SUPERYACHT #494
June 2003
Article selected from our quarterly magazine dedicated to the largest
and most luxurious boats with information, interviews, technical
articles, images and yachting news
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Article by
Angelo Colombo
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RIVOLTA GROUP RIVOLTA 90
Since the days when sails were the only alternative to oars, much has changed.
Sailing has been turned around since the advent of the engine yet
sailboats have endured, thanks to enthusiasts as well as to designers
who succeed in getting more and more out of this way of sailing. In
sailing, as in other industrial sectors, the impetus to push ahead
with design comes from the sports world. It's no accident that the
yacht wère talking about is based on waterlines inspired by the
boats of the Americàs Cup and the Volvo Cup. Naturally this is
not an extreme yacht for an extreme regatta; rather it combines the
design elements of "pulled" boats with the space and mechanical
toughness indispensable for a cruise ship.
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
LOA: 28.42 m
Waterline length: 27.37 m
Max. width: 6.51 m
Draught: 3.93/1.78 m
Displacement: 47,000 kg
ballast: seawater 40,000 kg/in keel 14,000 kg
Fuel tank capacity: 3,116lit- Water tank capacity: 1,620lit
Building material: E-glass reinforced with carbon and kevlar and PVC core
Propeller surface: 370.46 sq. m
Engines: 2x315 HP Yanmar
Mast: in carbon, height 35.75 m.
For further information:
Rivolta Group; 1741 Main Street; Suite
101; Sarasota FL (USA)34236.5812; tel. 941 9540355; fax 941 9540111;
website www.rivoltamarine.com; e mail sales@rivoltamarine.com.
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Rivolta 90' is the result
of a precise philosophy, i.e., to offer a fast, comfortable, practical
yacht that grants its owner the sheer enjoyment of going to sea. In
order to achieve these results the shipyard has based the design on
some simple, innovative solutions. The result is a yacht that can
move as fast as a motoryacht with displacing hull. It has a
retractable stem with two tanks in the hull for filling with seawater
to compensate for the inevitable tendency to straighten up when
sailing with reduced draught. The hull is in reinforced E-glass but
deck, rudder, mast and boom are entirely in carbon, resulting in a
relatively light structure. In order not to weigh the deck down, the
shipyard decided not to line it in teak which looks good but may
compromise maintenance and especially weight. Although special
attention has been dedicated to sailing Rivolta 90' was made to
achieve a good performance while motoring too. There are two
propulsors, both shafting, and able to ensure a cruising speed of 13
knots and a maximum of 15. There was no need to install a steering
propeller on the bow, since the torque generated by the twin engine
makes Rivolta 90' easy to manoeuvre in narrow waters. As regards
sailing performance, more than 20 knots is possible with strong winds
and waves while with a light wind it is possible to sail at a steady
12/13 knots. One of the design objectives was also to keep the number
of crew to a minimum and thus the controls are all simple and assisted
by electro-mechanical accessories which makes the sail plan really
easy to handle. But Rivolta 90' is not just a question of performance,
safety or easy sailing. For the interiors the shipyard employed the
services of a designer who has exploited the spaces in a rational way,
making each space extremely comfortable and ergonomically planned.
Mid-ship there is a large lounge, well-lit by the windows of the
bridge house and also containing the inside control station, where
there are two large sofas facing each other and a table. Near the
lounge, in a separate space on a slightly lower level is the galley.
The sleeping area is divided into: owner's cabin astern with double
bed, lounge corner and private bathroom; double cabin mid-ship to
starboard with private bathroom, double cabin with bunk beds still on
the starboard side forward of the mainsail area, also with private
bathroom, and finally crew's cabin astern on the port side with bunk
beds and private bathroom. The crew's quarters have a separate
bathroom and separate entrance to ensure the necessary privacy for the
owner and guests. Forward of the mainsail area on this deck there are
also two small lounges with table and an office and each internal room
is lit by at least one skylight. At the stern end of the hull there is
a garage which can house a 4m tender which, because the transom can be
lowered, can be easily positioned and launched without the use of
davits. This, then, is a 90 foot yacht, easy to handle and manoeuvre
with fast water lines and a light but solid structure for achieving
high performance both under sail and when motoring. The idea behind
the whole project was simplicity and this is not only evident in the
design, but also in the handling of the sail plan, in the steering, in
gaining access to and moving around the decks, in minimum maintenance
as well as the possibility to choose whether to use sails or engine,
always with a good performance. In accordance with the shipyard's
provisions at the design stage, Rivolta 90' can be sailed without
problems by the owner and one crew member while at sea as well as when
anchoring or mooring. Rivolta 90' represents a new way of going to
sea for lovers of large sailing boats; it is as easy to handle as a 50
footer, but with much more room.
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