Renato Cappuccitti used to see it all the time, and it would drive him nuts.

As Bajío’s vice president of operations and Rx, he’d be at a boat show, and people would come over to say they owned and loved the company’s sunglasses. “But they have a pair of readers around their neck on the cord, and they hold them up over the glasses they’re wearing,” he says.

Hence, the line of readers from Bajío that launched in March. By the time this issue of Yachting is on newsstands, reader lenses are expected to be available in every frame style the company makes.

The reader sunglasses are a modern take on traditional bifocals, available in powers of +1.5, +2.0 and +2.5. The magnifier is embedded in the back of the lens, so there is no prominent line (like in the old days) telling the world that the glasses are bifocals. And because the magnifier is on the inside of the lens, it is also a lot less likely to get scratched.

“What’s really nice about a reader like this is that it’s a very quick learning curve versus progressives,” he says. “That takes your brain a week or two to adjust. Anybody who has had that experience with progressives, you don’t have that same experience with these.”

Cappuccitti says boaters find the readers helpful for maintaining protection from the sun while tying flies for fishing, looking at helm displays and using apps on a mobile device. Just like readers from the drugstore, these sunglasses can be worn while doing anything on board that requires a close-up view. “In sunglasses, bifocal makes the most sense for a reader,” he says. “We don’t want someone to be blinded by the bright light when they take off their sunglasses to read something. Now you get the protection from the sun, and you can still read or see something small.”

The lenses are made of polycarbonate, which is the same material most people have in reading glasses at home. Like the bio-based frames that Bajío uses, the reader lenses are lightweight too.

Orders ship from the Florida factory within 48 hours with a choice of frames and lens colors.

The post Bajío’s Summertime Readers appeared first on Yachting.

Riva, which has been launching boats in Italy since 1842, continues to broaden its brand with numerous products and experiences that fans can enjoy, separate from the exhilaration of spending a day out on the water aboard a Riva-built yacht.

New this year, for instance, is a Riva Privée that recently opened at the Cristallo, which is a luxury resort and spa in Italy. The temporary space will be open to guests at the resort’s Stube 1872 restaurant, where the chef has created a specialty Riva menu that highlights flavors evocative of the sea.

For fans of the Riva brand who can’t make it to Italy this summer to enjoy a taste or cruise, there is the Riva Boutique, which is accessible online. This shop for all things Riva has grown into a sizable store with offerings now available in multiple departments, including clothing, accessories, furniture and collectibles. 

Riva’s products are intended to suit all kinds of tastes, from pocket knives to cashmere hats to toys for the kids. Visitors to the online store will also find pillows, beach towels, sushi sets, coin trays, polo shirts, scarves, robes, bathing suits, lamps, tables, chairs and more. Serious collectors can choose a bronze fountain pen ($1,666) or metal scale models of some of the most popular boat models Riva has launched throughout the shipyard’s history.

Riva makes two versions of its pocket knife: the Aquarama (seen here), with a classic wooden handle, or “hull,” and the Rivamare, whose handle has the kind of silver finish seen on some of the builder’s newer boats. The handles have different shapes, just like the boat hulls, and, when the knives are open, they look like boats underway. The two are sold in a set ($1,212). 

This leather Backgammon set ($5,050) is made with mahogany, maple, steel and leather—all materials that can be found aboard Riva yachts. A Mambo fabric set ($2,828) is also available.

The Mareminerale fragrance diffuser ($133) is a way to bring home the scent of dawn over the sea, making just about any place reminiscent of a walk along the shoreline. 

Riva worked with Italy’s Borgo Cashmere to create this hat ($222), which is inspired by the classic sailor’s wool cap. Note the Riva logo in chrome-plated metal.

This balancing holder Atmosphere set($338) can hold and tilt either the Riva diffuser or candle ($66), both created by Culti Milano for the Riva home collection.  

This is just one boat in the four-piece Riva toy set ($515), which includes an Aquarama, an Aquariva, a Rivarama, and a toy truck to deliver any of them to the water. 

Built of grooved mahogany, the Riva trunk (price on request) can be used to store footwear, towels or whatever owners want aboard a yacht, in a home foyer or elsewhere.

Riva is working with other Italian-based brands, such as Borgo Cashmere and Culti Milano, to bring ever more products to market. They all share the styling that boaters will recognize aboard any Riva yacht, with colors and materials that can blend in aboard or bring a slice of the sea into various parts of a home ashore.  

The post Riva Yacht’s Boutique Unveils New Products appeared first on Yachting.

Al perkinson spent almost 17 years at the sunglasses behemoth Costa. He left about three years ago, did some consulting, and decided it was time for a new company to enter the market. In April 2021, together with some other industry veterans, he founded the brand Bajío. “We wanted something for the next generation,” he says.

They launched with a catalog of 12 styles and expect to add another eight this year. Bajío glasses are already being sold by about 500 retailers in 35 states, with a heavy focus on Florida, Texas and the Carolinas.

Perkinson says Bajío glasses offer the same kind of polarization and ultraviolet-light protection as other brands—with an added twist.

“The light we’re really focused on is blue light,” he says. “It’s been in the press a lot about people who look at computers a lot, and it’s super-topical with young people. The biggest producer of blue light is actually the sun. When you’re outside all day in the sun, you need to block that blue light as well.”

The company also has built the idea of eco-friendly materials into its entire line. Bajío’s frames are plant-based, created with a resin made from the castor plant. “And our packaging is all recycled paper, our case is made out of cactus leather—all across the board, we’re sustainable. We’re carbon-neutral from inception,” he says. “And we offset any carbon use by planting mangroves.”

Those mangroves are part of Bajío’s business plan to embrace conservation efforts in fish-filled waters.

“We travel and work with scientists and local communities to protect the shallows,” Perkinson says. “That can be a saltwater marsh in Charleston [South Carolina] or the flats in Florida. It involves trash cleanup, planting mangrove trees, doing fish-population work to help the local folks understand sustainable practices—really, everything we’re doing is focused on those shallows.”

All in all, he says, the hope is for Bajío’s glasses and company culture to appeal to old-school anglers and newcomers alike, because no matter the type of fishing or boating, “the quality of that visual experience adds to the quality of the overall experience out on the water.”

The post Bajío Glasses Made with Greener Future in Mind appeared first on Yachting.

A few years ago, when Costa Del Mar entered the research-and-development phase for its Untangled collection, the team realized there was a problem making certain styles of glasses. Costa was designing the first generation of Untangled glasses using material that California-based Bureo creates from recycled fishing nets. It was a great step forward in sustainable eyewear, but because of impurities, the material wasn’t yet able to be shaped into some styles of glasses that many boaters and anglers prefer.

Now, those styles are part of the second generation of Untangled designs. Bureo has enhanced its process, so the recycled material it delivers to Costa is virtually indistinguishable from virgin plastic.

“It’s really enabled Costa to not be as limited in the different kinds of colors and wraps that they were limited with in the first generation of the product,” says Kevin Ahearn, co-founder of Bureo.

Popular wrap-style sunglasses are now part of the collection. Shields can be added to block sun from the side, hooding details can be used to block light up top, and ventilation can be built into the nose piece to reduce fogging.

“We really took a giant leap forward with the 2.0 frames in terms of style and performance,” says Casey Lopez with Costa product development. “These will be glasses that can handle a day out there on the boat.”

Costa’s team says it is proud of not only the quality of the new glasses but also the fact that Bureo is a partner doing more than just providing recycled materials. Bureo is creating a new supply chain and jobs, and is continuing to improve its processes so Costa can offer recycled products of ever-increasing quality.

“It isn’t just the frames,” says John Sanchez, senior vice president of product strategy at Costa. “The logo is made of recycled aluminum. The lenses are glass, which originates from sand. The case is recycled material. This is the whole package. Bureo has a full, vetted process. You’ll see a lot of people saying they make sunglasses out of recycled plastic, but we see only one that’s vetted this way. That’s why we have this partnership and why it’s so special.”  

The post Costa Del Mar’s Eco-Friendly Untangled Series Sunglasses appeared first on Yachting.

Boaters know the brand name Gill. They know it means waterproof outerwear that can stand up to the seas. They know it means quality ­construction that holds up for years. When boaters see the Gill logo, they know what to expect.

Therein lies the problem for David Pritchard, Gill North America’s senior vice president.

“One of the challenges we’ve had is that we’re seen as tried-and-true,” he says. “It’s like the old Ford Model T. We’re solid-performing, very reliable, very capable for many years. What we’re striving toward now is to modernize and be more inclusive, and attract not just the older demographic, but also the younger audience with more modern designs and styles.”

Gill is now offering three product lines: Active, Performance and Race. Each is being tweaked with new styles, colors and features, with the hopes of impressing boaters in the nearly 40 countries where Gill products are sold.

The Active line is not just for the boat, but also for the boating scene, with pieces that include shorts, skorts and shirts resistant to ultraviolet rays. The company has updated styling as well as materials to keep the clothing at SPF 50+ while allowing each piece to hang better off the body.

“It’s absolutely perfect for on and off the boat use,” he says. “They look great at the bar, and they’re also water-repellent with lots of pockets. It’s just a really nice lifestyle short.”

Also new in the Active line are entry-level sunglasses. Whereas Gill used to sell all its sunglasses at a retail price of $90, these are $60 and $65.

“They’re 100 percent polarized with a high-quality lens,” Pritchard says. “The Performance sunglasses float, but the Active ­sunglasses are wire frame and don’t float. It still offers 100 percent polarized protection, which is important on the water.”

The Performance line of outerwear is what most boaters will recognize, with offshore and foul-weather gear. The new product to watch in that line is called the OS2, version four.

“This is an offshore rain suit that is the cornerstone of our line,” he says. “It’s what all the cruisers, all the racers to Bermuda, all the people who are on the water regularly are going to want.”

Also coming to stores this spring is a line of backpacks and luggage.

“Younger customers are all about the next experience, the next ­adventure — they’re always on the move,” he says. “We’re building more marine luggage around that: dry bags, backpacks, luggage that is durable and waterproof, ­something that you can throw in the tender.”

The post Gill Expands Apparel Line appeared first on Yachting.

Why spend hours fishing for the lowest prices by poring over the Internet for bargains. Get the top gear you need here at great prices, and save your valuable time for spending on the water.

These special prices won’t last, so get on the boat for the best deals of the year.

Related:

The Watch List

A few of our favorite timepieces to help you make sure you get back to port right on time.

11 Sunglasses Just in Time for Summertime Cruising

Ray-Ban, Costa and even Porsche made our sunglasses list.

The post Amazon Prime Day Is The Perfect Time To Stock Up On Gear appeared first on Yachting.

Downing by Warby Parker

These stylish rounded frames from Warby Parker look a whole lot more expensive than their entry-level price point belies. Buy here.

714 Series by Persol

Full-acetate frames give a firm backbone to these seriously stylish shades from Persol.

Aviators by Ray-Ban

Dial up your inner Top Gun pilot with the always-in-style Aviators by Ray-Ban.

Wayfarers by Ray-Ban

Does it get more classic than these unisex Wayfarers, also from Ray-Ban? Our vote is no.

Sams by J. Crew

The unisex Sams are a best seller for high-low fashion powerhouse J. Crew. Buy here.

Cordovas by Illesteva

Acetate frames and UV400 lenses lend these handmade Italian occhiali da sole some serious bona fides.

Waterman by Maui Jim

These titanium-framed shades from Maui Jim are serious on-the-water sunglasses. And that complimentary neckstrap makes sure they stay stuck to your head during all your adventures.

Byron Bay by Maui Jim

Named for the famous Australian surf town, these chilled-out sunglasses come in a variety of frames, including one super-durable pair in matte-black rubber.

Jacob Aviators by Tom Ford

Want to look absolutely scorching at your next yacht party? There’s no better way to do it than to channel fashion legend Tom Ford with these flashy aviators.

Whitetips by Costa

Named for the formidable pelagic predator, these fishing-centric sunglasses will help transform you into quite the pelagic predator yourself.

Golden Eyewear Outline by Porsche Design

Porsche doesn’t just design cars. These sunglasses were dreamed up by the famous German company and were constructed using real gold. Buy here.

The post 11 Sunglasses Just in Time for Summertime Cruising appeared first on Yachting.

An infinite stretch of aquamarine appeared before my eyes as my sweet ride, a Viking 52 Convertible, cruised toward Resorts World Bimini. Midday sunlight pierced the shallows and drop-offs, offering countless variations of the trance-inducing color scheme.

I took in the gorgeous scenery through a test pair of Costa Del Mar‘s Rafael frames fit with 580 green mirror lenses. They filter out harsh yellow and ultraviolet blue light, which the manufacturer says will create clear definition and accurate color.

I’ll tell you: They work. The Bahamian blues and greens popped vividly.

And the Rafael’s nylon frame keeps them lightweight. I found myself searching for them, only to discover they were atop my head.

This was my first experience wearing a pair Costa 580s in the field. But after Bimini, I can say for certain it won’t be my last.

The post Costa’s 580 lenses: Seeing True appeared first on Yachting.

Standing apart from the crowd used to take serious effort.

Salvatore Giuliano did it by becoming a flamboyant, Robin Hood-style bandit in 1940s Italy, where the press tracked him around Sicily as frequently as the police. His rebellious spirit is the inspiration for the limited edition set of Baendit eyewear above, with bold red temples, frames and lenses. If you like the look but not the style, Baendit makes it easy for you to stand apart — without a posse of cops chasing you — through custom components. A click-to-build program lets you choose whatever frames, lenses, temples and nose bridges you want, including interchangeable options to keep the paparazzi guessing what you’ll do next. A pair (including the Giulianos) is $119. Bonus components run $50 to $69.

The post Flex  Your  Specs appeared first on Yachting.