Construction of Riviera’s new Sports Motor Yacht collection continues with great skill and finesse at our world-class facility on Australia’s Gold Coast.
The new Sports Motor Yacht – available in 68ft and 72ft designs – will feature up to four staterooms and optional crew accommodation.
We are very proud of the high degree of craftsmanship from our specialist Riviera team and the first Sports Motor Yacht is on schedule to make her World Premiere mid-2017.
The Riviera Sports Motor Yacht will fulfill the aspirations of our valued owners who wish to take their boating further afield, and for extended periods, whilst being able to fish effectively and still enjoy myriad water sports pursuits, including diving, snorkelling and kayaking … all in luxurious comfort.
The story so far
In Edition 8 of Riviera Experience magazine, we outlined the two years of research, design and development of this very impressive luxury motor yacht – from initial consultation through to the design phase, then refinement, tank-testing, tooling and the first stages of lamination.
If you like, you may revisit that story here.
Today, we are proud to continue to share our Sports Motor Yacht construction journey with you …
Hull lamination and structure are now complete
More than a month after hull lamination began, the first Sports Motor Yacht hull has been released from its massive mould, and engineering works have begun.
Since our last update, our master craftsmen have carefully laminated into the hull bulkheads of composite and high-strength material that are fitted throughout the hull, and the structure has been put in place for the drive shafts. Engine and transverse bearers have also been installed for further hull strength.
The 68ft Sports Motor Yacht’s fuel tanks – comprising two 3500 litre wing tanks and an optional 2000 litre tank aft – have also been constructed and installed in the yacht’s expansive walk-in engine room. The 72ft design will have another additional 2000 litre fuel tank aft as standard.
Also in the Sports Motor Yacht’s engine room – which has acoustic and thermal insulation – our talented construction team has been meticulous in completing a very strong laminate around the yacht’s rudder and exhaust tubes.
A ‘strong-back’ reinforcement has also been laminated in position at the transom for further strength, while engine bed caps and mounting point preparation has been completed, and a final engine room flowcoat and seal has been applied.
Releasing the hull from the mould was an extremely delicate process and revealed for the first time the elegant lines of the hull with its window plants that were attached to the mould prior to the initial gelcoat application.
These window plants have now been removed and the recesses carefully cut in preparation for the installation of the sweeping Sports Motor Yacht hull windows. It’s clear to see from our pictures that the hull windows will flood the accommodation deck with natural light and how they will form a key design aesthetic to the sweeping sheerline.
Since the release of hull No.1, the Sports Motor Yacht’s hull mould has been meticulously prepared for hull No.2 – also a 68ft design – and lamination for the second Riviera Sports Motor Yacht has now underway.
Back in hull No.1, which now sits confidently in her specially-built cradle, the 68 model’s engineering is about 50 per cent complete, with final works to begin shortly. Brass rudder stocks, shaft skegs and 152kg rudders have placed into position and the bow thruster tube installation is complete. The stern thruster is now installed and the fiberglass exhaust system is also installed.
The Sports Motor Yacht’s MAN V123 -1550 engines – selected for their high tractive power – were temporarily fitted to ensure everything fits neatly prior to engineering work continuing in earnest, including dry fitment of engine exhausts and quality checks of every process, including air-conditioning and generator set mounting points and frames.
Deck mould nears completion
Lamination of the deck mould has involved the initial application of a green tooling gelcoat layer and then three hand-laid layers of vinylester matting to a 25mm core laminate schedule, followed by further layers of vinylester.
Each layer of laminate was then hand-rolled by our master craftsmen to extrude any small air pockets and remove any imperfections. The time taken on this stage results in the mirror gelcoat finish for which Riviera is so highly regarded.
The deck lamination for Sport Motor Yacht No.1 is now 40 per cent complete. It is expected the deck will be released from the mould early January and placed into the now-completed deck cradle.
Flybridge and hardtop moulds ready to begin
Tooling for the flybridge and hardtop was commenced in November 2015 with the precision cutting of foam using Computer Numerical Cutting (CNC) routers which provides great accuracy in the translation from the Computer Aided Design (CAD) files from our in-house design team.
The tooling was then hand-assembled and hand-crafted via a meticulous sanding process to achieve a result that is an ultra-smooth finish.
The completed tooling for the Sports Motor Yacht flybridge and hardtop was then wrapped in plastic to protect the mirror-like surfaces prior to the commencement of lamination of the moulds in December.
The flybridge moulds are now around 70 per cent complete and lamination of the flybridge will begin in early January.
Tooling for the smaller fiberglass parts including cockpit floors and windscreen componentry is now in their final stages.
Interior prototype
While all this construction is underway, our talented new product development team has also been building a full-scale interior prototype of the 72ft design in preparation for private and public viewing at the Riviera Festival of Boating from March 17-19.
This walk-through prototype will be a highly detailed replica of an actual Sports Motor Yacht interior, with much of the major componentry of a finished yacht fitted and operational.
This extends from the varnished timber cabinetry with soft-close Blum stainless steel runners and positive locking hardware all the way through to the upholstered leather lounges, premium galley appliances and luxurious saloon detail, upholstered headlining, and more.
The prototype will feature interior lighting and whitegoods.
The level of commitment invested in the design, materials, ergonomics and finishes of this prototype demonstrate Riviera’s deep-held passion to create one of the world’s best luxury motor yachts.
This inspiring model prototype is now 95 per cent complete and it will remain open for viewing by prospective Sports Motor Yacht owners until after the Sydney International Boat Show from 3-7 August 2017.
Next month we will share with you images of the entire interior prototype.
Keeping you informed
By the time the very first Riviera Sports Motor Yacht is launched, a total of 650 working days will have been employed by an extensive and highly skilled team of master craftsmen.
We will proudly provide further production insights regarding the build process of our 68 and 72 Sports Motor Yacht next month.