Presented at this year’s Ferretti Group Private Preview, Riva’s new Sportfly flagship has a shark-grey hull, serious style and – as its name suggests – lightning speed.

A new Riva is always a welcome occasion and this year the 88’ Folgore – Italian for lightning – combines the sleekness and speed of a sport boat with the exquisitely finished exterior and interior spaces the brand is renowned for.

Among the new models showcased at this year’s Ferretti Group Private Preview in Monaco, the first unit of the Folgore has a shark-grey hull with bright black detailing, classic colours in the Riva tradition of recent years.

Built from composite materials, with carbon-fibre reinforcements in the superstructure, the Folgore features plenty of marble, crystal glass and stainless steel, yet still racks up 39 knots with the more powerful of its twin MTU 16V options.

Officina Italiana Design, headed by Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta, designs the entire Riva range and for this heir to the Domino, one of the brand’s top sellers, the firm has again collaborated with the Ferretti Group’s Product Strategy Committee, led by Piero Ferrari, and its Engineering Department.

The course set by Officina Italiana Design with the Dolceriva continues with the new design of the hull windows, which looks a bit like a clean black brushstroke along the yacht’s silver side.

Mahogany-and-steel detailing and carbon-fibre elements continue to show the influence of past and present on recent Rivas, while navigation lights framed in polished stainless steel or the continuous aquamarine waterline exemplify sophisticated functional design.

The walkway handrails are also carbon-fibre and steel, with a section on the starboard side that also acts as the handle for the access door to the interior. Making this boat even more unique is the innovative windscreen, manufactured with spherical crystals that result in a slight counter-curvature.

Another innovative feature is the glass roof in the superstructure, which swings open both towards the stern and the bow, to allow fresh air in either when cruising or at anchor. Under the roof is a slatted structure that separates the interior and exterior spaces if desired. The standard solution is a fixed roof.