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BOAT REVIEWS
Discover New Zealand’s best boats with expert reviews, specs, and local insights—sailboats, powerboats, and yachts covered.
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Sasga Menorquin 55FB – Carajillo
She makes a wonderful ship for coastal adventures and holidays, promising easy passage-making and pl...
Horsepower (HP):
960
Displacement (M):
18.5
Length Over All (M):
16.88
What A Rush!
Catalysts were originally conceived for Emirates Team New Zealand’s America’s Cup team as a high-spe...
Horsepower (HP):
4 x 300hp up to 4 x 600hp
Length Over All (M):
13.7
Construction:
Carbon Fibre
Maritimo M75
The Maritimo M75 is a boat you will use, and that is the name of the game.
Horsepower (HP):
3250
Displacement (M):
55,600 (dry)
Length Over All (M):
23.07
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 380
In the wide cockpit, the racing-style Carbonautica wheels are positioned well aft and outboard, corr...
Horsepower (HP):
40
Length Over All (M):
11.22
Construction:
GRP
Caribbean 27 Flybridge Sport Fisher
Fuel consumption for a vessel this size is pretty good, as you might expect from a modern common-rai...
Horsepower (HP):
380
Displacement (M):
dry, 3,140
Length Over All (M):
9.0
Construction:
Solid GRP
Southern XF650
Southern Boats has been building top-quality aluminium trailer boats for more than three decades. It...
Horsepower (HP):
150 to 225hp
Length Over All (M):
6.85m
Construction:
Aluminium
Tristram 691 Offshore
When Kingsley and Lance Fink pulled up at Westhaven boat ramp with the Tristram 691 Offshore in tow,...
Horsepower (HP):
200 to 250hp
Length Over All (M):
6.90
Construction:
GRP
Seawind 1170
Combining the space of twin hulls with the capabilities of a proven design froma vastly experienced ...
Displacement (M):
9,200kg
Length Over All (M):
11.9m
Vindex 350 S
When the itch for another boat project required scratching a little over two years ago, de Fluiter d...
Displacement (M):
5500
Length Over All (M):
10.8
Construction:
Composite
Cora 48 Catamaran
Performance is modest, as expected for its power-to-weight ratio, but nearly 17 knots of speed was a...
Displacement (M):
24000
Length Over All (M):
14.75
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Buccaneer Five Seven Five
The spacious cockpit is uncluttered but has plenty of seating. The cockpit sole is covered in SeaDek...
Horsepower (HP):
150
Length Over All (M):
5.75
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Beneteau First 44
Fifteen knots eased back to about 10 knots and the boat felt light on the helm, responding nicely to...
Displacement (M):
10500
Length Over All (M):
14.15
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Sealegs 12RC
‘Behemoth’ is a word which springs to mind or, perhaps more nautically, ‘leviathan’.
Length Over All (M):
12.3
Construction:
Aluminium
Haines Hunter SP635
The hardtop SP635 shares the same underpinnings as the popular SF 635 which was a completely new mod...
Horsepower (HP):
200
Length Over All (M):
6.76
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Elite 15.8m Sport Sedan
The pride and joy of a multi-generational family, Bliss resides on a pier that’s home to a couple of...
Displacement (M):
16200
Length Over All (M):
15.8
Construction:
Composite
Dibley 12m canting-keeler
The cockpit is open and spacious, raceboat-style, with a cool curved edge to the deck at the open tr...
Length Over All (M):
12
Construction:
Composite
Rayglass 3000
There are two different powerplant configurations currently available: either twin outboards or sing...
Horsepower (HP):
600
Length Over All (M):
8
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Buccaneer Six Fifteen
Based on the well-known Buccaneer 605 hull, the Buccaneer Six Fifteen has increased the 605’s waterl...
Horsepower (HP):
200
Length Over All (M):
6.78
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Surtees 750 Game Fisher
The Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show prize boat package would be every Kiwi angler’s dream to own.
Horsepower (HP):
300
Displacement (M):
1590
Length Over All (M):
7.5
Construction:
Aluminium
Sargo 31 Explorer
The Sargo 31’s exterior looks like it means business – in a cool way.
Displacement (M):
5400
Length Over All (M):
9.96
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Beneteau Swift Trawler 41 Sedan
This vessel has much to recommend it for a couple or a family.
Displacement (M):
11040
Length Over All (M):
13.42
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Haines Hunter Overlander OP725
The Anura system is not only pleasingly quiet in operation (no noisy internal combustion engine in t...
Horsepower (HP):
300
Displacement (M):
2400
Length Over All (M):
7.5
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Ryck 280
At first glance the boat appears to be a large centre console, although hidden beneath the console a...
Displacement (M):
2700
Length Over All (M):
9.52
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Caribbean 32 FB
With classic styling, good performance and class-leading ride and handling, there’s a lot to like ab...
Displacement (M):
6500
Length Over All (M):
10.385
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Seawind 1370
Solar panels on the vast roof help keep the batteries charged.
Displacement (M):
11000
Length Over All (M):
13.7
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Sessa Yacht Line C47
Sessa vessels have a CE CLASS B rating – certified offshore to 200 miles, for winds up to force 8, a...
Displacement (M):
14500
Length Over All (M):
14.27
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Legacy Marine L45
The L45 is intended to fulfil the role of a luxury motoryacht capable of operating in typical New Ze...
Displacement (M):
20000
Length Over All (M):
13.8
Construction:
Aluminium
Lazercat 950
The helm station is well-equipped and simple to operate, thanks to the simplified switching that’s b...
Displacement (M):
3800
Length Over All (M):
9.5
Construction:
Aluminium
Innovision 808 Venture Estero
As has become more usual for the crew at Innovision Boats, Estero has been extensively customised.
Horsepower (HP):
400
Length Over All (M):
8.2
Construction:
Aluminium
Moody 41DS
The major point of difference between this boat and a regular cruising yacht is the high-profile dec...
Length Over All (M):
12.52
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Boston Whaler 405 Conquest
Step aboard and the 405’s roomy cockpit certainly makes a strong first impression.
Displacement (M):
17853
Length Over All (M):
12.6
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Sargo 36
It packs more features and equipment inside its modest 36 feet (11.80m) than do many much bigger boa...
Displacement (M):
8400
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Elite 18m Mid Pilothouse
The loving care and attention that has gone into every detail is clearly evident.
Displacement (M):
28000
Length Over All (M):
18
Construction:
Composite
Challenger 720HT
Like the rest of the Challenger range, the 720 HT’s fibreglass hull is designed by Terry Reid, who h...
Horsepower (HP):
250
Length Over All (M):
7.15
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Quarken 27 Cabin
This size is notably popular in New Zealand, being small enough to be trailered, yet spacious enough...
Displacement (M):
2700
Length Over All (M):
8.35
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Iliad 53 S
Compared to the range’s flybridge models, the 53 S has much less windage and greater stability, so ...
Displacement (M):
24000
Length Over All (M):
16.35
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Beneteau First 36
The First 36 has a pleasingly yacht-like cockpit: this is a boat that is meant to be sailed.
Displacement (M):
4800
Length Over All (M):
11.98
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Sea Ray Sundancer 265
The Sea Ray Sundancer 265 is an impressive example of all that is good about American production boa...
Displacement (M):
3200
Length Over All (M):
8.07
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Oceanpro 540 GTS
He aimed to produce something that provided the best of both worlds: the tough, rigid hull sides of ...
Horsepower (HP):
115
Length Over All (M):
5.4
Construction:
Aluminium
Senator 500 Side Console
Senator allows owners to spec the boat however they want it, starting with a base, but very comprehe...
Length Over All (M):
5.2
Construction:
Aluminium
