Australian luxury motor yacht builder Riviera, has announced their Australasian Dealer Awards at the recent Dealer Principals meeting held on the Gold Coast.
Celebrating excellence within the Riviera Australasian dealership network. From left Peter Welch – Riviera, Michael Joyce – R Marine Sydney, Ben Leigh-Smith – R Marine Crawley, Rodney Longhurst – Riviera, Ben Crawley and Travis Edney – R Marine Crawley, Ryan Lloyd – R Marine Perth and Peter Wheeler – Riviera.
Riviera Australia owner Rodney Longhurst praised the efforts of the company’s Australasian dealer network and the award winners on behalf of the Riviera team and the Riviera family of yacht owners.
“These awards honour our dealerships who consistently strive to deliver excellence in customer care, service, training, events, sales and the teams who are always seeking to create the ultimate boating experience for our owners,” he said.
“Delivering excellence requires a team with unique skills all working together to create a culture that is always endeavouring to be outstanding.
“We truly appreciate the commitment and dedication of our Australasian dealership network and we thank them all for their commitment to the Riviera family.”
Riviera Dealer of the Year – R Marine Crawley
Based at Runaway Bay on Queensland’s Gold Coast, R Marine Crawley has been honoured at the company’s 2025 Dealership Awards, being presented with five of seven awards including Dealer of the Year.
Accepting the Riviera Dealer of the Year, Service Excellence, Sales Excellence and Event Excellence awards for 2025, from the left, Ben Crawley, Rodney Longhurst and Travis Edney.
Announcing that R Marine Crawley had received this distinguished award, Riviera Australia owner Rodney Longhurst said the team had demonstrated that they fully understood that customer care was never ending.
“The investment that the Crawley team has made in their service and customer facilities, their team and events is significant. They have backed themselves to create something special.”
The Team from R Marine Crawley created a series of special boating events for the Riviera family throughout 2025 that ranged from boating education and training to weekend escapes to long-range adventures to the Whitsundays and Sydney.
Accepting the award, Dealership Owner Ben Crawley said: “I was brought up boating on Riviera yachts and everything we do is focused on the boat owner’s needs and experience. Over the years our team and I have made some fantastic friends with our owners and it’s a pleasure and real fun!
“I am very proud of the team we have built over the years, and this recognition has taken dedication and time by every person.
“We’ve taken our cue from Rodney, seeing the passion for Riviera he demonstrates every day.”
Ben Leigh-Smith (left) accepts the Sales Excellence by an Individual award from Rodney Longhurst.
The 2025 Dealer Awards covered every aspect of dealership achievement and commitment, from service to sales, owner training and customer events.
Travis Edney, Dealer Principal accepted the awards both for Service Excellence and Sales Excellence by a Dealership on behalf of the team at R Marine Crawley.
“Every day as a team we look to how we can improve,” he said. “We put a great deal of effort into our customer satisfaction, and we invest significantly to support our owners and provide the best service we possibly can.”
Commenting on the Sales Excellence award, he said the dealership’s success was based upon service.
“Much of our sales success is based on the time we take in ensuring a customer is comfortable with their new motor yacht. The majority of our sales come from current Riviera owners and from word-of-mouth and referrals which says a lot about the reputation we have been able to develop among our owners.”
Ben Leigh-Smith reinforced that comment as he accepted the award for Sales Excellence by an Individual.
“It is all about real relationships,” he said. “I am always in touch with people and am so humbled when they let me into their lives beyond boating.
“My task is to ensure we do the right thing by our customers.”
R Marine Crawley were also awarded the Event Excellence by a Dealership award.
“We offer our customers a range of events throughout the year,” said Ben Crawley.
“Events for our owners to enjoy one another’s company and enjoy their boating with us whether it is a weekend away or a multi-day cruise closer to home or further afield to Sydney or the Whitsundays. We try to create an inclusive atmosphere, from beach barbecues and bring-a-plate meals to tender runs. Each event is an opportunity for owners to learn more about their Riviera and for us to teach or assist them where necessary. We also have our own app giving each owner a personalised login where they can connect with us or download photos from our events.”
Service Excellence by an Individual – Ben Piggot from R Marine Sydney
The Service Excellence by an Individual Award was presented to R Marine Sydney representative Ben Piggot. In receiving this award, Ben praised their “great team”.
“Our owners have a considerable investment in their yachts,” he said. “It is our team’s responsibility to ensure our owners receive the maximum enjoyment they can from their yacht. I focus on being quick to respond to any queries or issues they may have. Communication is the key I believe to quality service.”
Michael Joyce (left) from R Marine Sydney accepts the award from Rodney Longhurst for Service Excellence by an Individual on behalf of Ben Piggot.
Owner Training Excellence by a Dealership – R Marine Perth
R Marine Perth were presented with the award for Owner Training Excellence. Accepting the award, Sales Manager Ryan Lloyd said: “Our focus is on helping our customers to feel comfortable and confident aboard their yachts. We try to make the experience both social and educational.
“We strive to make our owner training environment one where we share the passion and enjoyment for boating.”
Ryan Lloyd (left) from R Marine Perth accepts the award for Owner Training Excellence by a Dealership from Rodney Longhurst.
The global Riviera dealership network
The Riviera dealer network has a commanding global reach with over 55 locations spanning every continent. This network of specialists, offer the exceptional line of Riviera luxury motor yachts from 39 to 78 feet with six individual model design collections. The network provides customer care for more than 6,200 yacht owners around the world. Service, maintenance, extended warranty support, genuine parts, accessories and a dedicated focus on social, boating education, training and cruising events have created a dedicated global family of yacht owners.
For more information visit www.rivieraaustralia.com
