Riva Launches 20th 102′ Corsaro Super for Charles Leclerc
Riva has marked another significant moment in the model’s young history, launching the 20th Riva 102′ Corsaro Super at its La Spezia shipyard on 7 May 2026. The yacht has been delivered to Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc, who already owns a Riva 82′ Diva and has chosen the brand once more for his next chapter on the water.
The ceremony, held in front of the shipyard’s employees, carried the quiet confidence that has come to define Riva’s contemporary launches. Elegant rather than loud, the new 102′ Corsaro Super reflects the modern Riva formula: sculptural Italian design, serious onboard comfort, and a carefully controlled sense of glamour.
A milestone launch for the Riva 102′ Corsaro Super
Reaching the twentieth hull is no small thing for a model in this segment. The 102′ Corsaro Super is the modern-day evolution of the 100′ Corsaro, one of the most admired Riva flybridge yachts of recent years, and the steady accumulation of orders speaks to a model that has found its audience.
La Spezia, the production centre dedicated to Riva yachts from 76 to 130 feet, is where the brand’s larger fibreglass craft come together. This twentieth example reinforces the shipyard’s role within the wider Riva ecosystem and confirms the Corsaro Super as a quiet bestseller within the family.
The design is the work of one of the more disciplined creative partnerships in Italian yachting: Officina Italiana Design, the Ferretti Group Strategic Product Committee chaired by Piero Ferrari, and the Ferretti Group Engineering Department. Officina Italiana Design, founded by Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta, has been the exclusive design studio behind every Riva model for more than three decades.
The result is a sleek, dynamic silhouette, defined by expansive glazed surfaces and a near-seamless visual flow between interiors and exteriors. The brief, in essence, was to amplify space, light, and proximity to the water.
“Charles’s passion for Riva, which is of course reciprocal, is a testament to quality and beauty that we welcome with boundless joy,” Ferretti Group chief executive Alberto Galassi noted at the ceremony, paying tribute both to the owner and to the model itself.
Charles Leclerc’s personalised approach
Leclerc’s second Riva is also a study in restrained personal taste. The Monegasque driver has worked closely with the shipyard to specify a yacht that reads as bespoke without straying from the model’s editorial discipline.
On the exterior, he has selected furniture and furnishings by Minotti, valued for the balance they strike between contemporary form and considered comfort. Decorative cushions by Jim Thompson layer in colour and texture without disrupting the overall mood.
The flybridge has been built around a fully equipped custom bar, fitted with an oversized grill, an induction hob, two fridges, and an ice maker. It is, in practical terms, an open-air galley, conceived for long lunches and longer evenings.
Aft, the beach club spans more than 35 square metres. It has been designed for versatility, with direct water access and an inflatable platform for tenders and toys, complete with swim ladder and a customised hauling ramp.
Interiors shaped to taste
Below decks, the contemporary mood continues. Poliform has supplied much of the interior furniture, while smaller details, such as the door handles, have been chosen personally by Leclerc. Bang & Olufsen audio and video systems in the main lounge and master suite anchor an immersive sense of cinema, though the overall atmosphere remains residential rather than theatrical.
The master bathroom is the quiet showpiece. Polished Calacatta Vagli Oro marble brings a sculptural quality to the space, while the other bathrooms and surfaces are finished in Corian Calacatta Greige, a more contemporary material chosen to harmonise with the yacht’s broader palette.
Bed linen, bath towels, beach towels, duvets, and mattress toppers across the master and guest cabins are by Frette. The social and dining areas are dressed with Christofle tableware. None of this is incidental. Together, these references form the kind of editorial layer that distinguishes a genuinely personalised Riva from a well-equipped one.
Design, comfort and connection with the water
The brief for the Corsaro Super has always been about contact with the sea. The expansive glazing, the continuity between deck and saloon, and the generous aft platform all serve the same idea: a flybridge yacht that draws guests outward rather than insulating them indoors.
The sporty profile remains true to the model that came before it, while the proportions have been refined for a more modern silhouette. It is a quietly evolved design, more concerned with conviction than reinvention.
Performance and cruising technology
Beneath the design language sits a serious cruising package. The Corsaro Super is fitted with twin MTU 16V 2000 M96L engines, each rated at 2,638 HP and compliant with EPA Tier III standards. Cruising speed is 24 knots, with a top speed of 28 knots.
Stability has been treated with similar care. Hydrotab Interceptor trim tabs and Sleipner Vector Fins are paired with Seakeeper gyroscopic stabilisers, the combination reducing roll meaningfully both at anchor and underway. It is the kind of specification that makes longer Mediterranean passages feel less like an event and more like an ordinary part of the season.
Riva heritage and Ferretti Group context
Few yachting marques carry the cultural weight of Riva. Founded in 1842 on the shores of Lake Iseo, the brand built its reputation on the wooden runabouts of the post-war era, the Aquarama foremost among them, which became fixtures of the European jet set.
Since joining Ferretti Group in 2000, Riva has broadened its range without diluting its identity, moving from polished mahogany to fibreglass flybridges and, most recently, to full-custom steel and aluminium superyachts of up to 90 metres. The brand operates three production sites: the historic Sarnico shipyard for smaller yachts, La Spezia for the 76 to 130-foot range, and the Ancona-based Riva Superyachts Division for the largest hulls.
Within Ferretti Group’s wider portfolio of luxury brands, Riva remains the most culturally resonant. A second commission from an owner of Leclerc’s profile is unlikely to change that.
FAQ
Who owns the 20th Riva 102′ Corsaro Super?
The 20th Riva 102′ Corsaro Super belongs to Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc, who already owned a Riva 82′ Diva before commissioning this latest yacht.
Where and when was the Riva 102′ Corsaro Super launched?
The yacht was launched on 7 May 2026 at Riva’s La Spezia shipyard, the Ferretti Group production centre dedicated to Riva yachts from 76 to 130 feet.
What is the top speed of the Riva 102′ Corsaro Super?
Fitted with twin MTU 16V 2000 M96L engines rated at 2,638 HP each, the Riva 102′ Corsaro Super cruises at 24 knots and reaches a top speed of 28 knots.
Who designed the Riva 102′ Corsaro Super?
The yacht is the result of collaboration between Officina Italiana Design, founded by Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta, the Ferretti Group Strategic Product Committee led by Piero Ferrari, and the Ferretti Group Engineering Department.
