IN LATE APRIL, HONG KONG HOSTED THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE RIVA 100’ CORSARO. NOW, ASIA-PACIFIC BOATING PROVIDES AN EXCLUSIVE VIEWING OF THE FIRST HULL’S STUNNING INTERIORS.
IN LATE APRIL, HONG KONG HOSTED THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE RIVA 100’ CORSARO. NOW, ASIA-PACIFIC BOATING PROVIDES AN EXCLUSIVE VIEWING OF THE FIRST HULL’S STUNNING INTERIORS.
BIG, POWERFUL, even daring. Such was Ferretti Group’s decision to stage the world premiere of a Riva in Asia for the first time, with Hong Kong chosen to host the global debut of the 100’ Corsaro in late April.
The first hull is based in Hong Kong, but it was still a big leap to select the city as the venue for a Riva launch, especially considering the rich 175-year history of this iconic Italian brand.
Hong Kong was a strong choice for other reasons, as the city has been home to Ferretti Group’s Asia-Pacific headquarters since 2013, a year after Shandong Heavy Industry bought the Group. The Chinese company’s investment in R&D and Asia itself has proved fruitful – three of the Corsaro’s first seven hulls will be delivered to the region.
Alberto Galassi and Stefano de Vivo, Ferretti Group’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Commercial Officer respectively, were among the many senior staff who flew over for the premiere, which was held during the fourth edition of the Ferretti Group Open Days.
“We managed to keep the Corsaro concealed in Europe before the launch because this is how important the Asian market has become for us,” De Vivo said.
“We’re investing in it, we believe in it and we’re here already. We already have three sales into the area for the Corsaro and this shows the advancement we’ve made in Asia.”
De Vivo said the Hong Kong headquarters and the Aberdeen service centre have helped the Group – which also includes Ferretti Yachts, Pershing, Itama, Mochi Craft, CRN and Custom Line – immerse itself in the market and better service its estimated 160 yachts around Asia.
With Shandong Heavy Industry’s investment propelling an upswing in the Group’s financial fortunes in recent years, De Vivo praised the synergy between the majority owner and Piero Ferrari, the Ferrari Vice-Chairman who bought 13.2 per cent last year and plays a leading role in product design across the Group’s brands.
“All of our shipyards are in Italy, but we’ve successfully managed to bridge the distance between Europe and Asia. This bridge has really improved and pushed our business a lot,” De Vivo said.
“Shandong Heavy Industry has pumped in a lot of resources, both economically and talent wise, and managed to bring back this Group to where it should be. Piero Ferrari is a specialist in design, so from our investors, we’ve managed to link an efficient, industrial approach and a design-oriented approach.”
Hull Number One
The Corsaro has benefited from that combination. Big, powerful, even intimidating, the 29m fast-planing yacht is the largest 100ft luxury yacht by gross tonnage according to Ferretti Group and made a strong statement on the sea as it cruised in front of iconic Hong Kong backdrops for the first time.
“This is the biggest 100ft yacht on the market,” De Vivo said. “Rivas are often perceived as small, with not too much space, but this is proof that we concentrate on giving the maximum volume and living space. It’s not just design for design’s sake; it’s design for use.”
As with all Rivas, Officina Italiana Design worked on the exterior and interior styling in conjunction with the Ferretti Group’s Product Strategy Committee and Engineering Department.
The model is dominated by its silver hull and flybridge, which sandwich the dark-glazed main-deck superstructure, while dark-glazed windows also run along the hull’s centre and wrap around the flybridge helm station.
“The owners choose the colour of metallic paint used on the outside,” De Vivo said. “Ferretti Group offers a colour scheme that’s a lot closer to those used on cars, but you have to understand that volume wise, this is 35 Ferraris put together so it’s a major job!”
One of the yacht’s most popular areas is its enormous flybridge, a proper superyacht sundeck featuring free-standing sunbeds and chairs aft, an L-shaped sofa and table to port, a bar to starboard, and a forward helm station with accompanying seating area.
The main foredeck is flush with the flybridge, but only accessible by outdoor stairs on the starboard side. The foredeck area features a huge, five-person sunpad and steps down to a C-shaped sofa for the yacht’s premier view, taking advantage of the particularly high bow.
On the main deck, the open aft area features a huge sofa with white cushioning and a dining table that can seat eight with loose chairs.
Two stairways access the swimming platform and the huge, innovative garage, which folds out to create a beach club at water level. The Ferretti Group-patented hydraulic system can submerge this platform to various depths and allow the garage to flood for launching or hauling out the tender.
Light and Dark
The main-deck salon is accessed through full-height glass doors and features an L-shaped sofa to starboard, well positioned so those sitting benefit from the almost panoramic windows and the open views over the aft deck.
To port is a long wooden panelled cabinet and you might imagine that the TV pops up from within. However, the TV actually lowers down from the ceiling, a location that accommodates the demand for increasingly large screens.
“If you want to store a TV in a cupboard or cabinet, then as they get bigger and taller so you start to lose window space, so by coming out of the ceiling, we can retain the large windows,” De Vivo explained.
The salon embodies the décor seen throughout the yacht, with white-coloured sofas, wooden panelling, light carpeting and a glossy white ceiling flanked by wide strips of a distinctive tan leather that also appears on columns, doors and even the walls of the VIP and twin cabins.
Dark colours are used with effect, including on the lounge coffee table, main dining table and all Venetian blinds, which are made of dark leather. De Vivo said the latter feature could be used on future hulls and new models.
“Our clients work with our designers to choose colours and materials, and also pick the different kind of furniture to put onboard, from the sofas to tables and chairs and beds,” he said.
“This owner asked us for Venetian blinds made of leather. We liked it a lot and we thought it might become a standard on future boats, with owners choosing their own colours.”
The dining table, with eight Fendi chairs, sits forward of the main lounge and before the wide mirror that does a great job of reflecting light and views, and creating a greater feeling of space throughout the salon.
The dining area also benefits from full-height glass doors to port that open up to a fold-down balcony, providing a fantastic dining environment at day or night.
Riva 100’ Corsaro (2017)
Builder Riva (Italy)
Exterior Design Officina Italiana Design & Ferretti Group
Interior Design Officina Italiana Design & Ferretti Group
Guest Cabins* 3/4/5 for 6/8/10 people
Crew Cabins 3 for 5 crew
Length Overall 29.90m / 98ft 1in
Hull Length 23.97m / 78ft 8in
Hull Beam 6.70m / 22ft 0in
Depth Under Props.** 2.26m / 7ft 5in
Displacement unladen 99 tonnes / 218,258lb
Displacement laden 110 tonnes / 242,508lb
Fuel Capacity 9,000 litres / 2,378 US gallons
Fresh Water Capacity 1,320 litres / 349 US gallons
Motorisation Options
a) 2 x MTU 16V 2000 M96 power 2,435mhp / 1,792kW at 2450rpm
b) 2 x MTU 16V 2000 M96L power 2,638mhp / 1,939kW at 2450rpm
Maximum Speed
a) 26 knots
b) 28 knots
Cruising Speed
a) 23 knots
b) 24 knots
Range (max. speed)
a) 270nm
b) 250nm
Range (cruising)
a) 320nm
b) 300nm
* Dependent on owner’s configuration
** Fully laden
Tai He Ban Design
A port-side hallway leads forward to the entertainment room or private lounge, which reflects the Ferretti Group’s Tai He Ban design, as this space would otherwise be used as the master suite.
The multifunctional lounge has three white sofas, loose black tables and a huge black-framed television, and can be used for business meetings and karaoke, and as a cinema or games room.
The owner wanted to use his yacht as a ‘social entertainment platform’, so was more focused on common areas than cabins, which are limited to three down below.
The Corsaro is also available with four or five cabins, depending on how an owner wants to customise it, but De Vivo sees the initially Asian-driven Tai He Ban concept becoming more standard.
“Boats have always been geared to have as many cabins as possible, but as time goes by and people progress in their use of boats, some have learnt that it’s nice to have a lot of people onboard during the day and then guests go home at night,” he said.
“It’s nice to have a big salon, entertainment rooms and social areas outside, and less people sleeping onboard at night. In Europe, you have friends come on and they never want to leave!”
Down below, the full-beam master suite has a central double bed, wardrobes and a writing desk/vanity table with panoramic views. The en-suite bathroom – featuring extensive use of dark marble – is behind the bed, with doors on each side leading to his and her areas, linked by a double-width shower in the middle.
A VIP double and a twin room round out the guest accommodation, while the crew quarters are located forward, with a Captain’s cabin and two crew cabins.
For power, a pair of 2,435hp MTU 16V 2000 M93 engines come as the standard option and provide a top speed of 26 knots and a range of 320nm at 23 knots, while the optional 2,638hp engines – as used on the first hull – can drive the yacht up to 28 knots.
