By Klara Braga Jakobsen, Yacht Reviewer
Updated October 2026.
Choose a Riva for a newer, more polished yacht, and a Pershing for raw speed at a lower price. In our Italy catalogue, a typical high-season week is about €67,500 on a Riva and about €52,000 on a Pershing.
Both belong to the Ferretti Group and both build fast yachts of 70 to 99 feet for eight guests. The typical Riva in that range in our catalogue was built in 2018, the typical Pershing in 2008, and that age gap is most of the price gap.
How do Riva and Pershing compare at a glance?
| Riva | Pershing | |
|---|---|---|
| Builder | Riva, founded at Sarnico on Lake Iseo in 1842 | Pershing, built at Mondolfo on the Adriatic |
| Group | Ferretti Group | Ferretti Group |
| Yachts in our Italy catalogue | 34 | 22 |
| Typical high-season week | €67,500 | €52,000 |
| Typical 70 to 99 footer | 85 ft, built 2018, €57,000 | 79 ft, built 2008, €49,000 |
| Speed | Cruise at 18 to 25 knots | Many top 40 knots |
| Largest in our catalogue | 177 ft superyacht | Mostly under 100 ft |
Figures are high-season weekly rates across the yachts in our catalogue that cruise Italy, October 2026, before APA and VAT.
What is the difference between a Riva and a Pershing on board?
A Riva is about design, with sleek lines, polished detail and a choice of open, sport-flybridge and full superyacht models. Almost half the Rivas of 70 to 99 feet in our catalogue were built in 2020 or later.
A Pershing is about speed: long, low open yachts with the helm and sun deck on one level. The trade-off is less interior volume than a flybridge yacht of the same length.
Which is faster, a Riva or a Pershing?
What are the pros and cons of Riva and Pershing?
| Choose it for | Think twice if | |
|---|---|---|
| Riva | Style and a young fleet; sport flybridges with more space; sizes up to superyachts | You want the lowest price for a fast yacht |
| Pershing | Top speed and a lower typical week; day trips to Corsica or Ponza | You want a new yacht or a lot of interior space |
Which should you choose for Sardinia or the Riviera?
The two Pershings we profile are based on the Costa Smeralda, so a Pershing is the natural pick for a fast week in northern Sardinia and Corsica. Most of the Rivas we profile start from Cannes, Antibes or Monaco, so a Riva suits a Riviera week that crosses into Italy.
Our full Riva guide and Pershing guide list every yacht we profile, and the Italian yacht builders compared page sets all ten Italian yards side by side.
People also ask
Is Riva or Pershing cheaper to charter in Italy?
Pershing, on the typical week: about €52,000 against €67,500 in high season. Most of the difference is age, since the typical Riva in our catalogue is ten years newer.
Are Riva and Pershing the same company?
They belong to the same owner, the Ferretti Group, which also owns Ferretti, CRN and Custom Line.
Which is faster, Riva or Pershing?
Pershing. Many Pershings top 40 knots; TINE IV lists 49. Rivas of the same size cruise at 18 to 25 knots.
How many guests do Riva and Pershing yachts take?
Eight on most of both, in four cabins, with two to five crew depending on size.
Do these prices include APA and VAT?
No. Add about 30% for the APA and VAT on the charter fee: 22% for a week that starts in Italy, 20% in France.
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