When it comes to glamour and high style on the seas, there’s nothing more captivating than the Aquarama. Dreamed up by the legendary Carlo Riva, the run-about wooden speed has become an icon of Italian design and the Riva Aquarama book, edited by Assouline, celebrates its 60th Anniversary. Beloved for its clean lines, mahogany, glistening chrome details and signature robin’s egg-blue and cream upholstery, the Aquarama reflected la dolce vita optimism of early-‘60s Italy; it’s impossible to picture the glittering Côte d’Azur and coasts of Europe without visions of endless summers spent lounging on the back of the boat in the warm summer sun, and the gentle roar of the engine as the Aquarama cuts through the surf.

 

The Riva icon enjoyed a mythical status and was beloved by movie stars, heads of state and royalty—everyone from Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, Gunter Sachs and the royal family of Monaco, among countless other luminaries, have been enchanted by the Aquarama’s spell. Of the about 760 completed Aquaramas made in the Sarnico shipyard, Riva experts estimate around 650 are still in existence, which only adds to the boat’s legendary status. But more than just a trophy, the Aquarama is fiercely beloved by its owners and enthusiasts alike—it’s not just a boat, but the realization of a dream. In this exceptional tribute to the Aquarama, author Michael Verdon tells the story of the legendary boat and brings to life its dolce vita charm. The book is also offered in a special edition, presented in a luxury mahogany box that is crafted to express the beauty of the Aquarama’s magnificent hull. This special edition offers owners, collectors and enthusiasts alike a piece of the Riva dream.

 

 

The Authors

Michael Verdon is the marine/aviation editor at Robb Report magazine. He has been a staff editor for multiple boating magazines and has written about boats for dozens of publications around the world. He has won multiple awards, but his most prized is the Pionieri della Nautica from the Italian marine trade association UCINA, which recognizes contributions to the country’s boating industry from foreign journalists.

Born in Scotland, Oliver Pilcher studied sculpture at the Edinburgh College of Art before embarking on a photographic career that has taken him all around the world and given him the opportunity to shoot for some of the world’s finest brands. Oliver has been a contributing photographer at Condé Nast Traveler for over ten years. He currently divides his time between New York and Costa Rica with his wife, Abigail and their four children.

 

 

 

“There are no limits to the beauty of the Aquarama, how perfect it looks and how timeless. It was an instant classic. You could have an eighty-meter yacht, but people will always look at the Aquarama first”. Alberto Galassi, CEO of Ferretti Group