Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia: Riviera is extremely proud to announce it has won two major categories at the 2015 Australian Marine Industry Export and Superyacht Awards.

Based at Coomera on Australia’s Gold Coast, Riviera was named Best Large Marine Industry Export Performer and Australian Marine Industry Exporter of the Year, reflecting 100 per cent growth in export production revenue and a 72 per cent increase in the number of boats exported throughout 2014.

Riviera owner and chairman Rodney Longhurst said the awards were testament to innovation, dedication and to the hallmark passion for excellence that underpins a growing affection for the iconic luxury marque among boating aficionados worldwide.

“Riviera is recognised globally as being amongst the best in the world and this award is shared with every member of the 430-strong team of designers, engineers, boat-builders and master craftsmen at Coomera … and with every dealer representing Riviera across a global network that now spans some 60 countries,” Mr Longhurst said.

“This award is also shared with every member of our global family of Riviera luxury motor yacht owners who actively participate with our new model development initiatives, sharing their time and their expertise, and who came to help us celebrate at the 2015 Festival of Boating.”

Riviera’s truly unique festival of fun and learning was created to enhance the skills of luxury motor yacht owners and give them the confidence to use their boats to their full potential and inspire them to cruise further afield. This premium level of commitment to customer care is another key element of Riviera’s international success.

“When you are fortunate enough to acquire a Riviera, you really are joining a global family of over 5100 luxury motor yacht owners who enjoy exclusive experiences of cruising in company with fellow Riviera owners, as well as a vast array of informative educational and fun social events, and an unparalleled level of owner care that extends to parts, service, warranty, accessories and insurance,” said Mr Longhurst.

The world-class Riviera facility at Coomera spans over 14 hectares.

“We have an extremely passionate and loyal family of owners – many new boat purchasers are third, fourth (and sometimes more) time owners of Riviera motor yachts, renowned for the past 35 years for their innovation, luxury, clever alfresco lifestyle design, resale value and, of course, Riviera’s superior blue-water sea-keeping capabilities.

“We are also proud to be welcoming many new owners to the Riviera family, in fact of the 11 new luxury motor yachts sold at Miami International Boat Show earlier this year, 9 of them purchased their first Rivieras.

“Our willingness to embrace new technology plays a major role in this growing international appeal – we are building luxury motor yachts that are among the most advanced in the world.

“It’s all part of our philosophy of helping our owners achieve what we like to call … ‘the ultimate boating experience’.”

Mr Longhurst said that, in 2014, Riviera expanded its global-scale events calendar and the Riviera Experience offered in Australia and New Zealand is now mirrored in idyllic destinations around the world, including the United States, Canada and South Africa.

“In 2014 we also opened a new international office in Florida which is manned by expert Riviera employees, several of whom are factory-trained Australians, who provide sales, marketing and technical support to our global network of dealers as well as unrivalled customer care to our owners in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Americas, both north and south.

“In fact our international sales director Chris McCafferty spends over 50 per cent of his time travelling from Florida to all the major world boat shows where we exhibit, including Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Palm Beach, Auckland, Cannes, Barcelona, Dubai, Phuket, Singapore and Taiwan and, of course, the Gold Coast.

Riviera, in 2014, celebrated the successful premieres last year of the stylish and sophisticated new 6000 Sport Yacht and a new 515 SUV design, as well as the launch of the new Riviera flagship, the 77 Enclosed Flybridge. All three yachts have been extremely popular at boat shows around the world and all feature prominently in Riviera’s impressive international forward orders that now stretch into 2016.