Riviera Yachts 4300 Sports Express (2025-)

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Brief Summary

With its long and well-known blue water heritage, born in the often unpredictable and challenging waters Down Under, Riviera has always built its boats with all the DNA it developed from its beginnings in 1980 when the then Sydney-based company launched the 38 MKI, its first of many.

Today’s 4300 Sports Express, with its high freeboard and wide beam, presents a cruising yacht whose exciting exterior profile is as welcoming as her interior. Comfort and safety are a major component aboard and the Riviera design and engineering teams crossed all the “T’s” and dotted all the “I’s” to make sure her owners and guests would be pampered and surrounded by the kind of luxury, performance, and peace of mind this outstanding builder is known for.

Test Results

RPM	MPH	Knots	GPH	MPG	NMPG	SM	NM	dBa
650	4.3	3.8	0.7	6.6	5.8	1888.1	1640.8	61
750	5.4	4.7	1	5.4	4.7	1538.2	1336.7	65
1000	6.9	6	2.1	3.4	2.9	957.9	832.4	66
1250	8.3	7.2	3.5	2.4	2.1	673.3	585.1	68
1500	9.3	8.1	5.6	1.7	1.4	470.5	408.8	68
1750	9.9	8.6	8.6	1.2	1	329.2	286.1	70
2000	10.3	9	14	0.7	0.6	209.2	181.8	72
2250	10.9	9.5	20.5	0.5	0.5	150.9	131.1	76
2500	18.1	15.8	21	0.9	0.8	245.5	213.3	75
2750	21.5	18.7	25	0.9	0.7	244.8	212.7	73
3000	25.9	22.5	30.5	0.8	0.7	241.4	209.8	75
3250	29.8	25.9	34.5	0.9	0.8	245.7	213.5	77
3500	33.7	29.3	41	0.8	0.7	233.5	202.9	77
3800	38.2	33.2	51.5	0.7	0.6	211	183.3	79

View the test results in metric units

Specifications

Length Overall	45' 6" 13.88 m
Beam	14' 7" 4.45 m
Dry Weight	34,167 lbs 135,497 kg
Draft	4' 2" 1.28 m
Draft Down	4' 2" 1.28 m with Props
Bridge Clearance	15' 4" 4.67 m
Fuel Capacity	316 gal 1,200 L
Water Capacity	105 gal 400 L

Acceleration Times & Conditions

0 to 30	22.0
Load	Persons + Gear: 740 lbs/336 kg; Fuel: 1,754 gal/795 kg; Total Load: 37,078 lbs/16,818 kg
Climate	64°; 69% humidity; wind 5-10 kts; waves 0-.5'

Engine Options

Tested Engine	2 x 480-hp Volvo Penta D6 IPS 650
Std. Power	2 x 440-hp Volvo Penta D6 IPS 600
Opt. Power	2 x 480-hp Volvo Penta D6 IPS 650

RIVIERA 4300 SPORTS EXPRESS

The Intersection of Luxury and Sport

By Capt. Ken Kreisler

Riviera 4300 Sport Express Running — Sleek and subtle at the same time, the exterior of the Riviera 4300 Sports Express welcomes its owners and guests aboard with luxurious touches inside.

Major Features

2 x 440-hp Volvo Penta D6 IPS 600 w/joystick
2 x 12” Garmin touchscreens
Volvo Penta IPS powered yachts delivered with five-year limited warranty on engines, drives and electronics, and are further supported by Riviera’s two-year and seven-year structural limited warranties
Living accommodations salon
Line cutters between props
27,000 BTU helm and main deck air conditioning
24V-3000W battery charger and inverter
Transom electric BBQ
Hydraulic transom platform w/integrated seat
2 x 12” Garmin touchscreens
Two drawer refrigerator/freezer, microwave, food prep area in lower galley
Anchor chain counter at helm

Notable Options

2 x 480-hp Volvo Penta D6 IPS 650 w/joystick, autopilot, line cutters between props, bow thruster
18,000 BTU air conditioning in lower accommodations
Transom docking station
Volvo Interceptor System for Auto Trim, List, and Coordinated turn
Volvo Dynamic Positioning System
Starlink Satellite Internet System
Dishwasher in lower galley
Walnut privacy doors in aft cabin
2 x 16” Garmin touchscreens
Sea Keeper 4.5 Gyro
Pressurized washdown at bow and stern
Electrically operated aft sun shade
Kohler generator
Aft deck refrigeration
Dishwasher for lower galley
Extended swim platform
Solar panels
Sleipner E100 Bow Thruster
Garmin 48nm closed array radar
Rainman 37 gal/hr Modular Watermaker

Vessel Inspection

Step aboard and it’s easy to see why the Riviera 4300 Sports Express is all decked out and ready for any kind of cruising you want to do. From a leisurely day out, a long weekend away, or getting some serious travel plans underway, her numerous areas, including sports deck, sun deck, sea deck, and luxurious accommodations deck, along with plenty of storage space, are collectively ready to supply all you and your guests may want.

main deck layout — The main deck offers easy access fore and aft along with numerous interior seating and dining areas.

Bow

The bow space offers more than a place to sit. With large sun pads and a hidden table for casual dining, a memorable time spent here, whether underway or on the hook, is all but guaranteed.

overhead of bow — The deep bow well is surrounded by sturdy rails and makes getting around safe and easy. Access is from either side and the sun pads can be raised. The middle cushion on the front-facing seats hides an easily deployable table.

The carbon fiber poles for the bow shade are conveniently stored here on the port side.

storage on bow — Also located here is storage for the bow shade fabric, enabling fast and easy mounting.

anchor lock hatch — The anchor locker hatch, supported by a pair of air-assisted rams, holds the windlass, chain rode, remote control, fresh and saltwater washdown, and even an optional pressurized system

The starboard hatch is deep and wide and suitable for several applications including large fenders.

shallow part hatch — The shallow port hatch is designed to keep the bow docking lines at the ready.

Helm

As with everything aboard the Riviera 4300 Sports Express, the helm is eye-catching and stylishly designed while supplying all the necessary space for proper control and navigation.

bolstered captains seats — A pair of bolstered captain's seats, combined with large windows all around, offers the driver and co-pilot outstanding views into the seaway. The helm console has enough space for a pair of touchscreens along with all the other essential controls, switches, engine data, autopilot, dock assist mode, windlass and sunroof switches, and all equipment necessary for safe operations.

The twin helm seats are set on a raised platform enabling an aft L-shape seating area with storage below. The driver’s seat is electrically activated to raise up and down and fore and aft as needed. In addition, access to the air conditioning system for this area is beneath the co-pilot’s seat, Easily able to tilt forward, it offers a large opening for servicing if necessary.

bolstered foot rest — The bolstered seats have cushioned foot rests for added comfort while underway. A traditional teak footrest, with non-skid, is also provided.

port side storage for cooler — The port side of the helm seats has a dedicated compartment for a portable Yeti cooler.

Beneath the dash is a hatch for access to the fuse boxes.

The Volvo Penta joystick enables safe and quick response from the twin IPS engines for easy docking maneuvers especially during close quarter situations.

touchscreen controls — Also located at the helm is the C-ZONE touchscreen control. This device allows monitoring of many of the yacht’s DC systems with remote screens found in several locations throughout the yacht.

Riviera app — Riviera offers an app for the 4300 Sports Express enabling you to monitor several functions of the operations of the yacht.

Using one of the Garmin screens, standard is 12” with a 16” option, and the camera in the bow, the driver can lower and pick up the anchor from the helm and watch the operation.

Living Accommodations

With its prime directive as a cruising yacht, the Riviera 4300 Sports Express offers a two stateroom, one head layout with an accompanying salon separating the quarters, all surrounded by outstanding fit and finish and stylish décor. Her high freeboard allows for excellent headroom throughout.

centerline starway — Entrance to the accommodations deck is via a centerline stairway. As found throughout the yacht, there are robust grabs and safety rails wherever necessary.

separate forward and aft staterooms — The lower deck salon separates the forward and aft staterooms and offers the owners and their guests a comfortable and elegant space in which to spend quality time. Note the wide stairs for safe footing,

The centerpiece of the lower salon is this seating space with an accompanying hi/lo dining table. A filler cushion makes this an additional berth. The forepeak owner’s stateroom, with its highly finished walnut doors folded open, can be seen off to the right.

large screen tv — A large screen television, together with the advanced sound system, provides a special kind of entertainment. Note the drawer storage space below and adjacent to

Also located here is this fully found galley featuring microwave, refrigeration, stove top, sink, cabinets, and storage drawer space.

The forepeak quarters can be closed off for privacy. The high-gloss walnut can be ordered in a matte finish as well.

open stateroom — Here, with the doors in the open position, the pleasing decor of the stateroom joins that with the salon.

underbead storage — Storage here begins with these four drawers in the base of the berth.

additional storage — Additional storage is provided by a cedar-lined hanging locker to starboard. Another closet is to port. A larger storage space is under the berth. The upholstery is padded throughout.

A hatch for ventilation and additional light is located in the overhead.

enterance to head — The entrance to the head is located to starboard.

The portlight here in the head, as well as those found throughout the yacht, are all alarmed so as to prevent any one of them from being left open while getting underway. The alarm will sound shortly after the engines are engaged.

The private shower compartment offers plenty of headroom as well as comfortable interior space.

The aft quarters are located behind the stairs. The electrically operated privacy curtain can be replaced by the optional walnut doors found in the forward cabin and can also be finished off in high gloss or matte finish.

It’s one step down to enter the double berth stateroom.

Main Deck

Taking full advantage of the Riviera 4300 Sports Express’s 14’7” beam, and as found throughout the yacht, the design and engineering teams have made sure to lay out this space for optimum comfort, openness, and usability.

large sunroom — Expansive, with wide windows and a large sunroof above, allows maximum ambient light to enter the helm and salon space.

A door to starboard allows easy entry into the salon. The refrigerator, countertop, and console seen here are part of the salon’s galley.

cooktop station — Cooktop, sink, large countertop, and storage allow for easy meal preparation.

aft and salon view — The aft end of the salon offers plenty of seating with storage below the cushions and a hi/lo table which, with a filler cushion, can do double duty as a spare berth.

aft doors — The aft end can also be secured from any weather changes by deploying the curtains.

grabrails — As found wherever necessary, sturdy and strategically placed grab rails like this one in the overhead, is a hallmark of Riviera's Blue Water heritage.

Aft End

Riviera made sure the aft end of the 4300 Sports Express is equipped with plenty of opportunities and gear to optimize and assure time aboard is well spent.

The wide, hydraulically operated swim platform allows easy access to a wide, two-step to and from the main deck. A grill, sink, and storage is located here as well.

The starboard storage space is deep and can hold a surplus of equipment.

storage for air pump and water toys — Also supplied here in another storage cabinet is this air pump for inflating water toys.

portside storage — The port side storage space extends way forward and presents a unique space for special gear. It also serves as storage for extra stern docking lines and shore power cable.

owner of boat — Here, this owner/operator is able to easily launch or store his inflatable paddle board when not in use.

swim platform in water — The hydraulically operated swim platform is easily deployed into the water. Note how the rest of the space can be used a seat.

aft joystick and docking station — An aft, port joy stick and docking station will come in handy during certain situations when this vantage point is preferred.

Machinery Space

Accessed via a large hatch in the aft salon deck, and while not a stand up engine room, there is an easy access ladder down and a suitable sitting space from which to survey and get to critical maintenance checks and perform any necessary work.

The first noticeable and important component to view are the fuel tanks and easily accessible fuel valves. Note the strategic positioning of the fire suppression system.

Access between the engines allows for checking oil levels and other maintenance areas including filters, strainers, and sea cocks.

The fuel sight gauge is positioned to make it easy to read and keep a precise record of fuel consumption. A built-in safety feature prevents any leakage.

The Kohler generator is also positioned for checking all vital operating systems.

fuel water separators — With wide open spaces, the Racor fuel/water separators can easily be eye-balled as well as serviced.

A Word About Performance

Sitting in the helm seat and taking the wheel of the Riviera 4300 Sports Express is like being in control of a powerful sports car. Balancing performance with economy, courtesy of a pair of optional 480-hp Volvo Penta D6 IPS 650’s, makes this model a superior choice for a hands-on cruising couple.

With trim assist engaged, our test boat easily came up on plane and while we did experience some bow rise, we never lost sight of the horizon. We also found that during all our maneuvers and speed runs, we experienced a quiet interior cabin due to the addition of superior sound dampening materials throughout the construction process.

Our test day saw calm wind from 5-10 knots with an air temperature at 64° and relative humidity at 69%. Test weight was approximately 37,317 pounds with 70% of the 316 gallon capacity of fuel on board. There were four people aboard.

We saw our top speed come in at 33.2 knots at 3800 rpm. We noted our best cruise at 3250 rpm with a 25.9 knot turn of speed and a 214 nautical mile range with a 10% fuel reserve. During hole shot runs, we went from 0-10 mph in 4.5 seconds, 20 mph in 10.5 seconds, and 0-30 mph in 22.0 seconds. She tracked straight and true during our speed runs and was under complete control during turns and hard over maneuvers. During docking operations, and utilizing the joy stick with dock assist mode, we experienced a precise ability with no need to make any last minute moves or adjustments. In total, the Riviera 4300 Sports Express is a pleasure to drive and operate.

Summary

The Riviera 4300 Sports Express, with its blue water heritage deeply rooted in the often challenging waters of Australia, offers it owners and their guests a sporty, performance-based yacht with luxurious surroundings. Perfectly balanced with Volvo Penta IPS inboard diesel engines, in either 440- or 480-hp, not only provides dependable service but economy as well when planning extended time away. Couple that with a pair of well-appointed staterooms, large head with separate shower compartment, plenty of storage space, below deck salon, and exciting décor to satisfy any taste, a long list of standard and optional equipment, and the Riviera 4300 Sports Express is a personal yacht designed and engineered for all the right reasons. Her entertaining spaces on the main deck and bow, along with dining areas, add yet another dimension to her ability to provide a personal statement of ownership.

Riviera 4300 Sport Express Running

REMEMBER, LIFE IS BETTER ON A BOAT!

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