Riviera 78 Motor Yacht

About the Riviera 78 Motor Yacht

The 78 Motor Yacht is Riviera's flagship — the largest boat the Australian builder has produced in more than four decades of making offshore cruisers on the Gold Coast. Launched in 2022 after a development programme that began in 2019 with consultations among experienced owners, it pairs Riviera's in-house design team with Italian superyacht designer Luca Vallebona. The brief was specific: one boat that handles family cruising, serious entertaining and genuine long ocean passages equally well. Its defining choice is the bridge deck, offered either as an open-air 'daybridge' or a fully enclosed upper saloon — effectively a weatherproof second lounge upstairs, complete with its own bar.

Four cabins sleep eight guests — up to ten in some layouts. The owner's suite spans the full width of the hull in the middle of the boat, where the ride is smoothest; a second double occupies the bow, and two smaller cabins suit children or extra couples. The galley, with twin Miele ovens and generous refrigeration, sits at the rear of the main living area and opens onto the covered aft deck, so meals flow outdoors. The foredeck doubles as a sun lounge or stowage for the yacht's runabout, and a hydraulic swim platform lowers into the sea for easy boarding. Optional crew quarters keep staff movements clear of guests.

Every 78 is built to order at Riviera's Gold Coast yard, with a choice of twin MAN V12 diesels from 1,550 to 2,000 horsepower. The biggest option delivers around 34 knots — about 63 km/h — while easing back to 10 knots stretches the 10,000-litre fuel capacity towards 2,000 nautical miles, enough to relocate between cruising grounds without refuelling. Its natural rivals are European: the Sirena 78, Astondoa Ax8 and Ferretti's INFYNITO 80. The Riviera's case rests on provenance — a hull engineered for Australia's demanding offshore conditions, engines driving traditional propeller shafts, a simple proven arrangement, and a builder that has spent forty years refining this kind of long-legged cruiser.

Best suited to families and experienced owners who want superyacht comfort with genuine long-range capability — and charter guests who value a sociable, all-weather cruiser over sheer size.