Riva, 170 Years of Emotion

“Using the word ‘legend’ to talk about Riva is far too easy; it is much more difficult to describe the factors that perpetuate this legend. 170 words are printed in the very first pages of the book: each of them can be considered as a brick making up a large, constantly expanding castle. Try to read them in a sequence and you will see how easily you will visually and emotionally associate them with Riva". This is how Ferretti Group’s CEO Ferruccio Rossi introduces the book that enshrines the history of Riva, written by those who have experienced the brand’s 170-year history first-hand. The book includes 170 statements and unique pictures that can be browsed through or read in a sequence to take a step into the very heart of a brand which represents one of the most significant chapters in the history of Made-in-Italy production. Excerpts of letters, dedications, acknowledgements, and feelings put on paper – all sharing one common denominator: ‘Legend’; the pleasure of being onboard a Riva yacht, an icon of quality and design, pure craftsmanship and engineering perfection. A tribute to those who have put their heart, soul and expertise to the service of boatyards for more than a century. As you turn every page you will come in contact with the core values of a brand, a world leader in the yachting industry since time immemorial, still capable of constantly striving towards the future: tradition, family, exclusiveness, quality, design, care for details, lifestyle. Owners, dealers, designers, managers, engineers, photographers, collectors, workers, sports champions, and celebrities have joined their voices to testify how delightful it is for everyone of them to associate Riva with the ‘Legend’. The pictures, taken over a 60-year period, are also a tribute to Cantieri Riva and to its historical and current models. These pictures allow us to take a journey through past and present times from very unusual perspectives: historical and modern pictures, snapshots of details and events, black & white ad colours spots create a bridge between the past and the present. “Can you take a picture of a soul? The answer is no. But if the question were: can you take a picture of a company's soul? The answer would be yes… And we have (judge for yourselves). This was the challenge we were faced with and which, hopefully, we have met. The idea was to celebrate the Riva Shipyard’s 170th anniversary by creating a book that was meant to be very different from the many existing ones. And this is what we did; we chose 170 pictures and processed them to achieve a general colour uniformity. We collected 170 statements from those who had contributed to creating that soul. Because, yes, the soul of a company is made up of those who conceive the products, those who manufacture them, follow them, sell them and, most of all, those who use them and cherish them among their most precious belongings. Celebrities, princes, great industrialists, executives, workers, dealers…everybody has given their small and yet major contribution to ensure that the Riva legend can now be touched, browsed through, admired!”. This is the dedication of Riccardo Sassòli, the book’s curator and publisher. A very prestigious stage has been chosen to present this book: the 2013 Miami International Boat Show, where, once again, Riva will be the undisputed protagonist. The book is on sale on www.riva170.com. It costs € 160 in the special edition with fabric cover.