BOAT REVIEWS
Discover New Zealand’s best boats with expert reviews, specs, and local insights—sailboats, powerboats, and yachts covered.
L980 semi-displacement powercat Emocean
Semi-displacement power cats work well when the hulls are narrow and the bridge decks high.
Length Over All (M):
9.80
Construction:
Composite
Length Over All (M):
8.80
CONSTRUCTION:
E-glass epoxy laminate, foam core
Swift Trawler 48
Mature boaties will love the walk-around side decks, the ease of the sliding door at the helm, and t...
Length Over All (M):
14.7
Displacement (M):
12200
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
12.77
Jeanneau Merry Fisher 1095
The Merry Fisher 1095 should prove to be a most cost-effective vessel to run and own, while at the s...
Length Over All (M):
10.75
Displacement (M):
4638
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Rodman 890 Ventura
The Rodman 890 Ventura is sold with the promise of quality, prestige, innovative features and excell...
Length Over All (M):
8.90
Displacement (M):
5150
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
7.99
Beneteau GT45
The GT has a very Mediterranean feel to it, with its swooshy styling and open entertaining areas jus...
Length Over All (M):
14.78
Displacement (M):
11241
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
13.50
Regal 42 Grand Coupe
Steering is light and the Regal responds immediately to helm inputs.
Length Over All (M):
12.78
Displacement (M):
11204
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Classic 45
Stepping into the saloon one is immediately impressed by the spacious full-width salon and generous ...
Length Over All (M):
13.98
Displacement (M):
19500
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
12.6
Sasga Menorquín 54
The boat feels like a large boat underway, its 24 tonnes just gliding along, powered by twin Volvo D...
Length Over All (M):
17.15
Displacement (M):
24260
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
14.98
Legacy L70
Legacy Marine’s first L70 is the sort of sportfishing paragon other vessels will be measured against...
Length Over All (M):
24
Displacement (M):
60000
Construction:
Aluminium
Maritimo S600
Such is the refinement, handling and practical feel of the excellent Maritimo S600, it reminds me of...
Length Over All (M):
18.62
Displacement (M):
32600
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
18.43
ILIAD 62
Since the brand’s inception just over three years ago, ILIAD is quickly become an established brand ...
Length Over All (M):
18.95
Displacement (M):
40000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Princess F55
Princess has been making high quality motoryachts since 1965, with a range that currently runs from ...
Length Over All (M):
17.6
Displacement (M):
4.6
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Fjord 38xpress
The angular lines of plumb bow, flat sheer and abrupt transom are reminiscent of the Banfield’s Wall...
Length Over All (M):
11.63
Displacement (M):
6060
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
11.28
Sasga 42 HT
The Menorquín range (pronounced Men-or-keen) are based on the look and shape of a traditional small ...
Length Over All (M):
13.2
Displacement (M):
11260
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
11.98
Riviera 78 Motor Yacht
On boarding the 78 MY, the words of Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst echoed in my head: “timeless and ...
Length Over All (M):
24.82
Displacement (M):
56299
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Solid GRP hull, cored topsides and decks
Marex 330 Scandinavia
Norwegian boat builder Marex is on to winner with its Lithuanian-built 330 Scandinavia, as evidenced...
Length Over All (M):
10.49
Displacement (M):
5500
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
9.99
Absolute 47 Flybridge
We’re parking the Absolute 47 back on her Westhaven berth in a 18-knot breeze. The fairway looks awf...
Length Over All (M):
14.63
Displacement (M):
23000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
11.55
Maritimo M55
Maritimo’s fame comes from its highly refined flybridge cruisers which has put it on the global map ...
Length Over All (M):
17.27
Displacement (M):
30000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Solid GRP hull, cored topsides and decks
Riviera 645 SUV
The launch of the 645 at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show completes a stylish six-boat SUV range for Au...
Length Over All (M):
21.23
Displacement (M):
39970
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
19.41
CONSTRUCTION:
Solid GRP keel and hull sections, cored laminate elsewhere, vinylester gelcoat
Nautitech 47 Power
Businessman and philanthropist Dave Sutherland has teamed up with celebrity chef Ben Bayly to launc...
Length Over All (M):
14.23
Displacement (M):
18168
Construction:
Composite
Wright 46S Powercat
Alan Wright is one of New Zealand’s most prolific designers. A father-and-son team has brought one ...
Length Over All (M):
14
Displacement (M):
16000
Construction:
Composite
Fountaine Pajot MY 40
The latest addition to Ownaship’s Auckland-based fractional ownership fleet is a French-built Fount...
Length Over All (M):
12.24
Displacement (M):
13500
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Resin-infused
Riviera 64 SMY
The new 64 SMY takes the very best from Riviera’s largest luxury cruising yacht models and incorpor...
Length Over All (M):
21.3
Displacement (M):
42980
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
19.41
CONSTRUCTION:
Solid GRP hull, cored topsides and decks
Merry Fisher 1095
French manufacturer Jeanneau has been building luxury yachts and powerboats since 1957 and owns Euro...
Length Over All (M):
10.5
Displacement (M):
4638
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Riviera 505 SUV
Australia’s Riviera prides itself on manufacturing boaters’ boats – capable, stylish, well-built mo...
Length Over All (M):
17.01
Displacement (M):
21800
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
13.43
CONSTRUCTION:
Solid GRP hull, cored topsides and decks
Beneteau Swift 35 Trawler
When it came to choosing Brendan and Vicki’s first launch, it was Vicki who did the heavy lifting. ...
Length Over All (M):
11.29
Displacement (M):
8252
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
10.81
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Silent Yacht 55
The solar-powered Silent 55 catamaran is successfully pioneering renewable power in a quality and s...
Length Over All (M):
13.4
Displacement (M):
11000
Construction:
Composite
CONSTRUCTION:
Vacuum-bagged resin infusion glass sandwich composite
Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition
On a windy day in Sydney I experienced three Platinum Edition Sport Yachts back to back, all of them...
Length Over All (M):
17.46
Displacement (M):
24752
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
14.93
CONSTRUCTION:
Hand-laid GRP
Maritimo X50
With its combination of size, style and versatility, the X50 sport yacht may have even broader appea...
Length Over All (M):
16
Displacement (M):
19000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
15.17
Riviera 545 SUV
Fashion and function combine in Riviera’s new 545 SUV – essential ingredients in the competitive spo...
Length Over All (M):
17.6
Displacement (M):
23885
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
16.15
CONSTRUCTION:
Solid lamintaed GRP hull, cored laminate topsides, decks and superstructure
Palm Beach 65
Elegance never goes out of fashion, as this timeless hull from Palm Beach attests.
Length Over All (M):
21.3
Displacement (M):
30000
Construction:
Composite
CONSTRUCTION:
E-glass and Corecell foam hull with carbon decks and superstructure
Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40
Multihulls offer a heady blend of cruising and chilling. To taste this happy mix you should explore...
Length Over All (M):
11.73
Displacement (M):
8900
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Dan Leech L925 Power Cat
Perhaps it’s the seaworthiness, the economy – or perhaps the indoor-outdoor flow of the accommodati...
Length Over All (M):
9.25
Construction:
Wood
Length Over All (M):
7.52
CONSTRUCTION:
E-glass over ply
Riviera 72 Flybridge SMY
Riviera’s winning formula of building ocean-ready sports motor yachts is well-illustrated with its n...
Length Over All (M):
12.68
Displacement (M):
47000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Hand-laid GRP, foam-core topsides, solid GRP keel, longtudinals and structural areas
Haines Hunter SP725
Recently updated and refreshed, the SP725 is one of Haines Hunter’s premium models. Sarisha is the c...
Horsepower (HP):
300
Length Over All (M):
7.25
Displacement (M):
1450
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42
Like her bigger sister (the Soana 47, reviewed in our June 2018 issue), Fountaine Pajot’s new 12.5m ...
Length Over All (M):
12.58
Displacement (M):
10.5
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Greenline 48FC
The first Greenline 48 Flybridge Cruiser in the country, Kiwi Green was purchased from the factory i...
Length Over All (M):
14.99
Displacement (M):
13200
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Maritimo X60
It might have been mid-winter, but Sydney turned on a cracker day for our run down the coast in the ...
Length Over All (M):
19.42
Displacement (M):
30500
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
18.16
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP hull, balsa-cored composite topsides, decks and superstructure
Riviera 395 SUV
Sports utility cruisers can be likened to the hot hatchbacks of the boat world. They have to work ha...
Length Over All (M):
13.27
Displacement (M):
11300
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
12.06
CONSTRUCTION:
Solid GRP
Haines Hunter SF535SB
Haines Hunter has sold over 3000 SF535s and the model’s been around so long it’s become part of the ...
Horsepower (HP):
150
Length Over All (M):
5.8
Displacement (M):
620
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Handlaid GRP