Luxury boat builder Riviera ships record fleet to US

Luxury motor yacht builder Riviera is sending $20m worth of vessels to the US in its biggest ever shipment to the world‘s biggest economy.

Rodney Longhurst says US demand for the company luxury boats are at record levels.

Luxury motor yacht builder Riviera is sending $20m worth of vessels to the US in its biggest ever shipment to the world‘s biggest economy.

The Gold Coast-based company will send seven new yachts to Miami, including its new 645 SUV, in preparation for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show next month.

About 50 vessels are currently being built at the company’s Coomera shipyard, which now employs more than 800 people. The company’s performance is a rare bright spot for the Gold Coast economy that has lost billions in tourism dollars during the covid-19 pandemic.

Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst said the company’s motor yachts were highly sought after in the US with sales supported by a network of representatives on the east and west coasts.

“We are enormously proud of our latest shipment to the US and our largest-ever growing demand,” said Mr Longhurst. “It’s especially pleasing that all the motor yachts, including our new 645 SUV, will arrive in time for one of our biggest showcases of the year at Fort Lauderdale.”

Riviera craft being loaded onto a ship being taken to the US.

The revived fortunes of luxury boat builder Riviera counts as one of the greatest corporate turnarounds in Australian history.

A decade ago the Gold Coast company, which numbers Hollywood celebrities among its customers, was teetering on the brink of collapse, weighed down with $320 million of debt in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. Riviera, which Mr Longhurst rescued out of receivership in March 2012, now has an overflowing order book for its luxury craft that sell for up to $6m.

Riviera production director Kyle Davison said the yachts had been loaded onto a ship in Brisbane over two days and three tides, such was the size and scale of the operation. The boats will take up the space of 560 containers.

Riviera boats at the Sydney International Boat Show.

“It’s a major logistical exercise that will require additional members from our teams to complete,” said Mr Davison. The yachts will be part of an express service delivery to Fort Lauderdale with the ship bypassing two ports to be land directly into Miami from Brisbane instead of the usual port of call in Savannah.

“This rarely happens in commercial shipping, but with seven motor yachts on board occupying the space of up to 560 containers, it’s a significant cargo and thus has received express delivery status to the US,” said Mr Davison.

The motor yachts will land in the US on October 20 in time for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the largest in-water boat show in the world.

Riviera’s owner care team based in Stuart, Florida, will be on hand to meet the ship and assist with the unloading ahead of displaying the motor yachts for the Fort Lauderdale show.