The main house, a single large space above the guest accommodations, carries the saloon and dining room, as well as a small bar, a game area, and a service galley. Aft is a covered open deck with dining and sitting areas, plus a day-head. Forward of the saloon and down a few steps is a ship's office and navigation area. An extensive flying bridge, a signature feature on many Perini Navi yachts, covers both the deckhouse and aft deck. It carries double helm benches forward, dinette tables and benches amidships, and a whirlpool spa and lounges aft.
Perhaps inspired by the Perini Navi Cup as well as the more recent Superyacht Cup, a new "racing line" of Perini yachts designed by Philippe Briand was born with the launch of P2, a 125-footer launched late in 2008. A sister is currently under construction.
Riela, the 46th yacht in the Perini Navi fleet, is now an older sister herself. An eighth yacht in the 184-foot series, Panthalassa, was launched a couple of months after my visit to Riela. When I heard about another sister going down the ways, it brought me back to that regatta more than half a decade ago. There were a few tattered sails, some lost battens, but not a single failure of rigging, fittings, or structure. At the Costa Smeralda awards dinner that evening, held beside the Mediterranean and beneath the stars, every participant, win or lose, took satisfaction in knowing they had been party to the start of something very special. Since that inaugural regatta, there have been two more Perini Navi Cups, and extreme conditions have again tested the fleet with equally satisfying results, a continuing testimony to the dedication and skills of the Perini Navi team.
Perini Navi, + 39 0584 4241; www.perininavi.it Perini Navi USA, (401) 683-5600
