It’s fair to say there has never been anything in the motor yacht world quite like this remarkable ‘convertible’ Riva. She is certainly one of the biggest open top powerboats ever, and undoubtedly the first fully convertible powerboat to have a power-opening hardtop.
She may be open-topped, but inside, the Riva 88 Florida is a very substantial and very luxurious motor yacht. She has 4 beautifully styled en suite cabins, as well as a lower deck saloon. Compared with the Riva 86 Domino from which she is derived, the hull windows have been substantially developed, resulting in even more daylight through all areas of the lower deck.
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The sight of the convertible hardtop on the Riva 88 Florida lifting off and swinging into its storage recess on the foredeck, will surely leave onlookers open-mouthed. Two electro-hydraulic arms emerge from the sides of the forward coachroof, pivot backwards, pick up the cockpit roof, swing it forward, lower it into its storage position over the seating area on the foredeck, then tuck themselves back into their respective stowage pods.
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There can be few powerboating experiences as satisfying as driving an 88ft open-top Riva at over 40 knots. That is the top speed of the 88 Florida with the larger 2638hp engines. Even with the standard 2435hp units she still reaches over 38 knots (43mph). The ride is smooth and majestic, gliding effortlessly over the waves like they're hardly there.
