Riva Hall

The Origins of the Myth

It all began in Laglio, on Lake Como, when a talented young shipwright decided to move to Sarnico to help the local fishermen. His name was Pietro Riva, the great-grandfather of Carlo, the man who turned the brand into a legend.

[…] In 1946, with the war over, there was a strong desire to return to normalcy. Carlo wanted to promote the shipyard by printing catalogs and advertising brochures. Knowing full well that he would not receive financial support from his father Serafino, he decided to sacrifice the savings he had set aside to buy a home and invest them in advertising instead. He would spend many long nights sleeping in the attic of Lombardi, an importer of Johnson engines.

At great financial sacrifice, Carlo managed to showcase his products at the Taranto trade fair as well, where he received praise from the Honorable Saragat, the future President of the Republic.

The shipyard’s approach, however, has always been geared toward competition, which has brought it great international fame but little revenue. In fact, the most famous sailors are able to obtain boats from Serafino at very low prices—almost at cost—thanks to the international publicity they would bring to the shipyard. On the other hand, his son Carlo, with his sights set more on the recreational boat market, is eager to experiment with mass production and streamline costs and revenues.

Clashes between father and son are becoming more and more frequent, and Carlo is therefore seen as a hothead and a potential obstacle in the eyes of the drivers.

There is a famous scene in which Carlo, kneeling before his father, urges him to take a bottle and smash his head in, since he would never change his mind. The shipyard’s future lay in the mass production of recreational runabouts. […]