Aiata’s new Sunfinder 50 already has a New Zealand broker and, thanks to a quirk of timing, an actual boat sitting ready to ship.
The Turkish-built Sunfinder 50 launched at Boot Düsseldorf earlier this year, the open-cockpit sibling to Aiata’s enclosed Wayfinder line. The Wayfinder uses proper glass walls and a pilot house to close the cabin off from the weather. The Sunfinder stays open, with clear areas available for the sides and back instead of a fixed structure, the same layout Aiata already builds into its 38-footer, now stretched out to 50 feet.
Paul McDonald of McD Boutique Yacht Brokerage, who represents Aiata in New Zealand, calls the Sunfinder 50 the party boat of the two. Big sun pads sit over the engines at the stern. A galley unit runs behind the helm seats with a barbecue grill built in. The bow cockpit is where the boat sells itself, though, with topsides high enough through the front two-thirds of the hull to seat three or four across a table. McDonald says that height is what keeps spray down on a run out to Great Barrier Island. Sunshades cover both ends: a soft shade at the bow that flips up off the windscreen and a shade at the stern that slides out of the cabin top.
At 15.35 metres, the beam runs close to four metres almost all the way to the transom, so the deck stays nearly as wide astern as it is forward. The launch boat came fitted with triple 400 hp outboards, giving a top speed around 45 knots and a cruise of 28. Fuel capacity is 1,600 litres, good for roughly 230 to 250 nautical miles at 30 knots, enough to cover Auckland to Cape Reinga with fuel left over. Fresh water sits at 360 litres, with a 193-litre black water tank.
Below deck, buyers get either two cabins and two bathrooms or two cabins with one bathroom and a galley. McDonald points to the owner’s V-berth as the standout space. Asked how it compares to higher-end Italian builds, he settled on a simpler description: “It’s not Italian-fussy. It’s quality and functional.” The 38-foot version, sold in both Sunfinder and Wayfinder form, drops to a single cabin below deck, with the galley built into the upper cabin space and a convertible aft seat that switches between a fishing station and a barbecue and fridge setup.
Aiata will formally launch the Wayfinder 50 at the Cannes Yacht Festival in September, alongside the existing 38-foot range. McDonald says anyone who places an order at, or from, Cannes will have their travel costs refunded up to a set level, with specifics available directly through him.
New Sunfinder 50 builds currently run an eight- to nine-month wait. McDonald has an alternative, though. He also has access to the actual Düsseldorf show boat, the first hull off the line, with 37 hours on the clock and the early teething issues already sorted. It’s available now, and with shipping to New Zealand taking eight to twelve weeks, ordering it soon means having it in the water for summer.
McDonald rates the Wayfinder as the better option for colder, harder conditions further south, in places like the Marlborough Sounds. Further north, from the Bay of Islands and Auckland down through the Coromandel to Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty, he points to the Sunfinder 50 instead, currently the only 50-foot Aiata anyone in New Zealand can actually buy.
Learn more from McD Boutique Yacht Brokerage and Aiata Boats.
