The Caravelle was a limited-edition yacht designed by Carlo Riva in the early 1960s. Simple but graceful, the yacht featured a sweeping foredeck, pilothouse at the stern and, years ahead of its time, a fold-down stern that revealed one of the world’s first beach clubs. A half-century later, contemporary Riva Yachts has used the vintage Caravelle as rough inspiration for the yard’s first 164-foot superyacht. Race, as the yacht’s owner has christened it, was launched last weekend at the Riva shipyard in Ancona, Italy. The ties to the older Caravelle are more symbolic than practical, given the new Riva’s technical and design prowess.
In profile, the designers kept the lines simple and clean, with the long foredeck, central superstructure and aggressive prow. The single image of the launch shows an abundance of exterior social spaces, from the foredeck to the flybridge to the rear cockpit, where owners can entertain guests. Race clearly has the DNA of more recent, smaller Rivas like the 88 Domino Super. This new Riva has presence, and its simple look also shows elegance.
“I’d like to try and cruise on her,” said Carlo Riva, then 92, when he saw the first drawings of the new design in 2014. The maestro of modern yachting praised the design of Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta, the brand’s exclusive designers, who have pushed into new territory with this model.
“This yacht is a huge leap forward for Riva and the world of yachting, besides being an amazing sight on the water,” says Alberto Galassi, CEO of Ferretti Group, during the launch. “Our Riva Superyachts Division has built the biggest Riva ever made while enhancing the brand’s signature stylistic excellence.”
Race will officially debut at the Venice Boat Show in June and will be displayed at the Monaco Yacht Show in September.
