cutting-edge fabrics and trendy fittings, and the very latest amenities atop a sweetly-performing hull.

Construction is all solid GRP on the running surfaces with weight-saving composite sides, decks and bulkheads. Overbuilt in the tenet. Couldn't have a Riva breaking. Everywhere I looked inside the boats, in out of the way areas and the engine rooms, the glasswork was impeccable. And there appears to be generous use of liners, too. Even sitting still, bobbing about the decks and strolling through the interiors, the Rivas distinguish themselves through clever design and finish.

As any pleasure-boating aficionado will tell you, a boat has to foremost look good. The Rivas have aesthetic appeal: rakish lines, flared bows, and traditional tumblehome.

There are timber accents and lustrous mahogany-lined foredecks topped with 25 coats of varnish, which, I'm told, is applied in lots of five coats every fortnight. The fine craftsmanship becomes more evident the closer you look, which isn't usually the case with consumer items these days.

 Steps in the transom grant access aboard when the boat is moored stern-to, as is common in the Med. However, you are required to walk across the upholstered rear lounge unless its cushion has been removed. Before coming aboard, I found a concealed designer swim ladder at the transom, hot/cold handheld shower, rope and liferaft lockers, shorepower connection, and a centre ski hook.

The sexy engine vents and flagstaff, not to mention the beautiful windscreen, are among the brightwork and deck gear that hark back to the classic Riva era. The windscreen has wipers and washers and is so well supported that you just step up and over it to access the foredeck.

You gain additional support and shouldn't slide off the shiny mahogany bow, thanks to the teak toe rails, but with a supplied windlass and self-stow stainless steel anchor there's no reason to leave the helm anyway. Anchor down; it's time to work on that tan on the two-person sun lounge at the transom.

When you're done with the sun, it's into the cockpit and up with the canopy, which can be raised at the push of a button on the dash. The concealed hydraulic canopy rises like the top on a cabriolet. The bowed canopy frames actually add to the boat's beautiful styling.

Quick as that --- shade is cast over the al fresco lunch setting. Seating for six exists on a circular leather lounge set around a drinks or pod-style table which, with the addition of a hidden high-gloss mahogany table leaf stowed in the pedestal base, converts into a bigger dining arrangement. Wet bar and fridge, frosted glasses, sink with hot/cold water and cutting board are all alongside.

Should you overindulge, no worries; just sleep aboard. The low-profile cabin contains a vee berth with infill that converts to a double bed and features a concealed Vacuflush toilet. Pre-departure engine checks in the morning come at the press of another button; the aft sun lounge splits to reveal access to the twin 370hp Yanmar turbo-diesel engines. There is a separate engineering and storage space with hatch under the self-draining cockpit floor and numerous other storage nooks.

But the portside helm is where the action is on the 33 Aquariva. Besides the classic spotlight and matching revision mirror, the stick shift (two on the tree) and Riva wheel is a flash, stitched-leather dash traced by gorgeous grabrails with a spread of Riva race car-like analogue gauges. The helm seat with flip-up bolster is a perfect fit and lets you drive in comfort while seated or on your feet. But more on the drive later...

44 RIVARAMA
The 44 Rivarama is a big boat with very useful internal volume and accommodation for spending more than a day aboard. In fact, the sharp metallic-bronze hull conceals a veritable floating apartment inside with all Italian fabrics and designer soft furnishings. The sense of space and headroom is noticeable, as is the amazing attention to detail. The open-plan layout ranges from a sumptuous island double bed in the bow that is flanked by hanging lockers, to a designer bathroom with a separate shower stall and flash fittings. Even the toilet lid had been painted in metallic silver paint that matched the moulded amenities centres in the cockpit. The trendy floating glass sink and shower rose were additional highlights.

 At the foot of the companionway and in between the bed and bathroom was a chic galley concealed behind flip-back splashbacks. The instant wine or champagne chiller is destined to be a clincher. Plonk a bottle in the hole and five minutes later you're ready to toast the high life on the not-so-high seas. You also get champagne flute holders, a Krupps coffee machine, deep top-loading fridge, recessed two-burner Bosch cooktop and extractor fan, and microwave oven.

The 44 Rivarama comes with full crockery, cutlery, fine glassware, espresso cups, and linen in a dedicated linen press. But the piéce de résistance has to be the leather suitcase in the below-bed drawer. The traveller is big enough to stow a week's worth of clobber for a short voyage somewhere around the Med.

Ah, the romance of it all. Some pasta, a bottle of wine, and can kick back on the lounge and listen to Bolero playing on the Bose lifestyle system. There was also plenty of room to stow weekend wear in oodles of lockers, plus a safe and some very sexy lighting. The metallic finishes, white leather and dark timbers - exquisite walnut joinery - soft ceiling liners and hemmed grey and cream carpet were all very chic and in vogue in the superyacht arena.

Outdoors there is one big, level entertaining space with seating for eight around a butterfly table that features twin foldout leaves.

The space is under another signature electric canopy should you seek shade (there are clear curtains for all-weather protection, too).

Amenities range from an icemaker and food fridge to a dedicated refrigerated wet bar and hot-rock griddle with stainless steel splashback. And what have we here? A door into a private aft crew cabin that would be ideal for stowing pesky kids. It even has its own fold-down stainless steel sink.

The transom has a push-button retractable swim ladder, as well as a passerelle. Here, I found the deck shower, more storage space, and two big sunpads traced by thick timber and stainless steel rails. Add the supplied infill over the companionway and you have a sunpad big enough for a party.

The sunpads lift on push-button struts for access to the MAN 800hp diesel motors with vee drives and two-speed ZF gearboxes. I also noted the generator, forward fuel tank with sight gauge. There's good access to the Racor fuel filters, sea strainers and the sides of the motors. The boat has a common manifold for all overboard water discharge. And a bowthruster, of course, but how about the helm chair? At the push of a button it turns from a one-man pod to a three-person wing seat. The dash had a leather-bound wheel, MAN electronic controls, and space-age aircraft styling. The two-pack finish in the cockpit was a metallic silver.

Details like the raked wrap-around windscreen, stainless steel engine vents and deck gear add to the look. I was pleased to find walk-around access to the foredeck, with some big grabrails leading to the anchor locker, which has a freshwater wash, self-stow stainless steel anchor, and windlass.

With the anchor stowed away I suddenly felt the pressing need to take the reins. After all, this was shaping up to be the ride of the year. And, above all else, Riva's are built for driving pleasure. Or at least that was my understanding.

The 33 Aquariva travelled graciously, if not salaciously, at this 2000rpm and 22kt second-gear cruise. It is a dignified day boat and cool café racer indeed. At 2500rpm, you get more wind in your hair and a thrilling 32kt fast clip. Top speed of 41kt was just shy of what the importer recorded during a water test of this very boat some weeks earlier on Lake Sarnico in Italy.

With twin 800hp MAN engines, the 44 Rivarama teams something old with something new and something fast. There was a V8-like note from the straight-six 12.8lt diesel motors and, at 2000rpm, the second-speed gearbox kicked in, cutting the revs back to just 1725rpm for a 23-24kt cruise. The handling off the wheel was no less impressive than the straight-line ride. At 2000rpm the boat skipped along and powered through the bends doing 31-32kt.

At 2100rpm, or what I figured to be the maximum continuous throttle setting, the 44 Rivarama cruised at 33kt with a feeling of belonging on the harbour. Top speed was a very sporty 40.2kt at 2360rpm. Even at this speed, the boat loved to sweep through the turns. I saw the harbour flash past through fresh eyes. My cohort was beaming after her stint behind the wheel. A new spin on a well-worn thing. Absolute driving pleasure.

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