Riviera academy advances technician training

Riviera Service Training Seminar © Riviera Australia

Australia's luxury motor yacht builder Riviera has hosted its annual three-day Technician Training Academy for Australia and New Zealand service teams drawing 30 representatives from the company's dealership network in the region.

This intensive academy is part of Riviera's commitment to the care of their motor yacht owners ensuring that technicians from Riviera's global dealership network remain current with the latest advances, processes and technical knowledge required to support their world-class motor yachts.

A further academy will be held later this year for technicians from Riviera's international dealerships.

Riviera's Head of Customer Support Peter Wheeler said the academy was a significant commitment by the company and for their dealership teams as they take time away from their day-to-day roles of supporting motor yacht owners to advance their knowledge of the latest premium systems and equipment aboard todays Riviera yachts.

The three-day academy syllabus covered more than 15 separate training subjects as well as a number of practical and hands-on workshops covering motor yacht maintenance and repairs.

The academy also brought many technical experts together from Riviera suppliers including Twin Disc, Czone, BEP, Mastervolt as well as Seakeeper and Humphree stabilisers.

Tim Cowen attended the academy representing R Marine South Australia.

"I was particularly impressed by Riviera's Electrical Design manager Matt Weetman's presentations regarding power management, remote monitoring, electrolysis protection and the configuration of the Czone digital switching system," said Tim. "There is a great deal of knowledge within Riviera, and these sessions have really helped to grow the knowledge of all of our dealerships."

Ben Piggott from R Marine Sydney brought a team from the dealership to the conference.

"The immersive environment allowed us to have conversations with the many Riviera factory experts as well as suppliers," he said. "I was particularly interested to learn more about the Humphree trim and stabilization systems that are now utilised on many of our yachts.

"The hands-on sessions were held on-site at the Riviera Academy of Excellence and were particularly helpful. We learned a number of new skills relating to timber, varnish, infusion and Corian repairs and techniques, that we can now harness to maintain our owners' yachts in peak condition.

"We brought one of our apprentices to the conference and he was very inspired by the level of expertise that was available to the dealer network. As well as the comprehensive information sessions, he really appreciated meeting and talking with technicians from as far away as New Zealand and Western Australia. We don't often have the chance to spend time with each other, and this was a great opportunity to share and learn from our combined experience."

Jack Jones from R Marine Jones on Queensland's Gold Coast said the conference gave his team an important opportunity to learn how new products are being developed and how Riviera adopts and integrates new systems.

"It's impressive to see how well the craftspeople building Riviera motor yachts interact with one another across the many stages of a build," he said.

The academy focused on information sharing and skills development together with team building. As so many Riviera yachts travel the length and breadth of the Australian coastline having the R Marine network providing service coverage and support around Australia and across the Tasman is integral to owner enjoyment. Riviera created several events as part of the academy including a celebratory dinner in the newly opened Riviera Yacht Club, a private venue exclusive for owners located on the waterfront at the company's Gold Coast facility.

Tim Cowen enjoyed the official celebration dinner.

"It gave us all the chance to meet the team from across the network in a relaxed environment," he said.

Ben Piggott said his team appreciated the address delivered during the dinner by Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst.

"Rodney re-affirmed his total commitment to excellence in every aspect of Riviera, from design to manufacturing to ongoing owner care," said Ben. "Our apprentice was particularly impressed by Rodney's passion and his values."