Riva 88' Folgore

About the Riva 88' Folgore

Riva launched the first 88' Folgore in May 2020 at La Spezia, styled inside and out by Officina Italiana Design with engineering by parent company Ferretti Group. The name means thunderbolt in Italian, and the boat is the flagship of Riva's Sportfly range, built to succeed the 88' Domino, one of the yard's most successful models. Its defining feature is the transforming stern: a garage door that folds to two positions, sitting level with the water as a six-square-metre beach platform or submerging completely so the tender floats straight out. The design won Best New Series at the 2021 BOAT International Design & Innovation Awards.

The layout points everyone aft, towards the water. The main deck flows from an open-plan saloon to a 22-square-metre cockpit with sofa and bar — the space guests actually use at anchor — while the sportfly above adds a small open-air deck for driving in the sun. A glass roof over the helm tilts open in fine weather. Below are four en-suite cabins sleeping eight: an owner's cabin offered in three layouts, a VIP suite in the bow and two further guest cabins. At anchor, the stern door folds level with the sea as the swimming platform, and the tender lives in its own garage instead of on deck.

Riva does not publish production totals, but the model it replaced, the 88' Domino, sold nearly forty hulls over twelve years, and new Folgore hulls have continued to launch since 2020, with deliveries listed through 2026. Twin MTU engines give a top speed of 36 to 39 knots depending on specification, and around 340 nautical miles of range at 30 knots — a boat for hopping between harbours and anchorages rather than crossing oceans. Against rivals such as the faster Pershing 9X and the Sanlorenzo SL86 Asymmetric, the Folgore trades outright pace for stability and comfort — and carries the cachet of the Riva name.

The 88' Folgore suits charterers and buyers who want a fast, sociable boat for up to eight guests and short coastal itineraries — long lunches at anchor and quick runs between harbours — rather than long-range cruising.