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BOAT REVIEWS
Discover New Zealand’s best boats with expert reviews, specs, and local insights—sailboats, powerboats, and yachts covered.
Dufour 44: Très Bon
Helming the Dufour 44 during a club race was both exhilarating and surprising, reports our Australia...
Length Over All (M):
13.91
Superbly Senator
Hawkes Bay’s Senator Boats is best known for its range of strong, capable, trailerable aluminium ‘ch...
Horsepower (HP):
90-115hp
Length Over All (M):
3.9
YEAR:
2025
Construction:
5mm bottom, 3mm chambers, 4mm sides & decks, 3/4mm hardtop
Length Over All (M):
5.65
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Maritimo M50
Maritimo’s new M50 is the result of a lot of intensity, born out of a singular purpose – namely, to ...
Horsepower (HP):
1600
Length Over All (M):
15.69
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
26,500 (dry)
Construction:
Solid GRP hull
Length Over All (M):
15.2
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Fin Chaser 700HTA
I have always been impressed with the hull performance of FC Boats and a change of name hasn’t alter...
Horsepower (HP):
250/27
Length Over All (M):
9
YEAR:
2025
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Catalyst 45 Render
Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders’ latest iteration of the popular Catalyst high-performance powercat is ...
Horsepower (HP):
1200
Length Over All (M):
14.3
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
7,300 (light)
Construction:
Carbon/E-glass and epoxy laminates, foam cores
CONSTRUCTION:
Composite
Assault 920 Amphibious
Assault Boats’ new Pursuit 920 Amphibious is a great all-rounder. Suitable for fishing, scuba diving...
Horsepower (HP):
350
Length Over All (M):
8.4
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
2,800
Construction:
GRP hull, Hypalon tubes
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Innovision 616 Venture
It is over a decade since we reviewed the first production boat from Innovision, and in many respect...
Horsepower (HP):
200-250
Length Over All (M):
6.27
YEAR:
2025
Construction:
6mm bottom plates, 4mm sides
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Rayglass Legend 2700
Rayglass Boats’ new Legend 2700 is the spiritual (and, eventually, literal) successor to the Legend ...
Horsepower (HP):
270-450
Length Over All (M):
8.8
YEAR:
2025
Construction:
Moulded GRP with integrated liner and foam buoyancy
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Elliott 1150 Tourer
Denim is a classic Kiwi tale. Start with a solitary man and a dream, pile on the challenges, stir in...
Construction:
Composite
CONSTRUCTION:
E-glass/epoxy/foam core (deck) and plywood (hull)
Stabicraft 2050 Frontier Profish
Where this model really excels is fishability.
Horsepower (HP):
150-200
Length Over All (M):
6.3
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
875kg (dry, no motor)
Construction:
Arrow pontoons, wide-body hull
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Matera 40 cruising catamaran
This build philosophy—and its practical result—is best shown in the wide, uninterrupted arch of the ...
Horsepower (HP):
40
Length Over All (M):
13.5
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
4800 loaded
Construction:
Carbon fibre, PVC core, West System resins
Length Over All (M):
12.2
CONSTRUCTION:
Composite
Elite 13.8m Sedan Kaeā
The vessel will be Wellington-based but is destined to spend much of her cruising life in the Marlbo...
Horsepower (HP):
960hp
Length Over All (M):
13.8
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
13,900
Construction:
Three layers marine ply, glued, vacuum-bagged for the hull; ply, foam, ply sandwich decks
CONSTRUCTION:
Composite
Candela C-8 Hardtop
The Candela C-8 is clearly a much more mature and technologically advanced model than its predecesso...
Horsepower (HP):
45/50kW
Length Over All (M):
8.5
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
1850
Construction:
Vacumm-infused carbon fibre
CONSTRUCTION:
Carbon fibre
Dickey Pacific 62
Passage making is about long days at sea, often with swell and waves running at different angles, or...
Horsepower (HP):
300
Length Over All (M):
18.75
Displacement (M):
18,000
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Dibley 7.5m Sportsboat
Despite the lack of gennaker it’s still a fun and fantastic ride down the harbour, and reminds me ho...
Construction:
Vacuum-infused
CONSTRUCTION:
Carbon fibre hull & decks
Axopar 29 XC Cross Cabin
The ultimate multi-purpose craft for boaters who demand more from their vessel.
Horsepower (HP):
350
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
3220 (including engine)
Length Over All (M):
9.31
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Sargo 33
This is a cleverly designed boat with great space for a 33-footer.
Horsepower (HP):
680
Length Over All (M):
10.99
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
7400
CONSTRUCTION:
GRO
Maritimo M600 Black Edition
The Black Edition of Maritimo’s M600 Offshore Flybridge Motor Yacht is no mere badge-engineering sol...
Horsepower (HP):
1600 (std)
Length Over All (M):
17.31
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
31,700
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Proline Alloy 1860 HT
Mat says the hull is designed to cater for all, with ease of use being one of the main priorities.
Horsepower (HP):
90-115
Length Over All (M):
5.7
YEAR:
2025
Construction:
5mm hull, 4mm sides & decks
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Fi-Glass Viscount
Modern engines are bigger and more efficient. They need bigger platforms to host them. Furthermore, ...
Horsepower (HP):
200-250
Length Over All (M):
6.8
YEAR:
2025
Construction:
Solid GRP, no wood in structure
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Morris Metal Products S.J Seahawk
S.J. Seahawk is a development of the 7.6m Eliminator, which Phil and his team built 26 years ago.
Horsepower (HP):
700
YEAR:
2024
Construction:
Aluminium hull, fibreglass decks, carbon fibre superstructure
Length Over All (M):
9.7
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
JP Crafts Code 9.8
This is a beautifully finished boat with an attention to detail that we don’t often see.
Horsepower (HP):
600
Length Over All (M):
9.8
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
3100
Construction:
GRP composite hull, Hypalon tubes, aluminium hardtop
CONSTRUCTION:
Composite
RMX 444
Optimisation can be for either economy or speed and it’s the same for the foil itself, with designs ...
Horsepower (HP):
1200
Length Over All (M):
13.6
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
11.5
Construction:
Fibreglass, foam, carbon fibre
CONSTRUCTION:
Composite
Kiwi-Kraft 780WA
Pontoon alloy boats are seriously good sea handling vessels. I should know, having fished out of man...
Horsepower (HP):
400
Length Over All (M):
7.8
YEAR:
2024
Construction:
6mm hull, 4mm sides, 3mm superstructure
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Innovision IV7000 Amphibious
In engineering the IV7000 to amphibious duty, Innovision has hardly compromised its utility for fish...
Horsepower (HP):
300
Length Over All (M):
8.5
YEAR:
2024
Construction:
6mm bottom, 4mm sides and decks
Length Over All (M):
7.6
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Elite 16m Mid Pilothouse Te Whara V
In another stellar example of a successful collaboration, boatbuilder Lloyd Stevenson and designer B...
Horsepower (HP):
1,100
Length Over All (M):
16
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
22,500
Construction:
End-grain balsa epoxy composite
Length Over All (M):
14
CONSTRUCTION:
Composite
Powerplay 60
The Powerplay 60 power cat is a boat that can be handled and lived in by two – or one that offers en...
Horsepower (HP):
2 x 315
Length Over All (M):
18.28
YEAR:
2012
Displacement (M):
26000
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Radian R27 Nordarc
Overall, this is an impressive boat. The styling is bold and unique and will certainly turn heads. T...
Horsepower (HP):
200hp max
Length Over All (M):
6.67
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
1800
Construction:
5mm bottom, 4mm sides, 3mm superstructure
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Omikron OT-60
Stepping on board the yacht, it’s obvious everything centres on cruising in luxury.
Horsepower (HP):
300/500
Length Over All (M):
18.41
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
18500
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Riviera 6800 Sport Yacht
The vessel’s low centre of gravity, combined with the Humphree fin stabilisers, gave us a comfortabl...
Horsepower (HP):
2000
Length Over All (M):
22.18
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
34,000
Length Over All (M):
19.87
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Extreme 795 Game King
Performance-wise, the new 350hp Yamaha, plus the Helm Master EX with bow thruster and Seakeeper Ride...
Horsepower (HP):
350
Length Over All (M):
7.93
YEAR:
2024
Construction:
6mm bottom plates
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Beneteau Oceanis 34.1
As you would expect from an experienced design team, the boat is well-balanced and, while the sail a...
Horsepower (HP):
21 (std), 30
Length Over All (M):
10.77
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
5,470
Length Over All (M):
9.50
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Saffier SE 33 Life
The Saffier SE 33 Life daysailer is a breath of fresh air in the production yacht world, with perfor...
Horsepower (HP):
15
Length Over All (M):
11
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
3000
Length Over All (M):
9.85
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Rae Line 206
Some boats are good to look at from the outside and some are good to be onboard. Like her sister the...
Horsepower (HP):
200
Length Over All (M):
6.45
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
1580
Construction:
Hand-laid GRP
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Sasga Menorquin 55FB – Carajillo
She makes a wonderful ship for coastal adventures and holidays, promising easy passage-making and pl...
Horsepower (HP):
960
Length Over All (M):
16.88
Displacement (M):
18.5
Length Over All (M):
14.98
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
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
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
Length Over All (M):
23.07
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
55,600 (dry)
Length Over All (M):
22.86
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP, composite
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
YEAR:
2024
Construction:
GRP
Length Over All (M):
10.77
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
Length Over All (M):
9.0
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
dry, 3,140
Construction:
Solid GRP
Length Over All (M):
8.3
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Southern XF650
Southern Boats has been building top-quality aluminium trailer boats for more than three decades. It...
Horsepower (HP):
150 to 225hp
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
5mm alloy plate. 6mm is available as an option