110 Dolcevita
The Riva Rivarama 44 is a 44-foot express-style open boat that was launched by the iconic, Ferretti-owned Italian boat-building brand Riva back in 2003. With graceful, streamlined looks that nod back to Riva’s illustrious heritage, a finely-detailed, handcrafted finish throughout and hi-tech modern equipment, this is a vessel that combines the very best of both classic and contemporary yachting. Designed in partnership with naval stylists Officina Italiana, this beautiful boat was nominated two years in a row for “Best Open Yacht” in its class at the Düsseldorf Boat Show and has gone on to be a Riva Yacht best-seller.
Rich Mahogany surfaces contrast with chrome or stainless-steel fixtures across the main deck and a slick metallic hull for a feel that is at once modern and timeless. There is room out on the lacquered foredeck for an optional pair of leather sunpads, while a couple more sunpads to the stern, sitting deftly above the engine room, impress with hand-stitched white leather and intuitively placed steel grabrails. A couple of steps down will lead you to a full-beam bathing platform with a rounded finish at the gently sloping stern, from where your guests can set off on warm-water swimming jaunts. Up in the cockpit there are a couple of curved sofas surrounding a chrome-edged cocktail table with cup holders that can be extended for dinner service. Also to be found in here is a wet-bar station to port with an Ariston BBQ grill, a fridge and an ice-chipper, and an adjustable leather helm chair with arm and headrests. The starboard side helm station gives you all the hi-tech equipment required for speedy coastal cruising, including Garmin or Raymarine display screens, autopilot, BCS power-assisted hydraulic steering, a joystick, VHF radio and ZF thruster controls.
No mere day-boat, this model features a roomy, climate-controlled lower-deck accessed via a glazed companionway door. Down here you can expect strip glazing, leather furnishings, walnut accents, mahogany surfaces, chrome fixtures, plush carpeting and plenty of head clearance. A dinette sofa with a table in the lobby sits across from an open galley with Corian work surfaces, a Frigonautica fridge-freezer unit, a Bosch hob, a Panasonic microwave, a stainless-steel sink and a wine cooler. To the bow there is a master cabin with a double bed, mirrored wall panels, a pair of full-height closets and hanging cabinets, while the main head on this level impresses with frosted glass countertops, chrome sinks, stainless steel fixtures and a fiberglass shower stall. There is also room to aft for a single crew quarters with a Tecma toilet that can be used as an extra guest suite.
Twin MAN 800MHP R6 diesel inboard engines provide top speeds in the range of 41 knots, while you will be able to zip around Lake Como all day long at a high-speed cruising rate of 36 knots. A Kevlar-reinforced GRP hull may differ from the timber-hulled boats from Riva’s golden age in the 60s, but this durable and well-balanced boat moves as serenely across the water as a Grace Kelly or a Brigitte Bardot waltzing down the red carpet.
