The Rivale is the latest offering from this luxe Italian builder, and she is a masterful blend of ultramodern and retro styling that harkens back to classic wooden Rivas.

At dockside, this is a generously proportioned 52-footer with high topsides and a powerful tumblehome onto the deck. Sculptured air intakes are carved into the topsides, and the ports and windows are concealed by a smoked glass panel that looks like a stylish accent from a distance.

And then, of course, there’s the color. This particular Rivale was in ‘dove,’ a name that does no justice to a color that blends champagne, copper and titanium into a drop-dead metallic finish.

Underwater, the Rivale is fairly conventional with a deep-V-hull of 16-degree deadrise and an ample beam of 15 feet. The props are tucked into pockets along with the rudders to minimize the draft, and the trim tabs are recessed under the hull both to minimize drag and to clean up the stern.

Like every line on the Rivale, the transom swim platform is gently curved, and teak-planked steps on each side lead to the cockpit past clever protective panels that slide smoothly aside for entry. An immense sunpad spans the area between the two walkways and, yes, it’s actually tan leather, not some tacky poly-whatever imitation. This is a Riva, after all.