Riviera Owners Rejoice in the Regular Return of Roche Harbor Rendezvous
A Hawaiian-themed weekend full of cocktail hours, pickleball, golf and a classy and competitive pot luck dinner rounded out the entertainment at the 2023 Riviera Roche Harbor Rendezvous, all wonderfully orchestrated by Emerald Pacific Yachts.
The historic seaside resort of Roche Harbor is located on San Juan Island, Washington.
A gleaming fleet of 42 luxury Riviera motor yachts and some 155 guests turned out for the annual Roche Harbor Rendezvous in the pristine Pacific waters of the San Juan Islands, US, hosted by Emerald Pacific Yachts. Even a dash of overcast weather couldn’t keep people’s spirits from shining brightly during the Hawaiian-themed weekend in June last year.
Recently joining the Riviera family were Curt and Robin Pryde, who said they loved the social event and also the chance to meet Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst and his family.
The Prydes acquired their 505 SUV, Amanti Mare, last year and the summer of ’23 was their first full season aboard. “It’s great to meet the Riviera family and learn about what people have done on their boats. I really enjoyed hearing people’s stories about where they’ve travelled to and marinas they’ve stayed in – it’s been great travel advice and we’ve used it. Owning a Riviera is a really nice way to enter the boating world,” says Robin. “I enjoyed a delightful balance of meeting new people and getting to know this new Riviera family, but also the valuable information gathering and the series of educational seminars, including with the owner, Rodney,” says Robin.
The weekend’s entertainment included informative talks, pickle ball, golf and of course sensational cocktails and meals!
Husband Curt agrees: “Rodney was really interested in what we owners are looking for and what support we’d like for a better and safer boating experience. Since then, our local dealer [Emerald Pacific Yachts] has implemented a new 24-hour help line with hired techs who are on call to address owner questions when needed. That’s a real positive in my mind because Riviera and their dealerships actually want to support their customers and make the after-service experience excellent,” says Curt. “Riviera and their dealerships care about long-term relationships; that comes through loud and clear.”
Cocktail hours, pickleball and classy and competitive pot luck dinners rounded out the weekend’s entertainment, all wonderfully organised by Emerald Pacific Yachts.
“It was ironic that it rained for the Hawaiian-themed weekend, but we had a lot of fun at the luau on Saturday night with hula dancing, great music and so many people got into it,” says Robin. “Plus, mimosas and donuts on a Saturday morning is always fun!”
Long-time Riviera owner Tim Nemeth’s three-year absence from the San Juan Island’s Rendezvous made his ’23 return so much sweeter. “When I got there, I realised just how much I’d missed it and how much we enjoy getting together with other Riviera owners,” says Tim. “It was our first time back after Covid restrictions and we’d missed the ’22 Rendezvous so it was wonderful to be back.”
Tim and his wife Michelle have been Riviera supporters for nearly 20 years and currently own a luxury 6000 Sport Yacht. As always, the relaxing time of socialising was punctuated with organised activities for the energetic. In addition to pickleball, golf and cornhole made their traditional appearance at the Rendezvous. “Michelle and I did get involved with the cornhole tournament … actually, we took first place. We ended up beating Rodney’s sons by one point. They were really good and competitive and we’re not regular players, so we just got really lucky, though we played as hard as we could.
The chance to reconnect with old friends and meet new is what inspires so many Riviera owners to attend the Rendezvous.
“It was great to catch up with friends we know and meet new faces and the weekend was fun! It’s also beautiful the way the Rivieras are all lined up at the dock and you can walk by and see them all and say ‘hi’ to everyone. It’s a great bonding time.”
The 2024 Roche Harbor Riviera Rendezvous dates have been set for June 7-9 and, this year, Emerald Pacific Yachts said they were expecting the largest attendance and number of Rivieras. This will also be the first year a catered sit-down dinner will take place in the Roche Harbor Pavilion. Of course, all of the other fun events will take place plus a few new ones!
