Carlo Riva's birthday ushers in a long period of important anniversaries for the Riva brand

Sarnico, 24th February 2012 – Everything is ready in Sarnico to celebrate Carlo Riva, the globally renowned and esteemed entrepreneur whose unique ingenuity has left an indelible mark in the history of pleasure boating and who, over the years, was capable of turning the Riva brand and the Sarnico boatyard (which have been part of the Ferretti Group since the year 2000) into a reference for the entire Italian and global boating sector.

I have always cruised towards Riva as one would cruise towards a longed-for horizon, and I have always considered Carlo Riva as a master a owe a lot to, from both a professional and a personal standpoint. This is why I am delighted to be able to give him my best wishes for this extraordinary moment in his outstanding life - says Ferretti Group’s Chairman Norberto Ferretti.

Carlo Riva was born in 1922, he is an engineer and was appointed “Pionere della Nautica” by UCINA (the Italian Marine Industry Association) in 1988 and “Personnalité de la Mer” by Albert II of Monaco in 2005; tomorrow, on 24th February, he will blow out 90 candles.

Born into a family of boat builders, he had an immense passion for boats and boat building since his early years and was then the Master who, in the 1950s, turned this brand into a synonym of style, status and perfection, also thanks to models like Ariston and Tritone, Sebino and Florida, all the way to Aquarama, which was launched in 1962. All crafts which have made Riva a symbol of Made in Italy creations all over the world and were the object of desire for noble people, actors, sports champions, businessmen and celebrities. Among them, it is enought to mention Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Liz Taylor, Sean Connery and Jean Paul Belmondo, Richard Burton and Jackie Stewart. But there were also royalties, princes and sheikhs from all over the world.

The motor boat Aquarama, whose 50th anniversary is being celebrated this year, embodied the triumph of Carlo Riva’s production philosophy, becoming the symbol of the shipyard and of the Riva brand everywhere in the world.

However, celebrations will not end with Carlo Riva's birthday and the anniversary of his legendary Aquarama: these important occasions will indeed usher in a long series of events that will unravel throughout the year and will culminate in the celebrations, in June, of the brand’s 170th anniversary.

On that occasion, a special website will be created, featuring in-depth, interesting information about the 170 fantastic years of this business adventure, characterised by inexhaustible passion for innovation, design, and the constant improvement of the boats' quality and safety, all aspects which have turned Riva into a true icon in the world of luxury and international boating.