The Riva 68' Diable is the sort of boat for someone who wants to make an entrance and steal the show in every port they visit.
With the biggest MAN engine option at 1,650hp, the Diable can hit 40 knots and cruise comfortably at 34 knots for about 250nm, but it also has a spacious, well-designed main deck and sleeping space below for 6 guests across three beautiful cabins. It’s a package for someone who wants style and proper performance in something just shy of 68ft. Let's take a closer look.
Riva 68' Diable
- LOA 20.67m
- Model Year 2021
- Cabins 3
- Max Speed 40 knots
- Status In Production
- Yacht Type Sportsboat
- Use Type Weekending
Review Video
You don't need me to tell you that the 68' Diable is drop-dead gorgeous, but actually, it's the detail that stays with you. The high-gloss timber practically gleams, and it’s not just surface-deep – it’s built up through multiple layers of lacquer, each one carefully polished before the next is applied, giving it that signature depth and clarity.
The thick stainless steel fittings aren’t for show – they’re solid, weighty, precision-engineered pieces that carry real substance. The leather upholstery, finished with Riva’s aquamarine piping, is beautifully stitched and carefully tensioned, which is the sort of work you usually see in custom car interiors. There’s no plastic switchgear here, no lightweight fittings, and no unfinished corners.
There's beauty in the engineering, too. The hydraulic swim platform lowers at the right angle by tilting to make tender launch and retrieval easier, and the teak steps deploy automatically. The hidden tender garage lifts in one controlled motion on a hydraulic ram with no clumsy stops.
The open sides of the hard top let the breeze roll through, but the shape is tuned to protect the helm when cruising on the plane. The one-piece laminated windshield, fully bonded to the superstructure, sits between the hardtop supports and also adds stiffness to the upper section. It's a glamorous, expensive boat, and it's beautifully put together.
Visually, the Diable is pure Riva - low, sleek lines and beautifully proportioned. Designed by Officina Italiana Design, the Diable has soft aquamarine accents, classic mahogany spines, and the unmistakable Riva profile. It’s a sports yacht with a playful edge; the name (French for Devil) hints at that, but the design carries all the quiet confidence of a boat shaped by heritage.
Most owners will go for the MAN 1,650hp engines, which give the Diable a top speed of around 40 knots. The deep-V hull has a fine entry to cut through chop and broad aft sections for stability and lift. Optional joystick controls, often paired with proportional thrusters, make tight marina work far less stressful, and optional station-keeping holds the boat on GPS position automatically – a real help in busy anchorages. A Seakeeper stabiliser is available too, cutting roll dramatically at anchor and making displacement-speed cruising much more comfortable.
The Riva 68' Diable will probably live most of its life as a day boat, but step inside and the interior is a real surprise. You’re not expecting this much space or this level of equipment on a boat like this.
The saloon is classic Riva - beautiful stainless steel details, rich high gloss timber, and mirrors that bounce the light around and hide some clever storage. One side conceals a full-height fridge, the other a full-height freezer. The galley’s properly kitted out with an oven, an induction hob, a sink, and good storage above and below. Opposite is the lower saloon - not a dining area, but a perfect place to chill out and get the aircon running when the day heats up.
On the port side, there’s a separate room that’s been left deliberately flexible. Set up here as a bench, but it could easily become a casual crash space, a study, or another cabin if you wanted it. There’s good headroom, a big window, and plenty of potential.
Owner's Cabin
Drop into the owner's cabin, set amidships on the 68' Diable, and it’s clear this is something special. The gloss woodwork wraps around the space, the bed is wide and well-proportioned, and there’s storage throughout with a run of lockers to starboard with polished stainless steel catches, and hanging space on the port side.
The detailing lifts this space - things like the surrounds that, on most boats, would be plastic. Here, it’s done properly - there’s a quiet step up in quality you can feel throughout. The bathroom is part of the cabin, with the toilet compartment closed off to one side and a separate shower opposite. The shower’s a good size too, with a rainfall head recessed into the ceiling and a separate handheld wand, and the sink sits centrally, tying the layout together. For a boat that will, amazingly, likely be used as a day boat, this is a remarkably polished space.
VIP Cabin
You're not going to forget in a hurry that you're on board a Riva. The door thresholds carry the Riva logo, as do the beautifully made door handles, which are just the sort of detail you expect from Riva.
The space itself is compact for a 21.3m (70ft) boat. Being right in the bow, the bed sits high with steps on both sides, but there’s some natural light from the hull window and a hatch overhead to help with ventilation. The metal repeaters (no plastic here) sit neatly by the bed to manage the blinds and lighting.
It’s the layers of material that lift this space with stainless steel, leather, reflective finishes, and even the bed stand has been wrapped and detailed properly.
The ensuite is a clean, private space. The sink and toilet are well tucked in, and the shower cubicle sits just around the corner. It’s a smartly finished cabin and beautifully built, but there’s no escaping the fact that it’s a little tight for this sector.
At the helm, the Simrad MFDs handle everything from navigation to radar to engine management, with a Böning screen alongside to monitor the boat’s systems. The helm seats can be dropped into a bolstered leaning position, or you can sit, depending on conditions.
Throttle controls for the twin MAN engines sit just where they should, and the boat runs with proportional bow and stern thrusters. That means you can feed in power smoothly - it’s not just a full-on or full-off setup, so you can precisely adjust the thrust depending on what you need. The wheel itself is classic Riva - leather-wrapped, polished stainless, with neat wood and carbon fibre accents across the dash. The switchgear is tactile and satisfying - no cheap rocker switches here.
Fixed seating sits to starboard, there’s storage tucked in behind the helm and navigator’s seats, and the dining table is beautifully finished in high-gloss wood. The seating on the port side is thick and comfortable, with enough room for a couple of director’s chairs opposite.
The windscreen and T-top are joined here as well, with air conditioning vents on both sides that keep things cool, which would be needed given how well-sheltered this area is.
The detailing - as ever - is the difference. The timber work is exceptional - glossy, warm and beautifully set against the white hull of the boat we reviewed. It’s an interesting contrast to the silver finish you often see from Riva, like on the Dolce Vita as a good example, but the white brings the wood to life in a lovely way. The stainless steel around the mooring gear is carefully polished and sits perfectly against the gloss timber.
The tender garage is integrated into the transom and sized for a 3.2m (10.5ft) tender. The deck space is equally well considered. There’s a sun pad aft that comfortably fits 3/4 people, and just ahead, a forward-facing bench to keep the cockpit connected.
On the port side, there’s a sink and a fridge tucked under a hatch, with a grill and extra cooling space opposite. The hardtop design is semi-enclosed with open sections at the sides to let the breeze roll through, but the bonded windscreen adds some good protection. There are four forward-facing seats and a generous central lounging area, all wrapped in signature Riva gloss timber. It's an epic warm weather arrangement.
Side Decks & Foredeck
Even the cleats on the Riva 68' Diable carry the brand’s logo - carefully etched into the top. That level of detail runs through the whole boat. The hardtop is beautifully designed, dipping inside the screen line to keep the profile low and the protection high. There’s a lot of gloss and high-shine surfaces, and while it’s not so big that crew is essential, the upkeep might easily justify an extra pair of hands.
The side decks are symmetrical and easy to move around, with good coverage from the hardtop when you’re moving along at 30 knots or more. At the bow, the focus shifts to simple comfort - a big sun pad and a sofa right forward. It’s not a dining space, but it's a great place to sit, take in the view, and enjoy a drink. There are cup holders and a Fusion stereo control up here, too, so everything is close to hand.
Engine room access is through a central cockpit hatch. Headroom is excellent down here - comfortably over 6ft (1.8m) at the base of the ladder. There’s a structural intrusion aft from the tender garage, but the area is fully insulated, which softens any edges as your head moves through and helps with sound suppression when underway.
Despite the size of the MAN engines, movement between them is good. Outboard access is tighter, but the key daily checkpoints are accessible. Along the centreline, the Seakeeper stabiliser is positioned aft with the water maker mounted just ahead. Headroom narrows quickly as you move aft towards the tender garage, but most maintenance will happen further forward in the space.
The arrangement is neat, logical, and tightly packaged. Fuel filters are right in front of you; the generator sits on the port side with its access panel fully accessible. Tender garages often compromise engine room space, but not so on the Riva 68'.
We weren't able to obtain current pricing for the 68' Diable from Riva, but suffice to say, there is always a bit of 'Riva tax' when it comes to the value of these things. It's an iconic brand, and you certainly pay for it, but as we've seen throughout this review, a lot of time, care and skill have gone into crafting this boat, and it duly feels very special. It's not just the pretty stuff, either; the engineering is really impressive too.
Owners can tailor the boat, too, from interior wood choices like wenge or oak, to exterior colour schemes, to cockpit configurations with extra refrigeration or a second dining table. Technical upgrades like a water-maker, passerelle, and AV packages can be added, but naturally, the costs stack up.
Of course, there is something special about owning a Riva, and though it seems a bit of a dry subject in a boat like this, it will hold its value like few others.
Our Verdict
You pay a serious premium to own a Riva, but when you walk the decks and see how it all comes together, it feels like money well spent. There’s no mistaking the special touch you get on board this boat.
But the real joy of a Riva isn’t just in how it’s built or how it goes; it will be in the time spent with it. This boat invites you to be involved in the details, in the upkeep, in the quiet pleasure of keeping those mirror finishes gleaming. It’s a boat you keep looking at, and one that rewards the time you put into it.
The YachtBuyer Score provides a clear, category-by-category assessment of how the yacht performs in the areas that matter most. In this review, the Riva 68' Diable receives an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
Reasons to Buy
- Styling
- Quality of fit and finish
- Depth of engineering
- Practical interior
Things to Consider
- Small VIP cabin
- A devil to keep clean
Looking to own a Riva 68' Diable ? Use YachtBuyer’s Market Watch to compare all new and used Riva 68' Diable Boats for sale worldwide. You can also order a new Riva 68' Diable , customized to your exact specifications, with options for engine choice and layout configuration. Alternatively, explore our global listings of new and used boats for sale and find your perfect boat today!
Rivals to Consider
The Sessa C68 is an adaptable one, which plays to owners who like to tweak things - you can choose three or four cabins, opt for different cockpit layouts, and really shape the boat to your taste. At 21.04m, it’s a fraction longer than the Diable but leans into a broader, less tightly drawn interior. Twin MAN 1,360hp diesels deliver a top speed of around 37 knots - quick, but a touch behind the Riva’s sharper pace. The Sessa isn’t trying to be as glamorous as the Diable - the finish is smart but a little more relaxed. This is the sort of boat where you could happily let sandy feet tread through the cockpit after a swim without fretting too much. It’s a sportscruiser with room to make it your own.
At 20.50m, the Sunseeker Predator 65 is roughly the same footprint as the Riva with a big sliding sunroof and wide-open aft deck. Powered by Volvo IPS-1200s or the punchier IPS-1350s, it tops out around 35 knots - slower than the Diable but with all the easy joystick handling that IPS brings. The Predator’s full-beam owner’s suite and generous cockpit feel made for sociable weekends, and the saloon’s connection to the aft deck is slick.
The Princess V65 is probably the most evenly balanced boat in this group. It doesn’t scream for attention, but it does just about everything well. At 19.34m, it’s the shortest, with a deep-V hull that gives an efficient, planted ride. With twin MAN V12s delivering 1,400hp a side, you’re looking at a comfortable cruising speed in the high twenties and a top end brushing 36-38 knots - so it’s right in the mix for pace. The V65 carries three cabins as standard, but you can squeeze in a fourth if needed.
The Pershing 7X is a proper rocket ship. Built with carbon fibre to keep the weight down, it’s armed with twin MAN V12s, each pushing out 1,800hp. Flat out, it’ll do 50 knots, and it’ll cruise at 42 knots, which is fast enough to turn the run to lunch into an event. At 21.11m long, it’s only a bit longer than the Diable, but the feel is completely different. Everything about the 7X is honed for speed - like the layout feels as if it’s there to serve the driver first and foremost. Three cabins, a slim saloon, and a Pershing helm where you sit low and the throttles feel close to hand.
Considering a new boat? Explore Riva's entire current range to find the model that best suits your needs, and compare it with alternatives from competitors to ensure you make the perfect choice.
Specifications
- Builder Riva
- Range Open
- Model 68' Diable
- Length Overall 20.67m
- Beam 5.29m
- Draft 1.78m
- Hull GRP
- Cabins 3
- Berths 6
- Yacht Type (Primary) Sportsboat
- Use Type (Primary) Weekending
- Cruising Speed
- Max Speed
- Fuel Capacity 3,800 Litres
- Fresh Water Capacity 600 Litres
- Engine Model 1x MAN V12-1650
- Engine max range (speed type) 250 (nm)
Riva 68' Diable Layout
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Main Deck
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Optional teak deck and cockpit table
![Main Deck Riva 68' Diable]()
The central section of the main deck can be enclosed with a canopy and climate controlled
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Lower Deck
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![Lower Deck Riva 68' Diable]()
The semi-submersed tender garage has space for a Williams 435
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