Riva 96' Argo Super: what changes from the 90' Argo

The Riva 96' Argo Super, launched in La Spezia in July and shown at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2026, as reported by PressMare, is an evolution of the 90' Argo. She measures 28.79 metres overall with a maximum beam of 6.50 metres. The main changes concern the stern, the position of the day head and, as a result, the lower-deck layout.

The design is by Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta, founders of Officina Italiana Design, the studio that has drawn every Riva for the past thirty years on an exclusive basis, working with Ferretti Group’s Strategic Product Committee and Engineering Department. The hull has been stretched aft and the side glazing is new: it ends in the “knife” mark near the owner’s suite and lets more daylight into the interior. The first unit wears an Aluminium livery with Bright Black details.

The stern has been redrawn along the lines of Riva’s larger models, with new proportions for the beach area and the aft sections of the hull. A sunpad with grab rail and cup holders is built into the garage door; on the first unit the garage holds a 395 Sportjet tender and a personal watercraft. The central section of the swim platform lowers to launch and recover the tender. To starboard there is an electro-hydraulic bathing ladder, to port the passerelle.

The 20 sqm cockpit has a table with an automatic height-adjustment mechanism and sofas that slide electrically towards it at mealtimes. Lowered, the table becomes a coffee table; with an extra central cushion it combines with the sofas to form a sunpad. On the port side is the space for an optional third helm station, next to a standard fridge, while a locker to starboard can take a Seabob. The port side deck leads straight to the galley, so crew can work without crossing guest areas.

Forward, the lounge is arranged around a sofa that can take an optional hi-low table; lowered, it turns the whole area into a sunpad. The hatches of the two lockers behind the sofa have been redesigned for easier access. A sunshade with carbon supports is available, and a side passage links the foredeck to the flybridge.

The saloon has more than two metres of headroom and comes in two layouts, following the approach of the recent 102' Corsaro Super and 112' Dolcevita Super. The first unit has dining aft, around a rectangular marble-topped table for eight, and the lounge forward, with a light-fabric L-shaped sofa, a crystal coffee table and a cognac leather Flexform armchair. To starboard, a full-height unit in glossy wengé is followed by a lower one in a light wood. The side windows can be fitted with electric sliding openings on request. Glossy wengé alternates with matt light oak, alongside polished steel, marble, leather and mirrored surfaces.

The change with the widest effect on the rest of the boat is the day head. On the 90' Argo it was on the lower deck; it now sits on the main deck, to starboard, beyond the saloon. To make room, the starboard exterior stairway to the flybridge has been moved aft. The day head has a pedestal basin in light marble, a full-height vertical mirror and a window. Opposite, to port, is the 7 sqm galley, connected directly to the crew area on the lower deck.

The full-beam owner’s suite occupies the bow of the main deck and also has more than two metres of headroom. The side window, about three metres long, has been made taller so the sea is visible from the bed. To port the vanity desk is a floating shelf; to starboard a long daybed runs beneath the window. The headboard is upholstered in leather. The owner’s bathroom is on the level below: moving two bulkheads has widened the stairway down by 20 cm in total, and a skylight above the steps brings daylight in. The bathroom itself uses light marble, mirrored surfaces and a shower enclosed in glass.

With the day head gone, the lower deck has larger cabins. The standard layout has three guest cabins: a full-beam VIP aft, which the yard says is comparable in size and comfort to a second owner’s suite, and two doubles, one with twin beds that can be separated. The alternative is four cabins, as on the first unit: two doubles to starboard, and to port a twin aft and a cabin with separable beds forward, all en suite. The crew area is forward, reached from the galley, with two mirror-image double cabins with bunks for four, a dinette and two bathrooms.

The flybridge measures 43 sqm and is covered by a black hardtop with fixed glass panels. Aft, freestanding furniture can be arranged as needed. Amidships there is the bar unit to port and, to starboard, a dining table for eight with a glossy mahogany top. Forward, the exterior helm is to starboard, while to port a side passage leads directly to the forward lounge.

The raised interior wheelhouse is linked to the main deck and the flybridge by two short flights of steps. It comes with three 16-inch displays as standard, or four 19-inch displays as an option, as on the first unit, which is also fitted with Xenta joystick, steering and controls. A Starlink antenna can be installed. The flybridge helm closes electrically when not in use and has one 16-inch monitor, or two on request; the joystick is optional here too.

Sleipner Vector stabiliser fins are standard, with Seakeeper NG18 and NG10 gyro stabilisers available as options and fitted to the first unit. She also carries the Watchit Sense 360 collision-avoidance system, used exclusively by Ferretti Group, Xenta’s X-Aid manoeuvring assistance, a virtual anchor function and a stern thruster.

Two engine packages are offered. The standard one, chosen for the first unit, uses twin MTU 12V 2000 M96X rated at 2,000 mhp each, for a declared top speed of 26.5 knots and a cruising speed of 22.5 knots. The optional package has twin MTU 12V 2000 M96Z of 2,222 mhp each, for 28 knots top speed and 24 knots cruising.

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