Australia’s premium luxury motor yacht builder Riviera has packed its apprentices off to the bush for a three-day team-building exercise.
Armed with a sea of colourful and patriotic flags, the 950-strong team at Riviera has marked the historic launch of the 6,000th motor yacht by forming an impressive guard of honour.
The Riviera team celebrate-the launch of their 6,000th motor yacht.
The team made a spectacular sight, all sporting commemorative shirts created exclusively for this triumphant achievement, cheering as the new motor yacht, a silver-hulled 5400 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition, was transported from the final fit-out production centre to her official launch on the Coomera River.
Riviera Australia owner Rodney Longhurst said the superb yacht was a testament to the dedication and skill of every individual at the 16.8-hectare Gold Coast facility.
"To be successful on the highly competitive global stage of luxury boat building, you must have an absolute commitment to design, quality and owner care."
RIVIERA OWNER RODNEY LONGHURST
“Our 6,000th motor yacht – what an incredible achievement for the thousands of craftspeople who worked building Riviera yachts over the past 44 years,” he said.
“This historic milestone confirms Riviera as one of the world’s leading luxury motor yacht builders and showcases why our now 6,000 owners world-wide hold our team and their cherished motor yachts in such high regard,” he added. “We take immense pride in seeing Riviera motor yachts being so enjoyed on the great rivers, lakes, seas and oceans of the world.
“This historic event reinforces Riviera’s reputation as one of the most sought-after motor yachts in the world.
“To be successful on the highly competitive global stage of luxury boat building, you must have an absolute commitment to design, quality and owner care.
(Click the arrows on the left or right of the image to view the full picture gallery)
"The designers think of everything and it makes the yacht so very easy to operate and extremely liveable."
PETER HAIG
The 6,000th Riviera, named Pelara, is proudly owned by Peter and Denise Haig from Sydney, Australia. She is their tenth Riviera motor yacht since Peter bought their first, a 38 open flybridge, in 1988.
Addressing the assembled team, Peter said: “We are very proud to be Riviera owners. We were equally delighted and surprised when we received a phone call to tell us ours would be the 6,000th Riviera to be launched.
“The design evolution over the 36 years that I have owned Rivieras has been phenomenal. Many elements can now be personalised and designed for specific purposes. For example, I own an Iridium silver colour Mercedes car and I asked Rodney if Pelara’s hull could be painted in the same colour. He immediately agreed.
“One of the most important points for me is that Riviera is totally Australian. We are proud that we own a world-class motor yacht that has been designed and built by brilliant and dedicated local craftspeople.
“The designers think of everything and it makes the yacht so very easy to operate and extremely liveable, from thoughtful cupboard placement and self-close drawers through to the design of the 5400’s helm and its excellent vision and operational systems,” he said.
(Click the arrows on the left or right of the image to view the full picture gallery)
Peter and Denise had owned flybridge motor yachts until they were enthused by the single-level liveability of the 5400 Sport Yacht four years ago. Within two years, they were introduced to the refinements of the Platinum Edition of the model and quickly decided to move to the enhanced luxury of a Platinum Edition 5400.
“I always loved the look of the flybridge models,” Peter said. “But we were not spending any time on the ‘bridge. It was simply used to drive to a destination then I came back to the saloon to join the party. Now the single-level design of the Sport Yacht allows me to be a part of all the activities all the time.
“It is no surprise that the 5400 Sport Yacht is one of the most popular in Riviera’s 22-model collection. She offers plenty of space for socialising while being perfectly suited for a couple to operate.
“We really prefer the single-level living for socialising. It’s so easy with just one small step from the galley to the aft deck barbecue and outdoor entertaining area.
“The flexibility provided by the design includes our ability to change the entire atmosphere. On a warm day, we open the sunroofs over the helm and aft deck, open wide the side saloon windows and the awning window and sliding glass door between galley and the aft deck, and she feels more like an open sports boat with all the sun and fresh air flowing right through the yacht. On inclement days, we can close her up in minutes, retreat to the saloon and turn on the air-conditioning for a warm, comfortable environment.
“I am excited that she drives like a sports boat with her speed and smooth ride.”
(Click on the image to take a 360 degree virtual tour of the Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition)
"I would like to say on behalf of the 6,000 Riviera owners around the world, a big and sincere thank you, to all of you, for your hard work, your commitment to quality and thank you for building the best boats in world."
PETER HAIG
Denise said their decision to embrace the single-level lifestyle offered by the Sport Yacht was magnified last Christmas.
“We spent two weeks aboard our previous 5400,” she said. “We rafted up with friends and at one stage we had a large group of people aboard, all spread out from the boarding platform to the foredeck sunlounge. It was absolutely delightful.
“The master stateroom is amazing, we love it. We have a king-sized bed and a chaise lounge beside it, a dressing table, plenty of storage and an ensuite bigger than the bathroom at a hotel we recently stayed at in Melbourne!”
Mr Longhurst said that Riviera had built more than 800 Sport Yachts since the first, a 3600, was launched in 2005.
The Sport Yacht Platinum Edition was launched in 2019, creating a new level of elegance and luxury. To date more than 230 of this exclusive edition have been launched with the current range comprising the 4600, 5400 and 6000 models being enjoyed around the world.
Riviera now produces around 150 motor yachts per year, more than 60 per cent of which are exported around the world.
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