Boating NZ July 2025

Welcome to the July 2025 edition of Boating NZ magazine, which leads off with an exclusive review of the new Rayglass Legend 2700 – two of them, in fact. The 2700 is an important new model for Rayglass, an evolutionary development of the company’s multi-award-winning Legend 2500, of which around 600 are in circulation. The newest Rayglass is available in several variants: inboard diesel, inboard petrol V8, single outboard (Mercury Verado 400hp V10 or 300hp V8) and twin outboard (Mercury 200hp or 225hp V6). We review the diesel sterndrive and outboard V10 models on page 22, as well as a new Assault 920 Amphibious and the latest from Innovision Boats, a 616 Venture that began life as a custom build for an Australian customer but is now part of the…

Step onboard Boating New Zealand to share thrilling maritime adventures, improve your knowledge of powerboats and yachts, feel the challenge of offshore voyages and be inspired by DIY projects in garages throughout the country. Plus, see the latest new boats from New Zealand and overseas – all brought to you by our talented pool of writers and photographers. CALL 0508 692628 FREEPHONE CHOOSE THE OPTION FOR YOU $110 for a 1-year subscription Save 28% off retail! $197 for a 2-year subscription Save 31% off retail! www.boatingnz.co.nz/subscribe/ WATCH BOAT REVIEWS AT WWW.BOATINGNZ.CO.NZ AND ON YOUTUBE…

Wharington and crew will stay on in New Zealand for the 119nm PiC Coastal Classic… Grant Wharington is getting Wild Thing 100 revved up – the new mast to suit the 100-footer was stepped and new sails by Kiwi Rodney Keenan were added in May – so the timing is right to have a crack at the record in the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race (S2A) sponsored by Harken and the perfect vehicle to return eminent sailor Keenan to his homeland. “We want to support the race,” Wharington said of the 1250 nautical mile Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race, starting on 11 October and described by world-renowned meteorologist, Roger ‘Clouds’ Badham OAM, as a “tough little piece of ocean”. “Rod (Keenan) is one of our watch captains. He’s very experienced…

SailGP successfully finished a series of upgrades to all 12 wingsails ahead of the event in New York in June, following a full inspection and review. All 12 boats were fit for racing in New York. The issue was first discovered following testing and analysis of Australia’s wing following its collapse in San Francisco. The decision was made to cancel Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix in May after identifying a potential defect in select wingsails across the F50 fleet. Each F50 has since received an upgraded ‘Main Element 1’ (ME1) before racing began – the area of the wingsail closest to the F50 platform, which bears the most load in racing conditions. Further upgrades to the wingsails are also planned to take place throughout the season. In further SailGP news,…

Rayglass Boats debuted the Legend 2700 at the Hutchwilco Boat Show in May. This new vessel is an evolution of the company’s most popular boat and New Zealand’s most awarded fibreglass boat ever – the Legend 2500. This boat was tailor-made, considering almost 20 years of customer feedback on the Legend 2500. Rayglass founder Tony Hembrow says when designing the vessel, they wanted to address all the things that customers didn’t like and improve on all the features they did like. The result is a truly multi-purpose, trailerable vessel built to enable the Kiwi adventure lifestyle: fishing, long-range cruising, entertaining family and friends, or overnighting in complete comfort. The Legend 2700 still has all the features that Kiwis loved about the 2500: unsinkable hull design, high build quality, spacious cabin,…

At a special Private View event at London’s St Katharine Docks, Oyster Yachts unveiled plans for the Oyster 805, a striking new 80-foot model that blends superyacht sophistication with exceptional bluewater capability. The launch marks a defining moment for Oyster, reinforcing its position as a global leader in luxury ocean exploration and bespoke yacht ownership. The momentum is further underlined by the appointment of Torsten Müller-Ötvös, former CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, as Strategic Advisor. His leadership at Rolls-Royce transformed the historic brand into a modern luxury powerhouse. Torsten’s insight will be invaluable as the brand refines and globalizes the Oyster story. Ashley Highfield, CEO of Oyster Yachts, said, “The Oyster 805 will open a world of adventure to new and existing owners – and also mark a new chapter…