THE RIVA STORY There once was a mahogany tree that grew up far, far away, but one day ended up in a boatyard in Sarnico on the banks of Lago d´Iseo. Here a creative young entrepreneur, son of a very skilled craftsman, transformed it int to a Riva motorboat. First he built a Corsaro, then a Scoiattolo, then an Ariston, a Tritone, a Sebino, a Florida, a superb Aquarama, a fast Junior and many others, The Riva name proved so popular that it was soon known the world over as synonymous with style, quality, and safety. That, in a nutshell, is the story of Carlo Riva, who was born and brought around boats and has them in his blood. He was also heir to a great tradition of skilled workmanship that dated back to the 1800:s when his great grandfather Pietro first moved from Lake Como to Sarnico to repair the fishermens boats and built his own. He was joined by his son Ernesto who built steamboats.The business passed from father to soon and finally to Serafino who was the only surviving member of a family of four. Forced to take over the reigns of the yard after his father´s sudden death, Serafino too brought his own personal touch to the pleasure boats he built for the rich men of the era.However he was fascinated by engines and kept up to date with all the latest American and German innovations. He eventually gave up his ordinary boats to devote himself to create light, tough racingcraft which he raced himself with such sucess that his profile improved.After a while many of the other champions became his customers, including Giuseppe Guerini, Dino Sestini, the Romani brothers, Paola Mora, all unforgettable sporting heroes from the 1930:s. It was in this wonderfully contagious atmosphere of action and enthusiasm that his son Carlo, born in 1922, grew up. His secret dream was to equal the achivements of American yard Chris Craft, he collected their catalogues carefully. Even as a child Carlo Riva showed the innate good taste when it comes to beauty, lines, colour and perfection, that has dominated his life. At 14, he was already in the workshop, tracing his first waterlines and sections in an attempt to copy his uncle Gerolamo Caviglia who worked with Serafino. At 16, he was helping out in the yard, learning, learning. Once he had finishedhis technical studies, Carlo joined his father at work, but held on tight to his dream of building hand- crafted protoype-based production boats to a strictly organised work plan. The Second World War and the difficult period that followed saw his plans put on hold as neither his friends nor his father thought the idea viable. However, in 1949, Carlo´s father finally gave the 27-year old Carlo space of his own to work in and he recievedfinancial and moral support from his friend Giuseppe Beretta. Carlo flew to America to buy Chris Craft engines, the best on the market. He also obtained exclusive importation rights for them for Italy. Meanwhile, he found more financial backing to built a new yard in which he put the organisational model, that would make production more efficent, to good use. Years of hard work, inventions, and technical innovation foolowed, involving everything from names, lines, engines, onboard instruments, upholstery designs and colours, advertising, marketing, to sales network. All stemming from Carlo Riva´s idea. An idea that finally become a reality. Riva even invented marine plywood with Remo Lodi a real milestone in nautical history. But Carlo had even bigger plans. In the 1960:s, at the height of his boom, he took a risk and began designing and selling steel motoryachts first built by Dutch yard De Vries and later by Cm di Ancona. Unfortunately the unrest of the ´60 also spread to the Riva yard. Suddenly, at the very height of his career, an embittered Riva sold out to American Whittaker staying on for two years as president. Just long enough to leave his signature on the new fiberglass boats. But he was soon back at work, designing and building the first Italian tourist marina at Rapallo in 1975, which he still heads today at the age of 78. He was also turned the management of his two Riva restoration business, Ram d´i Sarnico, opened in 1957, and the Monaco Boat Service opened in 1959, over to his daughters Lia and Maria Pia and soon´s in laws Patrizio Ferrarese and Andrea Dall´Asta. A story lies behind almost every part of this great man´s life. Each one inextricably linked to well known characterssuch as Gino Gervasoniand Giorgio Barilani, and others behind the artisans such as Lino Morosini, Renato Salvoldi, Mario Biraga and Gigi Sacella, technicans, managers, and skilled craftsmen, all of whom have contributed devotedly to the Cantiere Riva`s prestige. Over the last 30 years, the yard has got through several foreign owners, but now is back in the safe, Italian hands of the legendary Gruppo Ferretti ( Ferretti spa, Bertram, Pershing, Custom Line and Crn ) which is doing much to revive the splendours of its golden years. There has even been something of a Riva revival in recent years with the Riva Days and Riva Clubs which have sprung up both in Europé and the United States, thanks to good work of the Riva Historical Society, the guardian of this rich nautical heritage.