Riviera 4600 SY Platinum: Mini Superyacht

Riviera 4600 SY Platinum: Mini Superyacht

Written by: Epco Ongering
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hl8Kfn7980

The Riviera 4600 Sport Yacht is a class yacht from Down Under. The yard on Australia's Gold Coast has international status for car brands such as Rolls Royce and Bentley. The premium brand has launched 6,000 yachts in more than 40 years. 

About 60% of all Rivieras are exported, much of it to the United States. But since Best Boats in Roermond has become the dealer for Northern and Western Europe, you see Rivieras remarkably often in our regions. The company from Roermond has customers who appreciate these exclusive class yachts. Because Riviera builds with uncompromising quality. These yachts are so solid that they have been approved for CE design category B, so suitable for waves up to four meters high and wind force 8. That gives a safe feeling.

Better than gold
But it is not only safety that this Riviera radiates, you also immediately feel that you are on a maximum comfortable top class yacht, on which everything has been carried out to the highest standards. When you hear the designation 4600, you think of a 46-footer, but the tested Riviera is 15 meters 31 long. That's 51 feet, so 5 feet longer than you expect. In addition, this model has more volume than the previous models due to a higher freeboard. The addition Platinum refers to the two-tone color of the hardtop, platinum gray, but is also an indication of quality. Platinum is better than gold, there is nothing better.

The swimming platform can be lowered hydraulically and is strong enough for a dinghy weighing 300 kilos. The dinghy garage opens electrically and has a special deep area for storing long boards. There is also plenty of room for a lot of other fun stuff. The entrance to the aft deck is on starboard. Under the stairs is the valve with the bunker connections. On the other side is a blind staircase and there you will find neat contacts for the shore power cables. The 4600 has side decks along the saloon that are wide enough to allow you to walk forward safely. There are sturdy railings and the yacht has beautiful cleats all around, which are sturdy enough to withstand the pull of Australian storms on the almost 20 ton yacht. On the foredeck there is a large three-person sunbed whose backrests can be raised. The anchor facilities are perfect with a deep anchor locker, a strong windlass and a flushing system to clean the anchor.

If you look at the construction, you will notice that it is an extremely strong boat. Everything exudes solidity. On the aft deck there is a beautiful stainless steel facade that is not only solid, but also beautiful to look at. It gives this yacht the chic that distinguishes Riviera yachts from other luxury production yachts. If you open the door and lower the window you have one large open boat. Furthermore, there are no fewer than three electrically opening hatches in the roof. A large one in the salon and two smaller ones on the aft deck. The beautiful, sleek tent with which you close the rear deck is specially made for our regions. In Australia, fly screens are installed there instead of a tent. The Nordic package is special for Europe, combining the Webasto diesel heating with the triple air conditioning. In the salon there is 25,000 BTU and below deck in the cabins there is twice 12,000 BTU available.

You can regulate the temperature individually in each cabin. And you can control the audio anywhere, including on the front or rear deck. The remote controls for the on-board lighting are very practical. All lamps in the yacht are of course dimmable. On the aft deck there is a large L-shaped sofa with a beautiful, divisible triangular table with stainless steel cup holders. On the other side is a wet bar with the option to grill outside and have cold drinks within reach. It is very practical that you can moor the boat from the aft deck with the IPS joystick. You have the best view there and you can also grab a mooring line.

Through the teak-covered hatch on the aft deck you reach the engine compartment. It is so beautiful that they could have put a glass shutter on it. The 4600 has two Volvo-Penta 480 hp six-cylinder diesel engines with IPS 650 drives as standard. The tested boat contains two 600 hp eight-cylinders with IPS 800 drives. This means that with 600 hp diesels they achieve performance comparable to 800 hp engines. Because the forward-facing double counter-rotating thrusters engage in undisturbed, compact water. Rear-facing propellers always have to deal with loose water that has been pushed apart by the tailpiece. It's a bit like walking on wet sand instead of loose sand. So IPS drives consume less fuel, are quieter and allow you to accelerate faster.

The interior exudes top class and this is mainly due to the beautiful flame-processed burl walnut wood. All woodwork is high-gloss lacquered. That is quite risky, because you see every imperfection, but you will not find imperfections here. On the port side is a beautiful galley with Corian countertop, two electric burners, a sink, a combi oven and plenty of space to store kitchen utensils.

There is a double stainless steel refrigerator on the starboard side. Further forward is a nice place to dine in style on the U-shaped dinette with the folding wooden table. At the very front, a television is concealed invisibly under the windshield. To blind the room, roller blinds can be found on all glass surfaces.

On the port side in the steering position there are two fantastic Recaro helm seats. On the dashboard you can operate everything on two large Garmin screens and read the necessary information. The steering wheel is adjustable and the view all around is good at 320 degrees. Only the cupboard above the refrigerator somewhat obstructs the view to the rear. The camera system more than compensates for this.

Below deck is the VIP guest cabin at the front with a large French bed and plenty of cupboard space. On the port side is a compact cabin with a bunk bed for two people. You can also turn that space into an office. The beautiful owner's cabin is aft and runs across the entire width of the boat.

The owner's cabin has its own spacious wet room and it is special that vacuum toilets have been installed, just like in an airplane. They use less water and are easy to keep clean. In the owner's cabin you will find a relaxing sofa and plenty of cupboard space in addition to the king-size bed. There is a small drop in the ceiling above the bed, but there is plenty of room left.

Every Riviera is tested for four days before delivery, at full throttle for hours. We don't do that. We start sailing slowly. On the test day there is a lot of wind, but with the joystick you can keep the boat perfectly under control and maneuver smoothly. On the open water we can better test what this boat is intended for: sailing fast and safely to a place where you can enjoy the rest in peace. While the branches of the trees blow around us, we shoot relaxed over the water at a top speed of 31.7 knots (60 km/h). On this yacht you always have 100% control. Maneuvering is child's play, even in a storm we can put the boat back on the tight mooring spot without damage.

This Riviera 4600 is a sports yacht that excels in all aspects of sailing. That's because the broad outlines are correct, but all the details are also filled in perfectly. You will not find a better yacht in this size of 50 footers. The price is on request, but is well over one million euros. The price includes all conceivable options, VAT and delivered in the Netherlands. That is part of the extensive and excellent service for a top yacht from the mini superyacht category.