About Sail Riviera
Sail Riviera began as a childhood dream, born from necessity. By late spring 2020, my 29-year wedding and portrait photography business collapsed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time in decades, I found myself without a job, prompting me to seize new opportunities. As a licensed sailing captain, I finally had a chance to start a yacht charter business.
The pandemic inspired many to seek outdoor experiences with their families, making Riviera the ideal vessel. Victoria and I envisioned a luxurious sailing experience. Although a small operation, we aimed to offer the most well-appointed, comfortable, and private sailing experience in San Diego.
Meet Captain Paul
People are often surprised to hear I am a professional photographer. But photography was not my first love. Sailing was.
Before I could spell sailboat, I held the tiller on dad's Lido 14. At 16, I was teaching sailing in San Diego Bay. Although I was enticed and intrigued by the shady and sometimes nefarious sailing lifestyle, photography, and the desire to satisfy my artistic hunger, won out, and I focused on building Barnett Photographics.
2011 was the turning point. My dad, the man that taught me how to sail, said to me, "Paul, all you do is work. You've built a great business, but you need balance. You need a boat, and you need to sail."
Sail Riviera combines my love of sailing and my love for people. It's probably not the "hobby" my father was thinking of, but the satisfaction I get from giving the sailing experience to our guests is priceless.
Explore the yacht
SV Riviera is a 51-foot, French-built Dufour 512 Sailing Yacht. Designed by famed Italian naval architect Umberto Felci, The Dufour 512 is a masterful yacht that blends performance, space, comfort, and style.
The spacious deck and sizeable T-shaped cockpit featuring teak decks, soft custom cushions, and full or partial sunshade options can comfortably accommodate up to 10 guests with plenty of room for sunbathing and easy movement. At anchor or dockside, the transom deploys, providing a massive swim step platform and an outdoor galley space for barbequing and cockpit entertaining.
Below deck, the massive salon welcomes you to sit back and relax as if in your living room. During the day, natural light pours into the salon. In the evening, well-appointed accent lighting gives a soft glow throughout the staterooms, highlighting the high level of finish, engineering, and attention to detail that gives Riviera a super-yacht feel.
Underway, Riviera's race-boat pedigree is evident in the robust hull with wide transom and hull chines. This big Dufour maximizes waterline enhancing speed with a straight-edge bow and stern. Captain Paul welcomes you to take the helm and feel Riviera's powerful responsiveness, speed, and balance while under sail. We strive to create an atmosphere of ownership. We want our guests to feel at home as if the Riviera were their yacht.
Meet the Crew
Aboard Riviera, that idea guides everything we do. The yacht may set the stage, but it’s the crew who create the feeling, the mood. The quiet details, the easy hospitality, the steady hand at the helm, and the sense that every guest is being genuinely cared for. Our crew brings together luxury service, sailing experience, warmth, humor, and a shared love of being on the water. They are the reason a sail aboard Riviera feels less like a charter and more like your own private day at sea.
Joshua Sunnanonta
Deck & Hospitality Crew
With Riviera since 2021, Josh brings a thoughtful, steady, and quietly capable presence to every sail. A Neurobiology major with a minor in Mechanical Engineering at UC San Diego, he also works as a private sports performance coach, helping young athletes develop coordination, mobility, and a stronger connection between the nervous system and the body.
That same awareness shows up onboard. Whether assisting on deck, helping with food and beverage service, or simply noticing what guests need before they ask, Josh keeps the day moving with easy, relaxed confidence. His million-dollar smile is known to make children laugh, parents relax, and grandmothers briefly reconsider their life choices. It's
easy to see why guests feel instantly comfortable around him.
Calm, intuitive, and genuinely kind, Josh brings a bright, steady energy to Riviera and helps make every sail feel personal, relaxed, and beautifully cared for.
Danielle Busko
Guest Experience Curator
A Southern California native and SDSU graduate, Danielle brings a polished, intuitive hospitality style to every sail aboard Riviera. Through her work in guest services at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, she has been trained in Forbes-level luxury service standards, and it shows in the small details: the thoughtful touches, the quiet awareness, and the ability to make guests feel completely cared for without ever feeling hovered over.
Warm, composed, and exceptionally detail-oriented, Danielle has a natural gift for luxury hospitality. She helps create the relaxed, seamless experience Riviera is known for, allowing guests to simply settle in, enjoy the water, and feel like everything has already been thought of.
Captain Jake
A USCG-licensed 100-ton Master Captain with an Auxiliary Sail endorsement and STCW training, Jake brings an impressive depth of experience to Riviera. As the owner of California Yacht Management, he specializes in yacht management, vessel deliveries, engineering, and owner training — helping clients operate and care for their yachts with confidence.
Jake’s experience has taken him up and down the California coast, into Mexico, throughout the Pacific Northwest, and as far as French Polynesia. He is also an experienced freediver and a dedicated mixed martial artist, a background that reflects his discipline, physical capability, and comfort in demanding environments.
Onboard Riviera, Jake brings calm confidence, professionalism, and a steady, capable presence at the helm, exactly what guests should feel from a great captain.
Charlotte Balas
Director of Effortless Hospitality
Born and raised in France, Charlotte brings a natural warmth, polish, and love of hospitality to Riviera. There is also something wonderfully fitting about having her French charm aboard a French-built Dufour yacht.
Formally trained at the graduate level in hospitality and business management, Charlotte has spent her career creating beautiful guest experiences. Her experience spans luxury resort events and her own event-planning venture, EventSculpt.
Onboard Riviera, Charlotte has an easy presence that makes guests feel instantly comfortable. She notices the small things, keeps the experience flowing, and brings just the right balance of quiet confidence, genuine care, and effortless hospitality to every sail.
Ready to sail?
Contact us today for booking and availability
What our guests say
“Sail Riviera is a must-do when visiting San Diego! From the moment we set sail to stepping off the boat after a beautiful sunset cruise, there was no detail overlooked and our family of 5 (including kids ages 12, 9 and 3) loved every minute! Wonderful food and drink topped only by seeing the city by sea and awesome animal sightings, we cannot recommend Paul and his crew enough. Five stars indeed!"
Catie Salyer - Fairmont, Grand Del Mar