Introduced in 1966 to replace the Florida. Conceived for utility use and ease of maintenance, both for fishing and water skiing, it was typified by a large cockpit that could be walked round, protected by the bulwarks, around the engine cover and driving seat. The sides and transom were painted white for easy maintenance and the style winked at the USA fashion for ”utilities”. The design of the transom, also used for the Olympic, had the purpose of protecting the passengers from spray from the stern. The upholstery was turquoise and white and was also used to cover the dashboard.

It was launched with the slogan ”It’s the young people’s rocket”. The instruments were again SW/Chris-Craft. The cockpit was also equipped along its sides by a large mahogany grab rail with an elaborate front stay of chrome plated bronze incorporating the engine air intakes. In 1967 the hull was lengthened from # 125 and the bottom cross-sections changed from # 129. VDO instruments, but with pastel green faces, were fitted from # 162. # 239 of 1967 was the trial boat for the 1968 series with a definitive bottom (a ”V” of 10° at the transom and of 18° amidships). The starter button was protected by a rubber cap from # 612. It also had great success as a tender for large yachts. In 1972 it was replaced by the Rudy, of very similar design and slightly longer, but made of fibreglass.

The Rudy was introduced in 1972 as a version in fibreglass, a revamping of the Junior with the hull lengthened to 5.87m. a beam of 2.18 m. powered by a 180hp Riva engine. # 1 was built wholly in wood as a model, from # 2 it was in fibreglass but kept the cockpit sole boards in wood, from # 11 on they were in fibreglass too. Only the grab rail and the tray behind the driving seat were kept in mahogany to give an extra touch of elegance to the lines of the Rudy. This was to be a very successful boat because of its versatility.

It was ideal for the family thanks to the deep cockpit and the safety in moving about on board, but it was also suitable for fishing, water skiing and as a tender. Her gelcoat was two-tone, cream-coloured for the deck and light grey for the sides. Production lasted until 1983, in the more powerful version the Rudy Super, with orange hull sides.

The Florida was created by lengthening the design of Sebino, with decking of solid Honduras filleted with maple at the seams, with a two-part glass windscreen, with seats and side panels of padded green Vipla and a quilted green fabric sunbed. The instruments were American (S.W./Chris-Craft) with black faces. The side pockets were of chrome-plated brass netting. With the 1953 series the single piece windscreen starts (series production starts in the autumn prior to the year of reference). In 1955 the same modifications as mentioned for the Sebino were adopted (timbers at 16 cm, planking fastened with the aid of adhesives, new steering box, Phillips screws for the bottom and Monel shaft). The upholstery was now of leatherette and Saran with a green tartan pattern. With the 1957 series, the deck was of Honduras ply with maple fillets.

With the 1958 series, Riva was first in the world to use three layer diagonal planking for the hull sides shaped in a single piece. The windscreen was now panoramic of Visaterm glass. The 1959 series presented a new dashboard design that used new instruments (S.W./Chris-Craft) from # 288 of 1958, shaped wood side pockets and upholstery of yellow Vipla and black and white check Saran in place of the green tartan. The sunbed was of yellow Makò fabric. In 1960 the Florida was fitted with the new deep-centre wheel, already fitted to the other models and the fuel tank was now of stainless steel with a capacity of 100 litres instead of 90.

The text ”Florida” appeared on the dashboard instead of ”Riva Chris-Craft”. From 1960 Phillips screws were also used on all models for fixing the chrome plated deck fittings. In 1961, with the adoption of the new Chris-Craft V8 engine with power reduced from 185 Hp at 4000 rpm to 160 Hp at 3600, the gear lever was moved to the wheel. The electrical system was also changed from 6 volts to 12 volts. The hull bottom was slightly modified at the midship section to soften impact with the wave and the hull was lengthened by 9 cm. The transom was now made of three layer diagonal planking and was curved. An electric siren was now standard. In the 1963 model the rake of the bow was increased by 7 cm and the chrome plated cutwater was 25 cm longer.

Introduced in 1969 to replace the Super Florida, with the same design concept as the Junior (the type can be defined as ”multi-purpose”, called ”utility” in America). Thus a boat with many uses: as a tender or to take the whole family for an outing, for bathing or fishing, for water skiing or for hire. But a de-luxe boat. Created from a mature design, with refined details, it fought off the fibreglass competition with few modifications until 1979. The upholstery was turquoise and cream, with cream ribbing. The mahogany dashboard and VDO instruments underlined its continuity with the Super Florida. The windscreen and glass were of a new type starting from # 62. From # 147, in 1972, lever switches were fitted and the starter button was protected by a rubber cap. From # 150 the Olympic used the new type of VDO instruments, those designed for the fibreglass Rivas, and the simplified deep-centre wheel.

From # 194, the last of 1973, the upholstery was blue and cream Skai. From # 199 of 1974 there was a new design of sunbed and from # 205 there was wide-rib upholstery for cushions, backrests and side panels. The fuel filler cap was flush with the decking from # 240 of 1977. To conclude, the last versions of 1979 were fitted with new control levers and identification plates for the lever switches.

It was the boatyard’s top model for many years and even the Aquarama, born in 1962 using the same hull, as a replacement for the Open Tritone, was to have trouble despite its greater practicality in ousting the Tritone from the price list for several years. It was designed as a twin-engine, with name AQ, but the next four to be built had a single Scripps engine. The windscreen was two-part glass, the wheel had two spokes and the instruments were black SW/Chris-Craft. As with the other models, the windscreen soon became single piece without a frame.

From 1954 it was built with twin Chris-Craft engines coupled to Chris-O-Matic electrohydraulic controls. The windscreen became wrap-around with a chrome plated frame uniting four glass panes. A green canvas covering the passenger compartment could be fitted to it and to a removable frame, it was the hood in embryo. Wheels of various origin taken from car production, with two, three or four spokes, were fitted.

In 1955 the centre distance of the frames was reduced to 24 cm and adhesives were used for fixing the side planking. Steering box, propeller shafts, bearing bushes and hull screws were upgraded in common with the other models. Control instrumentation was enriched (electric rev. counter, petrol gauge and water temperature gauge).

The upholstery was of yellow vinyl surrounding checked Saran. Finally, in the 1956 series, an original two-spoke wheel produced by Reina was fitted, of heavy type and with the three little sailors in the centre. # 33, with the same hull as the Tritone, is Tritone Cadillac, a variant in production until 1960. The last one had a longer hull.

In 1957 the fore deck was enhanced by two hatches for ventilating the cabin. Jaeger instruments were used while awaiting the new ones from America. These had a black dial with white figures protected by a glass inset into a plastic rim chrome plated outside and black inside and with a slight curve against reflections. The deck was of ply from # 40, and the transom of three layer diagonal planking from # 44.

In 1958 the Tritone benefited from all the technical improvements made to production (new dashboard, instruments and wheel from # 88) with the exception of laminated sides. (The sides were to continue to be of carvel construction – solid planking glued to the timbers until 1964). Furthermore, there were two blowers, a fan was installed in the cabin and a locker created under the stern seat.

Experiments with a new resin to replace glue for fixing the planking to the sides were made on six examples. In view of the results, Aerodux resin was used from the 1959 series. The external modifications, similar to the Ariston ones, involved improvements to the hood and the hatch hinges, as well as installation of the new dashboard with the new instruments, the deep-centre wheel, the Plexiglas article tray, new fairleads and wooden side pockets. Starting from # 95 the upholstery was of zebra pattern with pastel green trimming. Inside, the air vent for the bow locker could now be opened.

In 1960 the Tritone had all the improvements common to the Ariston and Super Florida, also as a result of the use of engines with hydraulic gearboxes and 12 volt electrics. Thus the Chris-O-Matic controls also disappeared. All screws were now of Phillips type. The plastic covering the cockpit sole boards was more textured and the dashboard was enhanced with a cigarette lighter. The optional sunbed, which had been the same as the Ariston’s (94×140 cm) was enlarged (120×150 cm). Modifications were made to the aft deck of boats # 128, 129 and 130 to create a recessed sunbathing area.

15 examples, called the Open Tritone, were built up to 1962. # 127, on the other hand, saw the birth of the Super Tritone, with the hull lengthened to 8.25 m. Only one of these series, from 1962, was open. The 1961 series had new upholstery, still with pastel green trimmings but redesigned as a ”V” on the backrests and with ribbed ivory coloured insides. The dashboard control knobs were changed. The lines of the hull were modified at the stempost and the length was increased from 7.94 m to 8.02 m. Below decks the forepeak hatch was no longer of netting but of wood, with the fretwork of an anchor. The capacity of the Super’s fuel tanks was increased from 400 to 500 litres.

In 1962 the bow edge was narrowed starting from # 169. Icebox and ladder became standard. There were improvements below deck in 1963 (step and bunk 7 cm wider), soundproofing of the engine bay and new exhaust silencers. The cutwater was 40 cm longer. Moreover, in the super, the roof of the fore cabin was padded and aesthetic modifications similar to those of the Aquarama were made: Honduras dashboard and profiled lip above, as well as part of the deck, between windscreen and dashboard, of plain mahogany without inlay. The anchor and winch in the bow, raised boards on the edge of the foredeck and a bow cap of new design, forming two air intakes with a single central fairlead completed the introduction of the Aquarama characteristics in the prow of the last Super Tritone.

In 1964 the hull of the Tritone, still identical to that of the Aquarama, was lengthened by 1 cm and the ”V” of the bottom was accentuated in correspondence with the midship section, which became deeper. From # 223 laminated sides and VDO instruments, screws, upholstery and internal sides followed the updates of the other models but the dashboard remained of Formica. From # 239 the ”V” of the bottom was further deepened. The Tritones of 1965 and 1966 were end of production completions and some of them, at customer request, were finished in Aquarama style.

The Special series started with # 503 in 1972, implementing a proposal made by Arch. Barilani in 1968 intended to modify the Aquarama’s stern, making it more practical. The hull was lengthened with a more raked transom that incorporated both the bathing steps and a convenient bathing platform, anticipating a solution that is now used universally. The mahogany dashboard was enriched by eight VDO instruments, those redesigned in 1970 for the Riva-Bertrams. They had a black face without a chromed centre and a reflection-proof rim. The central instruments, three on the Aquarama’s dashboard, now became two.

The Aquarama wheel was used in the first examples, quickly replaced by a similar, simplified one with a stainless steel plug engraved with ”Riva” in the centre. Lever switches with a rubber cap replaced the push-pull ones. The stern light was changed from # 556 of 1973. The cabin ceiling was fully upholstered from # 593 of 1974. The dashboard was changed in 1977, starting from # 666: a new wheel of Momo manufacture designed by Barilani for the Riva-Bertrams, here with the white rim. New instruments with a grey face, with a total of ten dials and with two in the centre of the dashboard. The siren was replaced by an electric horn and the running lights, now fixed to the windscreen, were of Olympic type. The fuel filler caps were flush with the decking. From # 686 of 1978 the mooring bitts were of Super America type no longer torpedo-shaped and a counter was eliminated. Handles were fitted at stern as standard from # 696. The throttles were changed in 1979 and the switches were fitted with identification plates.

The last series had a total of five combined instruments of new design and a single instrument in the centre of the dashboard in place of the previous two.