RIVIERA’S NEW-ERA 78 ~ Boating NZ

IN AN INTERNATIONAL premiere, Australia’s luxury motor yacht builder Riviera has launched its new 78 Motor Yacht.

Following more than 42 years of evolution and with more than 5,800 yachts launched, the 78 Motor Yacht design represents a new era for Riviera.

Riviera Australia owner Rodney Longhurst said the team brought a combined passion for excellence to create a sophisticated yacht that delivers a superb combination of family cruising, entertaining and blue-water passage-making capabilities.

He said the 11 owners all enjoyed an exclusive preview at Marina Mirage on the Gold Coast a week before the official launch.

As guests enjoyed sunset cocktails, the magnificent titanium coloured yacht arrived, and spotlights swept through the evening sky to reveal the lines of the 78.

One new owner said “I have goose bumps…. it’s just spectacular.”

The Riviera 78 has been designed in collaboration between the Riviera team on Queensland’s Gold Coast and superyacht designer Luca Vallebona.

During an interview from his home on the island of Sardinia in Italy, Luca said: “What I love is the way we are mixing our different cultures, the Australian one and the European one and we have found a good balance that will make everyone happy.”

The 78 Motor Yacht offers options of an enclosed or open bridge deck and includes accommodation for up to 10 adults in four staterooms and crew quarters.

A teak-laid swim platform was developed to provide a three-step, full width design. A swim ladder is incorporated into the side of the platform.

Two doors are built into the transom. A watertight door on the starboard side provides access to the full-height engine room and crew quarters. A larger door on the port side lifts to reveal a garage for water sports, diving and fishing equipment. A shower is built into the underside of the door.

The galley features Caesarstone benchtops that display a three-burner induction hob and twin underslung stainless-steel sinks. This space also includes twin ovens, a dishwasher, a pair of full-height refrigerators and ample storage drawers and cupboards. Ceasarstone is also utilised on benchtops for the saloon and bridge wet bars.

A curved timber staircase from the main saloon leads to the accommodation deck with its four staterooms and three bathrooms. The full-beam Master suite amidships is bathed with natural light from extended hull windows. It provides an electrically adjustable king-size bed and extended his-and-hers en-suite bathroom. The VIP guest stateroom, fitted with a queen double bed boats hull windows and twin overhead hatches, is forward with an en-suite bathroom. The port stateroom offers twin beds that can slide together to form a double at the touch of a button. An option for this stateroom is a double bed. A third bathroom is the ensuite for this stateroom and can act as a day head. The starboard stateroom includes two adult single cross-over berths.

The 78 is powered by twin MAN 2000 turbo diesel engines delivering 2,000hp (1,471kW) each through Twin Disc Quickshift gearboxes. She includes Twin Disc’s Express Joystick System with the integrated station-hold Express Positioning System.

Power options include twin MAN 1550 engines providing 1,140kW (1,550hp) each or twin MAN 1800 engines that deliver 1,324kW (1,800hp) each.

With 10,200 litres of fuel available, she is capable of cruising for more than 1,000 nautical miles or offer speed over 30 knots.

The yacht includes Humphree carbon fibre fin stabilisation which are offered as an option.

RIVIERA 78 MOTOR YACHT SPECIFICATIONS

Length overall 24.82 metres 81 ft 5 in

Hull length (Lh to ISO8666) 22.11 metres 72 ft 6 in

Beam (Incl gunwale) 6.00 metres 19 ft 8 in

Maximum draft (Incl props) 1.90 metres 6 ft 3 in

Dry weight 56,300 kg 124,120 lbs

Fuel capacity 10,200 litres 2,695 US gal

Water capacity 800 litres 211 US gal

Holding tank capacity 500 litres 132 US gal