R Marine Perth's new chapter begins with magnificent raft-up

The spectacular sight of 33 Riviera motor yachts rafting up on Perth's Swan River © Riviera Australia

R Marine Perth is commencing a new era with the recent appointment of Ryan Lloyd as dealer principal of Western Australia's exclusive representative for Australia's premium luxury motor yacht builder Riviera.

Mr Lloyd, who joined Riviera after a highly experienced career as general manager of The Haines Group, brings a fresh energy to R Marine Perth enhancing owner care and boating enjoyment of Riviera owners. Mr Lloyd is personally invested in R Marine Perth with a clear vision for the future of the dealership.

"R Marine Perth is all about the enjoyment of boating which is in our DNA; we embody it every day and we have a passion for it," said Mr Lloyd, whose love of being out on the water includes years of enjoying barefoot waterskiing.

Mr Lloyd and the R Marine Perth team hosted the first event of 2022 for the dealership, a raft-up on the Swan River with the city skyline as the backdrop.

The raft-up at Matilda Bay comprised 33 motor yachts ranging from classic Rivieras to the latest models up to 60-foot, as owners took advantage of a fabulous summer's day. It was the first on-water event hosted by R Marine Perth in almost two years.

"This is what our owners really enjoy most, getting out on their motor yachts to enjoy the unique boating experience that Western Australia offers," said Mr Lloyd.

"Riviera owner social events are very popular in Western Australia and, as the first for R Marine Perth this year, it was a wonderful day."

The R Marine Perth event was enjoyed by 400 Riviera owners, their families and friends, some of whom were on their first ever raft-up experience.

Attending her first Riviera event on her 6000 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition, Argyle, was Paula Harry who appreciated the raft-up being held on a Friday while the children were at school. Paula and her husband Adam often spend weekends with their children on their yacht on the Swan River or offshore at Rottnest Island.

Relaxing in luxury

"We typically head out to Rottnest on a Friday after work and school to relax in luxury for a couple of nights. We're out in our boat for the entire weekend, every second weekend, but this was my first raft-up and I will definitely do what it takes to get to the next one," said Paula.

"We have met a few Riviera owners over time and certainly the raft-up was a great opportunity to meet others to talk about our wonderful boats and to make that connection. I can't speak highly enough about the event because it was so well done by R Marine Perth. It was so much fun."

A musical trio and a roving saxophonist added to the day's celebrations, while one motor yacht provided a slippery dip for all to enjoy.

"We had a couple of our friends on board and, after we settled in, we girls were on the move going from boat to boat. We had a fantastic day," said Paula.

Since the raft-up, Paula has been inspired to gain her skipper's ticket after talking to a lady skipper and fellow Riviera 6000 Sport yacht owner.

"I'm the deckhand at the moment but that might change soon," Paula said with a laugh.

Party atmosphere

Aaron McNally, owner of Riviera 51 Flybridge, Longshot, enjoyed being on the water again with the Riviera family.

"It was a fantastic day; there's nothing like so many boats rafted up and having a party. It was done very well and we all had a great day. You just can't beat the atmosphere."

It was such a great day that Aaron didn't leave until 11pm that night, well after the last of the motor yachts headed home.

"The crew I have on board are generally the last to leave," said Aaron. "Ryan and his team did a terrific job. All Riviera owners enjoy the events that R Marine Perth host and that's the big difference with Riviera. It's a great Australian brand with a big following and these events are a plus for everyone. It was also a great day for non-boating people to enjoy because many of them hadn't seen anything like it before."

New Riviera owner Aidan Jenkins, aboard his 4800 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition, Ocean's 8, spent the afternoon entertaining four couples aboard.

"Our boat gets a lot of use as we have three young boys who love getting out on the water. But being a school day, there were no kids, so it was 10 adults all up on the boat. It was a fun day and I can't speak highly enough of it," said Aidan.

"The R Marine Perth team were fantastic. We had a couple of people come later and they ferried them for us from shore; the team didn't stop all day."

Aidan describes his 4800 Sport Yacht as perfect for his family's style of boating in Perth.

"The 4800 really suits what we need for the three boys. It's not too big, so I can get on the right moorings at Rottnest and the joystick controls make it easy to manoeuvre and she also has a nice entertaining deck to host friends aboard."

Instant bond of Riviera ownership

"We didn't have any expectations when buying our boat beyond enjoying our boating, but the raft-up was a complete bonus for us and shows the instant bond Riviera owners have with each other. We had lots of people drop past and look at our boat and we looked at other models ourselves. Everyone was in such good spirits that it made for a really enjoyable day."

Stephen Marley's 5400 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition, Nangeenan, is his third Riviera motor yacht and the raft-up is one event he says owners look forward to each year.

"The raft-up is the premier Riviera event where we get to relax and enjoy a great afternoon with other Riviera owners," said Stephen. "After three Rivieras, I have been to quite a few raft-ups and we all had a great day again."

The R Marine Perth team is looking forward to hosting future events for motor yacht owners, taking advantage of prime boating conditions in Perth throughout the year.

"We're looking forward to our next event shortly," said Mr Lloyd. "We really want our owners to enjoy their motor yachts as much as possible and meet more of the WA Riviera family because there are so many boating adventures to enjoy in Western Australia."

Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst congratulated the R Marine Perth team for a magnificent raft-up.

"It was great to see the Riviera family together again for another wonderful event with the team at R Marine Perth," said Mr Longhurst.

"The care and commitment of Ryan and his team epitomise our philosophy at Riviera to create the ultimate boating experience for our Riviera owners."