Friendship shines at Ned and Lorrie's Riviera Rendezvous
by Riviera Australia 15 Feb 2022 11:21 PST
Friendship shines at Ned and Lorrie's Riviera Rendezvous © Riviera Australia
After an extended hiatus for major events, Maryland's Riviera family rallied later in 2021 to reunite for a social weekend in the 'heart and soul' of the Chesapeake Bay, the quaint historic town of St Michaels on the east coast of the US.
Greg and Christine Hill on their 4800 Sport Yacht Contrails were delighted to visit St Michaels in early autumn to enjoy its one-of-a-kind shopping and exceptional dining with their Riviera friends. The event was hosted by Ned and Lorrie Dozier, of Riviera's representative OneWater Yacht Group at Maryland.
"It's a fabulous little town and Ned and Lorrie are wonderful hosts, so it was a lot of fun. The harbour is beautiful and it was really impressive to see all the Rivieras lined up," says Christine. "This is our third or fourth Rendezvous and so we know most of the folks. After 18 months not seeing each other, it was enjoyable reconnecting, hanging out on the dock and on the boats, and catching up with everyone. Ned threw a happy hour on Friday night for us and also hosted a dinner on the Saturday, which was a great opportunity for all of us to be together. It was also a good chance to support the local economy - the pubs, restaurants and a shopping spree!"
Voted one of USA Today's Top 10 Best Small Coastal Towns and central to Washington DC, Baltimore and Annapolis, St Michaels is a real drawcard for boaters as it's more accessible from the water than land.
"It's a harbour town and well set up for boating," says Greg. "It has an awesome downtown and it's fun to take the boat there and have a Saturday night out somewhere different or a long weekend. We have a 4800 Sport Yacht, which has our master stateroom and bathroom and also a guest room with a separate bathroom, so we usually take friends with us. The 4800SY is ideal for boating in the Chesapeake Bay."
"Ned and Lorrie, as always, were super gracious hosts and did an awesome job of setting up and executing the Rendezvous. It was just a really great, relaxing and hearty weekend."
Greg and Christine were awarded the Riviera Legends Award for being central to the success of the Rendezvous over the years.
Not to miss a social Rendezvous was longtime Riviera aficionado John Bruno on his fourth luxury motor yacht, a 5400 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition, Black Tie Affair.
"I've been to all of the Rendezvous that Ned's run - except for one," says John. "I've been around this Rendezvous stuff since I've been a Riviera owner and they're all great people. I don't know what it is; maybe it's one of the guidelines for buying a Riviera: you've gotta be a good person!"
"St Michaels is a magical historic town, over 200 years old and with a bunch of marinas and a great repertoire of restaurants. We had more than a couple of happy hours and there was time to get into town and visit places with the other Riviera owners."
A mix of organised activities and plenty of free time suited the crews, although even without being formally organised, the Riviera family frequently found themselves all together.
"On the Friday night we took over the room upstairs at Theo's Steakhouse. All these Riviera people sitting at one giant table, none of which was planned, having a really enjoyable evening together," says John.
"Ned also must've had a talk with the Almighty because we had absolutely perfect weather. He plans things far in advance. I have to give him credit, because in the marina we were pretty much all right next to each other bow to stern bow to stern, so there was continuity and it was very social. He had me at the crossroads at the docks, so everyone had to come by my boat and, of course, I'd have to host a cocktail and maybe a cigar, and I was the last to go to bed every night!"
Having been in the Riviera family for more than 20 years, John says he's watched the design of the company's luxury motor yachts evolve.
"We boaters are a demanding group. I don't want issues - I want to go out there and have fun and Riviera gives me that opportunity so I'm a happy man. My family loves it, my wife loves it, and the kids love it."