One of Australia’s luxury motor yacht builders, Riviera, supported a grand fund-raising initiative for the mental health charity Gotcha4Life, taking part in a massive on-water festival held in Sydney’s northern waterways on March 7.
Forty-five Riviera motor yacht owners joined a fleet of 120 boats for the 2nd annual Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay Raft Up 4 Life 2026, a one-of-a-kind event created to raise a target of $100,000 this year.
Gotcha4Life is a not-for-profit foundation that delivers preventative mental fitness campaigns, workshops, programs and resources in schools, sports clubs, workplaces and communities across Australia.
The festival, held in the picturesque inlet of Refuge Bay in Sydney’s Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, is the Southern Hemisphere’s largest floating music festival. The concert lineup included DJ sets, Sirens of Sound with their high‑energy celebration of powerhouse women of rock and soul, country singer Darren Coggan, and the headline act Friday on My Mind.
As the Riviera yachts cruised into the bay on Friday morning, they were welcomed by the team from RMYC and Riviera’s dealership R Marine Sydney, who assisted them in rafting up in the giant circle.
To help get the celebrations underway, R Marine Sydney hosted a mobile cocktail service on Friday afternoon, delivering freshly shaken creations prepared by Red Mill Rum to all Riviera yachts. Setting the musical tone for the weekend, each cocktail delivery was accompanied by a musician who moved from yacht to yacht, bringing owners together ahead of the main festivities.
Nathan and Kim Kenny brought their Riviera yacht from Shellharbour, south of Sydney, for the event.
“It was hard to believe how well the Riviera team looked after all of us throughout the weekend,” said Nathan. “Talking with people on board Rivieras tied up on either side of us, we all had a great time. It may be a long voyage from our home, but we will be here again next year.”
Grahame and Cheryl Kelly began the weekend with cocktails on Friday afternoon and were delighted when fresh croissants were delivered directly to their yacht for Saturday breakfast.
Cheryl said: “It was wonderful being here and meeting so many people. It was so special to simply sit in a beautiful area like this and top it all off with some wonderful entertainment.
“Friday night was particularly beautiful with all the boats lit up.
“We were given some fantastic gifts from Riviera and R Marine Sydney, including fine Australian wines, Maggie Beer gourmet products, caps, towels and insulated cups. We felt very spoiled.”
Saturday’s music festival brought everyone to their feet as bands performed on a large pontoon moored at the centre of the circular raft‑up.
Dealer Principal at R Marine Sydney, Michael Joyce, said many Riviera families joined an informal mosh‑pit aboard tenders and paddleboards in front of the stage for the entertainment program and charity auction.
Michael and Melinda Moraza were particularly impressed by the magical setting of Refuge Bay combined with the high-energy entertainment.
“We thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie of sharing with other Riviera owners. A number of friends dropped in to join us during the day. A highlight for us was the music by Friday on My Mind,” said Michael. “We also appreciated the effort by Michael Joyce and his team at R Marine Sydney to make us feel so welcome.”
Ian and Marcelle Carr arrived at Refuge Bay aboard their new Riviera Sport Yacht.
Ian said: “On Friday night we hosted probably 30 or 40 Riviera people on board. We had a great time. I really enjoyed two of the special Riviera cocktails.”
Riviera Sports Motor Yacht owner Miles Fink especially enjoys the camaraderie of events such as the raft-up.
“You meet so many people, and you enjoy everybody’s company as we did over the weekend,” he said. “Over the past 30‑odd years of boating, we have made so many good friends out here on the water.”
Michael Joyce praised the Royal Motor Yacht Club team for their organisation and said he was proud that so many Riviera owners chose to contribute to the Gotcha4Life cause by joining the raft‑up.
“The logistics and planning for an event of this scale are significant, and I congratulate the whole team at RMYC Broken Bay on their efforts.
“It was fantastic to see our yacht owners involved in the auction during the event, and some even donated prizes to help raise additional funds,” he said. “Not even the rain could stop the fun, holding off until the evening just as the last set finished.”
www.rivieraaustralia.com
