the optional three-stateroom layout: an owner’s en
suite amidships and to starboard, with a transverse
double berth, plus an en suite VIP forward in the bow
and a portside twin-bunk guest stateroom. ¶ The
standard layout substitutes a crew cabin for the latter
that’s accessed via the cockpit. For me, crew quarters
on a model like this seems incongruous, but I fully
appreciate that some may well see the world the other
way up. ¶ Riva décors are always magnifi cent. My test
56 had what I deem to be the Riva signature: striped,
grain-matched mahogany throughout, glossed to a
fathomless shine. Riva-specifi c details include highly
polished stainless steel everywhere, along with rich
lacquers, stitched leathers, Venetian blinds, cool-tone
carpeting and mirrors aplenty. Many surfaces let the
natural light bounce around, and every stateroom
door handle and tread has an engraved Riva logo.PERFORMANCE
Rivas always perform well and handle beautifully. If
there is any discernible elevation between the new
56 and the old 53, it’s probably sound and vibration
attenuation. Riva’s engineers have moved things
forward on that score. ¶ The standard powertrain
for the 56 Rivale is twin 1,000 hp MAN V-8s, which
the builder says provide a top speed around 35knots
and a 31-knot fast cruise. My test boat had the op-
tional 1,200 hp MAN V-8s and hit 37 knots with a
33-knot fast cruise. She achieved those speeds at
two-thirds load, with some 400 gallons of fuel and
about 85 gallons of water, plus fi ve people, aboard.
¶ Depending on engine options and allowing for a
10 percent reserve, the 56 Rivale’s range with my test
yacht’s bigger V-8s would be around 200 nautical
miles. Owners could add another 50 nm or so aboard
a Rivale with the standard MANs. ¶ Handling is
crisp, and I particularly liked the progressive steering.
My test yacht also had several options that I would
categorize as essentials, namely a Seakeeper 5, a
gyrostabilizer that packs a lot of resistive punch.
Additionally, this 56 had the super-tropical air con-
ditioning, white underwater lights, and an electric
Side-Power stern thruster to match the standard-fi t
one at the bow — all of which make boating easier and
more comfortable, especially for novices and anyone
prone to seasickness. ¶ The word rivale translates
from Italian to English as rival, which is ironic, given
the fact that I’ve been testing yachts for almost 30
years now, and haven’t found many rivals for Rivas.
58 YACHTING MARCH 2018LOA
56'8"
MAX
BEAM
15'7"