Riviera 4400 Sport Yacht Series 11

A cursory look at this changing trend reveals a lot of buyers coming from the large yacht market that are opting for a less strenuous later life on the water, and there are others who, for various reasons, have never felt the need to be so high above the deck. Perhaps it’s an attack of vertigo or just the extra rock and roll experienced up there compared with deck level. And no doubt there would be a plethora of other reasons but the fact remains that boats such as this 4400 Riviera are turning heads and opening wallets and it is easy to see why.

Buyers now have the option of taking their 4400 with Volvo Penta engines and IPS drives or Cummins engines featuring Zeus propulsion units. The most obvious difference between these propulsion systems is that the IPS propellers face forward while those on Zeus are aft facing.

Additional cockpit seating has been added as has an extended hard top to shelter those lounging here. Large hull windows have opened up the visual space down below and they are of a size only previously seen on Riviera’s 53 and 61 Series 11 flybridge models.

Extensive upholstering with soft fabrics below deck has quietened ambient water noise dramatically as well. The expansive dash has also had the soft touch with a leather-look finish.

In the galley the drawer-style dishwasher was an extra as was the upgraded carpet throughout the saloon and below decks. In the companionway a linen press was built in and a three-quarter-size refrigerator/freezer further added to the base price of the boat.

The rear boarding platform on the reviewed boat was a fixed arrangement but it is optional to have it hydraulically driven so that it can submerge. If fitted, a rack for a dinghy or PWC would easily turn this into an even more practical option. The electric BBQ is situated in the port aft corner of the hull and had the chef standing right at the edge of the boarding platform so optional rails would be advisable if you're intending to undertake external cooking. An interesting short step against the fibreglass superstructure has been designed so that those lounging out the back have somewhere higher to sit.

The rear of the saloon is sectioned off each side of the wall with respective lounges. Those outside are upholstered with a material called Macromarine. This is a waterproof material with good UV resistant qualities and has a suede leather look and those inside are covered with another type of hard wearing plush material.

The large saloon door is framed in stainless steel and the balance of the rear saloon wall is made up of the aforementioned lounges with a swing open  window sts that folded up to the ceiling above the cockpit.

With the back opened up and the galley so close to the doorway, the entire area becomes ‘entertainment central’ with an open and airy environment that many people could move around freely in. Open up the massive sunroof and further enjoy the surroundings without associated issues of climate to contend with.

Huge windows in the sides of the saloon make for more openness and the galley forms an L-shape up against the rear of the helm station seats. The bench tops are made from Staron and the sink and two-element cooker are installed under flush-fitting covers. The cover over the cooker has a reflective stainless steel underside and when removed it sits in the slot to the rear of the cooker as a splash back. The top level of the cooktop sits about 50mm below the surrounding bench so an automatic safety fence is formed to prevent items sliding off should the boat roll or pitch.

A refrigerator, slide-out drawer dishwasher and microwave oven is located here and there is plenty of storage space as well.

The saloon lounge was situated against the portside wall facing toward the skipper. It was an extended ‘C’ shape and luxuriously upholstered. A stylish table with a fold-up half leaf was installed here and inside the forward bulkhead next to the companionway, a large flat-screen television lifted out on electrically-driven riser.

If you are into dining or entertainment for more than a few people, you may find the dining table top area wanting due to its shape. One with a bigger surface area might need to be investigated. The views are panoramic from here with two massive wipers keeping the front panes clean and a large sliding window handy to the skipper through which he can gain uninterrupted vision when docking.

Opposite, the helm station was fitted with two chairs and a big but busy dash dominated by a pair of 12-inch Simrad multi function electronic screens. All controls are within easy reach when seated or standing.

Down the companionway to below decks the first door on the starboard side leads to the general bathroom which offers plenty of standing and showering room. Another door in the wall of the bathroom leads to a low-profile cabin, the roof of which has been raised 75mm above the previous Series 1 boat. As is, one may walk fully stooped in here to access either a double bed running abeam from the portside wall or the single running fore and aft. There is ample cupboard space here for the visitor’s belongings and general stores. With this cabin running full beam width and having plenty of window space one gets the impression it is more spacious than it really is.

Forward in the V of the hull, is the stateroom. The bed is accessible from either side and it has stowage drawers in the front of the bed base. The ensuite offers a partitioned shower alcove and stylish glass vanity basin.

At a later date should there be a need for major repairs the hatch may be removed and a jib crane can lift the individual engines cleanly without removal of other superstructure.

The hull on the 4400 is hand-laid moulded fibreglass with an integral core which is vinyl ester resin infused.

The deck is also built with a core for reduced weight and strength. The boat has individual sealed compartments throughout below deck as well as a water-tight collision bulkhead forward.

With the wind howling over the swell outside the Seaway we opted for a cruise in the choppy Broadwater of the Gold Coast. The 4400 was a joy to drive and we couldn’t detect any nasty aspects of its performance.

It had no problems conducting full circles on the plane in the relatively tight channels of the Broadwater and it banked nicely with no understeer.

What we could not get over was the lack of engine noise both inside the saloon and outside in the cockpit and at any revs. Completely lacking was the droning harmonics that often reverberate through hulls; it just was not there. And the noise level inside the closed and air conditioned saloon was just a mild hum with no vibration. And this level of noise did not seem to increase much at all when bringing the two Volvos up through their rev range; fascinating to say the least.

Previous on-water trials reveal the Volvo motors use just seven litres per hour between them at 1000rpm and an idle speed of 3.3 knots. 1500rpm will give you 7.7 knots for 24 litres per hour and at 2000rpm we see an increase to 67.

This boat will run at a WOT of 3550rpm and achieve a top speed of just over 32 knots while using 165 litres per hour.

The 4400 Series 11 has achieved what was desired of this revamped. It is a smart, elegant, practical and to many, an affordable boat that just oozes class! And it is pretty smart in the performance stakes!