Riviera ramps up for future production

The multimillion-dollar project will increase the 15-hectare Hope Island factory’s volume by more than 20 per cent and includes more room for final fit-outs – one of the last steps in the build process before a boat is handed over to its new owners.

Another important part of the redevelopment is a new home for Riviera’s new-boat skunkworks – the New Model Development Team – which consists of a team of more than 35 craftspeople and 13 designers, engineers, naval architects, draftsmen and master boatbuilders.

The redevelopment will bring them all under the one roof for the first time.

“Once this stage of the expansion program is completed, the works will allow Riviera to bring the majority of its final fit-out under one roof, further enhancing quality, lead times and annual volume,” Riviera said in a statement.

“Over the past year, the company produced more than 100 motor yachts from across the 20-model range, more than half of which have been exported.

“These latest works will expand capacity as further new additions to Riviera’s model range are released.”

Riviera, which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary, has only recently released its first build of the Riviera 64 Sports Motor Yacht. It is believed to be gearing up to soon announce another member of the long-range sports cruiser range, the Riviera 50 Sports Motor Yacht.

Riviera launched the flagship Riviera 72 Sports Motor Yacht in 2018, and in June it handed over hull No.20, named Alberlee, to its West Australian owners.

The group has also launched the Riviera 505 SUV this year, a high-end mid-size luxury saloon featuring an all-new, keel up design.

“These latest development works represent a substantial investment in meeting the needs of our yacht owners,” Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst said.

“Our current expansion program allows us to further enhance the design and luxury of today’s Riviera motor yachts and prepare for our future demand as exceptional new models are introduced to the Riviera model line-up.”

To help with the new-model expansion, Riviera has added a remote-controlled 100-tonne marine transporter to its factory floor – the take-up of cutting edge technology doesn’t just happen in the boats.

“Riviera’s 40th year of evolution is seeing continued advances in technology that have been married with innovative designs across our Flybridge, Sport Yacht, SUV and Sports Motor Yacht collection, and have resulted in simply the best motor yachts ever produced by Riviera,” Longhurst said.

Riviera has built more than 5600 motor yachts since rolling out its first Riviera 38 Mark I in 1980.

Boats built today include the high-end Belize motor yachts featuring timeless designs.