Especially fitting for Floridians who have a taste for Italian, or the other way around, for Italians who love Florida, Riva’s Florida 88 has made its way to the Palm Beach International Boat Show.

A thing of beauty, it features a unique, fully integrated convertible system designed by Riva’s parent company, Ferretti Group. Using a single control, the panel rotates and slides, giving its owners the options to go coupe or open air. As an open-air yacht, its hardtop panel sits snugly in place on the fore deck.

To go coupe, hydraulic arm-like levers lift the hardtop panel over the pilot station in the cockpit, and, in the process, uncover a foredeck seating area. In this configuration, add some see-through awnings, and the cockpit is closed completely. A third option: raise the roof partially off the foredeck, and the foredeck lounge/dinette seating area is shaded.

Pretty cool, and pretty, too. The 88-foot yacht, with a large windshield and steel roll bar, is finished in sparkling light metallic moon gray, which contrasts nicely with bright-black shade details. Interiors showcase a reinterpreted Riva vintage feel, with elm wood, lacquered to resemble fabric, combined with leather and touches of steel. Its color palette combines honey, white and wheat with dashes of dark blue.

On the main deck, the cockpit includes a large aft sun pad; the central area is organized for dining and living; and the pilot station offers seating for three. Forward, concealed or revealed by the hard top, is a dinette sofa, and at the extreme bow are sun pads. Below deck are four cabin suites and a salon that also can be used as an indoor dinette.

Another new feature: its layout simplifies toy launching and hauling. The garage, which can store a 13-foot tender along with a jet ski, is less than an inch above sea level, and the central part of the transom can be lowered up to 3 feet into the water and slightly moved away from the stern, creating an in-water beach club.

It does pretty fast, too. With two MTU 16 V 2000, 2435 engines, it goes a maximum speed of 38.5 knots. Choose two MTU 16 V 2000, 2638 engines, and it’ll reach a maximum speed of 40.5 knots.