The 88’ Florida Is Born
Style, elegance, and technology combined with impressive power and speed. All signed by Riva. The iconic yachting brand now leads its Owners and fans far beyond the horizon of their dreams by presenting the 88’ Florida, the new yacht that invents a new style and offers the opportunity to enjoy a two-fold – and so far unprecedented – cruising experience.
An open and a coupé: two souls, entwined in one single, spectacular yacht. The classical Riva lines, which epitomize the brand’s timeless and sober elegance, and the unmistakable style of the 88’ Florida go hand on hand with the technology innovation brought about by the ‘Convertible Top’, which draws inspiration from the automotive sector: this is how on this new 88-footer two sporty souls come together in one single yacht.
“The 88’ Florida is a dream come true, a jewel of Italian yachting that we are delighted and excited to be presenting today” – comments Ferretti Group’s CEO, Mr. Alberto Galassi.
“We took up and won a tough challenge from an engineering, design, and production viewpoint, and today we can introduce the world to an unprecedented craft, that turns into reality a new way of enjoying life at sea. The 88’ Florida writes a new chapter in Riva’s story – an Italian story that the world will, once more, fall in love with”.
The 88’ Florida – which has a 26.84-meter (88 ft. 1 in.) overall length and a beam of 6.22 meters /20 ft. 5 in.)
– is, like many of its predecessors, the result of the close cooperation between Ferretti Group’s Product Strategy Committee, the Group’s Engineering Department, and yacht designer Mauro Micheli, the cofounder, together with Sergio Beretta, of Officina Italiana Design, which exclusively design Riva’s entire range.
The ‘Convertible Top’ patented system
The 88’ Florida is truly one in its kind in the entire yachting sector because of the innovative system that harmonizes two sporty souls onboard one single yacht: an exclusive Ferretti Group patent that has been installed for the very first time on this craft.
The Convertible Top system makes the yacht convertible, as the word says, i.e. capable of shifting from an open to a coupé configuration and vice versa by automatically operating the hard top that can cover the pilot station in the cockpit. Indeed, the Convertible Top system allows to rotate and slide the aerodynamic hard top, thereby turning the 88’ Florida into a coupé model, or to flawlessly integrate it with the deckhouse at the level of the dinette, converting the boat into an open yacht. A pantograph hydraulic mechanism drives two arms connected to the hard top and is controlled by an electronic power unit that ensures the smooth, uninterrupted movement of every moving component. This system, which is operated by one single control, is monitored by sensors installed near the individual moving parts, so as to ensure the safety of both guests and the crew during operation. Moreover, the entire procedure is displayed, and can therefore be verified by the captain, on the Naviop touch screen display in the pilot station, which grants a constant operation feedback.
The hard top has been perfectly integrated in both the deckhouse shape and the windshield and roll bar profiles. When it is stored forward, it is kept in place by its own arms, securely connected to the main body. The arms are folded away and secured inside the side peaks with automatically operated doors. In the coupé configuration, the hard top is mechanically locked on the windshield and anchored onto the roll bar by means of two electro-hydraulic anchoring systems. The arms can then be manually disconnected from the top and automatically retracted into the storage peaks on the deckhouse.
In order to close the cockpit completely when the boat is in the coupé configuration, the Owner can decide to install a series of lateral see-through awnings.
OUTDOOR AREAS
The aft area on the 88’ Florida has been modified in terms of layout and tender and jet ski handling systems, which has also resulted in a new arrangement of the engine rooms and the various onboard systems and appliances.
The design solutions in this part of the yacht allow to enjoy leisure activities at best while simplifying water toy launching and hauling operations. The garage – which is only 20 cm above the sea level – can store an almost 4-meter tender (a Williams 385 can be supplied upon request) and a jet ski beside it. The whole central part of the transom can be lowered by up to a meter into the water, and slightly moved away from the stern thanks to a pantograph movement. Tender and jet ski launching and haulage are further enhanced by two stainless steel guides.
Some steps integrated in the hull, on the sides of the garage door, lead to the cockpit, which can also be reached, when stepping onboard from the quay, via a concealing gangway. The large layered glass windshield, whose single central plus lateral curved glazed surfaces are framed by a polished stainless steel structure, gives the entire cockpit area a truly unmistakable look and flawlessly protects the pilot station and the outdoor lounge. This area is also characterized by the steel roll bar above the central section of the cockpit, connected to the sides of the windshield. On top of it are all navigation equipment antennas.
The cockpit includes a large aft sun pad and a small sofa facing forward, in front of which is a roomy area that can be furnished with freestanding furniture. It is protected and enclosed by two large storage cabinets along the bulwark.
The left one opens up towards the crew quarters, below deck, fitted with a dinette with the galley and the refrigerator, a separate head, a cabin with double-bunk berths, and a second utility cabin (that can be fitted, upon request, with separate washing machine and tumble drier), plus a fold-away berth for the third sailor. The central area is organized as a large dining and living room – the perfect setting to sip a drink, have lunch or dinner admiring the sky and the stars, or relax sheltered by the hard top. A linear sofa to starboard stands opposite the dining area, which is furnished with another L-shaped sofa near the table.
Some freestanding seats complete the furniture and allow to seat up to eight dining guests. The large central pilot station features three seats, left of which is a chaise longue facing the stern – the ideal extension of the sofa – where one can relax while experiencing the thrill of cruising. Besides the dinette with a large C-shaped sofa, ‘concealed’ by the hard top, at the extreme bow the 88’ Florida makes available an additional relaxation area equipped with two sun pads, just before the technical area with the anchor.
INTERIORS
Below deck, the 88’ Florida includes four cabins and as many dedicated heads, all located beyond a living room that can also be used as an indoor dinette. All décor solutions explicitly draw inspiration from late 80s-early 90s atmospheres, paying tribute to some iconic Riva yachts of those times, like the Bahamas – the first to be penciled by Mauro Micheli: the yacht is pervaded by is a warm Mediterranean style, which the Italian designer himself summarized using the term vintage, reinterpreted in a contemporary mood.
Wood, steel, leather, and lacquered materials have been chosen for the interior décor. The wood selected is warm, sophisticated elm, in the new ‘Manopesca’ finish, an innovative treatment that makes the wood look similar to fabric and reminds of peach skin at the touch. Elm has been combined with numerous
smooth and striped leather inserts, which contribute to giving the entire yacht a pervasive ‘vintage’ touch and whose warm color shades remind of honey and ripe wheat. The onboard décor is completed by several stainless steel details and white and blue lacquered surfaces. More specifically, the ‘Blue Majestic’ shade (a dark, almost black-like, blue) chosen for many details, in the outdoor areas too, contributes to the reinterpreted classical style of this yacht. White, instead, has been chosen for the ceilings, where LED light strips have been built-in to brighten the rooms at best.
From the stairway located right of the pilot station access can be gained to the dinette, which is introduced by a stylish handrail made up of stainless steel uprights and horizontal bars that let one’s gaze roam freely across the room. The open space features an L-shaped sofa to starboard, further enriched by white and aquamarine striped cushions, a central coffee table, and the galley, along the portside bulwark, which extends on three sides while the fourth opens up onto the dinette. The furniture also includes a stylish, comfortable breakfast counter with two leather stools, beside which is the totem cabinet with the TV screen, surrounded by mirror surfaces.
The master stateroom is located amidships and enjoys the utmost privacy. Three steps – completed by a steel handrail and a second stylish handrail with steel uprights and horizontal bars that leave an open view on the bed and the large windows – lead to the incredibly bright, sound-insulated, full-beam cabin. The bed, whose frame is lined in leather, is arranged lengthwise and is decorated by an elegant array of fabrics and colors, including to the linen & cotton (or, upon request, cashmere) bedspread, striped cushions, and rug, all by Loro Piana. In front of the bed are two wardrobes with striped-pattern leather doors, separated by the desk area and the vanity set with a pouf. The TV screen is concealed inside the desk and can be mechanically lifted and lowered. The elegance and refinement of the 88’ Florida’s onboard décor is further highlighted by an exclusive custom-made chair by Officina Italiana Design in the master stateroom, which the Owner can also order to furnish other interior areas. This chair has a steel structure lined in white leather and features two cushions, one for the seat and one for the backrest. The final touch to this contemporary design jewel are the leather straps and buckles found in the bed headboards in all cabins, in family feeling with another Riva iconic yacht, the 27-footer Iseo, where they decorate the sun pad.
The reading lights – also lined in leather – are the ‘icing on the cake’ in this magnificent suite. The head develops across the entire length of the cabin, along the starboard bulwark, and includes a central area with a washbasin, a separate shower, and an area for sanitary fittings.
Walking forward beyond the living room, a central lobby can be reached, which leads to the guest night area. On the left is an airy double cabin, whose volume and fittings are comparable to those of a VIP cabin, with the private head and separate shower. In front of it is the second guest cabin, with single beds, dedicated head, and a round shower. This bathroom can also be used as the day head, as it is also accessible through a second door located in the central lobby.
The VIP double cabin is located at the extreme bow and receives an amazing amount of light through the double glazing that runs along its bulwark. It is furnished with two wardrobes and fitted with a private head with separate shower.
