Riviera has won a prestigious international award for its innovative Academy of Excellence apprentice training program.
Riviera took pride of place at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show with the Americas Premiere of its flagship 6800 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition and hosting the inaugural Americas owners Festival of Boating.
The magnificent new Sport Yacht was flanked by a fleet of 11 Riviera motor yachts showcasing an outstanding collection from 39 to 78 feet, with models from its awarded Sport Yacht, SUV, Sports Motor Yacht and Belize collections on display.
The largest in-water show in the world, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show saw more than 100,000 people attend the five-day marine expo.
Click the play button to view the 2024 Fort Lauderdale film review.
Festival of Boating
2024 was also the first time Riviera’s exclusive ‘Festival of Boating’ was held in the Americas. Riviera owners were invited to attend the four-day program which offered introductory and advanced boating education and training workshops. They covered CZone digital switching, Garmin and Glass Cockpit operation, skippers courses, Volvo Penta operation courses covering joystick, DPS and dock assist, electrical systems, battery systems and power management, navigation and radar, preventive maintenance, entertainment and stabilisation systems.
There was also a skippers’ course exclusively for women taking them through motor yacht familiarisation, a safety induction, considerations on the forecast and a brief voyage plan.
Festival of Boating attendee Lorie Quinn said she really enjoyed her first Riviera experience. “I would highly recommend the Festival of Boating to all Riviera owners.”
Lorie said the content, its quality and the workshop presenters were all top notch.
Next year Lorie said she would like to spend more time on the yachts with the Riviera experts to really understand preventative maintenance in action, and learn how to change filters and oil, etc.”
“We just really enjoyed our first Riviera experience and will be back in 2025.”
Attendee Andrea Yeiser said she loved the classes, including the on-water workshops, on offer at the Festival of Boating and would return next year to learn even more about her Riviera.
Like Lorie, she would happily recommend the Festival of Boating to Riviera friends.
“The Riviera display and the festival were all excellent. I will be back.”
Experts also taught keen participants key knots, lines and hitches along with deck duties, engine room checks prior to and after start-up and a helm station induction including the yacht’s electronic systems. Then it was time to leave the dock and undertake an on-water skippers instruction course designed to empower the Riviera ladies to take the helm. An exclusive Riviera owners’ social event also formed part of the festival program which was held on Saturday evening of the show on the Riviera display.
This year was the first time Riviera’s exclusive ‘Festival of Boating’ was held in the Americas with Riviera owners invited to attend the four-day program offering introductory and advanced boating education and training workshops.
All about Riviera
Larry Quinlan said as a boating enthusiast who has attended many boat shows, his decision to visit FLIBS was all about Riviera.
“In this particular case I had purchased a Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht, which is due in April, so this was much more about Riviera than the boat show itself. I wanted to do some of the courses, talk to knowledgeable people – and figure out the tender for the garage.”
Larry said he chose the 5400 Sport Yacht after going through a list of criteria of his must-haves.
“I wanted a tender for the garage, the latest technology like the IPS and assisted docking, and after some research I ended up with a much smaller list.
“I then talked to owners, did more research and Riviera had a really good reputation, they were known as open water boats, solidly built, everybody said ‘this is a well-built boat’ and I finally worked my way down to the configuration that I liked and the 5400 ended up on the top of the list.
“My wife also liked the design inside and the amount of storage so we both decided this was the best yacht.”
Larry said while the plan was to have the yacht delivered to him in Miami, many of his friends were keen for him to head to Australia for some down under boating.
“They are saying ‘Larry, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity so do some boating around Australia’ but I haven’t looked into the feasibility yet. And I don’t want to miss the delivery deadline and maybe miss our Bahamas summer season. But it does sound like a wonderful opportunity if I can take advantage of it.”
Larry said he took advantage of Riviera’s first Americas Festival of Boating program while he was at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
“Riviera offered some great courses which I did, including around CZone, assisted docking and maintenance. I found then useful, offering very good information and well worth attending.”
First FLIBS experience
“It was a great show and the grandeur of everything was pretty amazing. To see 1300 boats represented there in one spot was really nice.”
These are the words of Seattle resident and 5400 Sport Yacht owner Mike Holmes who attended the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show for the first time this year.
“We attended because we were interested in Riviera’s 585 SUV and also the debut of the new 6800 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition but also just being able to walk around and see what everyone was up to was great,” Mike said.
“We have a lot of smaller boat shows around the country but nothing like what was available in Florida.”
Mike said he was keen to update his yacht, purchased in 2017, which included a criuse from the Riviera factory on the Gold Coast in south-east Queensland up to the Whitsundays and back.
“It was fun and that is a trip we would like to do again. The plan is to upgrade just because there has been some great technology and new designs introduced since then, although we have been very happy with ours. But something new comes along and catches your eye, and that’s the dream we are pursuing at the moment.”
The audience heard from Gold Coast City Mayor Tom Tate, via video, who congratulated Gold Coast businesses for flying the flag. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean J. Trantalis (top right) and Riviera Australia owner Rodney Longhurst (top left) said the boat show gave the opportunity “to showcase Australian craftsmanship to the world”.
Fort Lauderdale and Gold Coast Sister City Relationship
Fort Lauderdale, a vibrant coastal city in south-eastern Florida, is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the New River, and a network of scenic inland waterways.
It has progressed from its original tourism-based economy to include a diverse range of industries such as marine, manufacturing, finance, insurance, real estate, high technology, aerospace, and film and television production. The city is also renowned for its sub-tropical climate and outstanding quality of life. In so many ways this is not that dissimilar to the evolution and growth of Australia’s Gold Coast.
So not surprisingly, a Sister City Agreement between the Gold Coast and Fort Lauderdale was established in 1980 by then Mayor Keith Hunt. It was recognised that both cities shared many similar attributes including landscape, industry sectors and common challenges. Over the decades, this partnership has fostered a strong bond, particularly in the marine sector.
Gold Coast City Mayor Tom Tate and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean J. Trantalis
In a video link played at the show, Gold Coast City Mayor Tom Tate said: “Our Sister City friendship extends back to 1980 – and remains as strong today as 44 years ago. I would love to have been there for your 2024 boat show.
“Our two cities both have thriving and growing marine industries. So, there is a lot we can learn from each other.
“We are very proud of our Gold Coast businesses who are participating at this prestigious boat show. Congratulations for flying the Gold Coast flag at Fort Lauderdale.”
Mayor Dean J. Trantalis welcomed Riviera owners to “our beautiful city” and thanked Mayor Tate for his message, saying he hoped to travel to Australia over the next four years.
“What is important to our relationship is maintaining our ability to appreciate and understand our cultures from their people to different goals, lands and foods. But we are here tonight to celebrate these beautiful yachts which the Riviera guys have brought here. Riviera Yachts – thank you for continuing to come to our show.
“Thank you for participating in this magnificent show. We are here to see the workmanship and the craftsmanship that captures the imagination of the people who continue to come to the boat show. Every year it becomes as example for others to follow.”
The last word
Riviera Australia owner Rodney Longhurst said Fort Lauderdale was the pinnacle of the boating world and Riviera was among the leading exhibitors.
“Our motor yachts are respected around the world. The Fort Lauderdale show gives us the opportunity to showcase Australian craftsmanship to the world.
“Our meticulous design and engineering, with luxurious interiors, are world-class, and there are more than 44 years of evolution invested in every new Riviera yacht.”
To enjoy the social gallery, click on the first image on the top left-hand corner to enlarge the preview and then click the arrow on the centre of the right side to advance through the full gallery.
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