Owner's Club

The Northwest Riviera Rendezvous took place June 2011 at the Roche Harbor Marina and Resort on picturesque San Juan Island. (40) Proud Riviera owners from Canada and Washington State were in attendance. This record number of Rivieras can be contributed to the hard work of Van Isle Yachts and Emerald Pacific Yachts, but most importantly to the passion of the Riviera owners.

Wednesday the first Rivieras cruised into the harbor and by Friday all of the Rivieras had arrived from far and wide. The first of the festivities started with a round of golf and by Friday evening everyone was looking forward to the potluck dinner. This year large tents were placed on the lawn across the bay and were host to the various evening events. Some walked; some came by a small barge, but most came by dinghy to the tents with a large variety of appetizers, dinners, and desserts. The beautiful sunset was a nice bookend to the first full day.

Saturday kicked off with a round of Frisbee golf on an organized course a few of the island locals had put together. A dinghy scavenger hunt of sorts took place in the afternoon with prizes going to those who did well. The real festivities began with a “Casino Night”. A professional company brought in dealers and tables for poker, blackjack, craps, and roulette. Each person was given $3,000 dollars to start with (OK, it was play money). The tables were full and a friendly competitive spirit could be heard throughout, not to mention all of the smiles. Unbelievably, one player converted that $3,000 into $100,000. Of course, he said he would put it towards a new Riviera!!

It is important to note that during these festivities, good friends of Rob Scott of Emerald Pacific Yachts, Lance and Scott, were carefully preparing the main course for the BBQ dinner. The tender brisket with homemade BBQ sauce was the best. A local caterer provided the rest of the meal and in the end it was a great team effort.

Following more enthusiastic gambling, the evening ended with prizes and gifts being given to all of those in attendance (over 100 owners, family and guests). Riviera, Van Isle Yachts, Emerald Pacific Yachts, and several marine contractors provided great prizes and gifts.

Throughout the entire Riviera Rendezvous weekend the comradery was clearly evident by all of the smiles and laughter. New members to the Riviera family, Riviera 43 Open Flybridge IPS, and Riviera 5000 Sport, were warmly welcomed and prospective new Riviera owners were also invited to take part in the festivities.

Thanks to all of the coordination by Rob Scott, the Riviera factory, and many others, this year’s Rendezvous was a hit. Based on the responses following the Rendezvous, we are going to have to plan on hosting a new record number of Rivieras next year.

Until then, safe cruising.
Emerald Pacific Yachts