Players in the super league

The retro-styled classic built by Vaudrey Miller Yachts has triggered inquiries for similar craft and the company has signed another high-profile tender contract.

The remarkable size of the world's most notable superyachts - up to 138m in length - imposes many operational limitations and prudent seamanship often requires that they stand off resorts, secondary ports and poorly charted areas.

As a result tenders have evolved to fulfil multiple roles, including transporting, entertaining and nurturing high-profile owners and guests. On board systems have become more complex and the standard of finish is expected to reflect the exceptional quality of the mothership.

Six hand-crafted tenders built by Vaudrey Miller Yachts (Auckland) and Southern Ocean Marine (Tauranga) have recently gone into service aboard two superyachts built in Germany. Tight contracts prevent the superyacht owners from being named, but they rank among the world's richest men, and the New Zealand-built tenders have been well received.

Vaudrey Miller built three custom tenders to service the 138m Rising Sun; they included a 12.3m (40ft) classic speed boat, a 10.25 (35ft) sport boat and a 12.4m (40ft) service catamaran. In essence the classic is the owner's boutique picnic boat and commuter, the sport is a large bow-rider optimised for water sports and the service cat is designed to transport supplies, spares, service technicians and crew. They were constructed from Corecell foam, E-glass and up to 60 per cent carbon fibre to meet maximum weight limits imposed by Rising Sun's lifting equipment.

Vaudrey Miller built all three tenders to high-end specs but the retro-styled classic is the focus of the fleet. It blends contemporary and traditional elements using mahogany and holly timber decking, against a jet black hull, off-white upholstery and polished stainless steel fittings.

A forward cabin nestles under the foredeck and the rounded sheerline merges with the tumblehome and two-tier boarding platforms at the stern. Engine-driven air conditioning warms or cools the cabin, and a shower and boarding ladder are integrated within the transom. Side doors provide easy entry to the cockpit which has multiple seating options and a sunbed above the engines.

The propulsion systems are standardised across each tender, although the model specifications vary with each; twin six-cylinder Yanmar diesels driving through gearboxes and Hamilton waterjets power the service cat to 36 knots and the classic and sport to just under 40 knots.

Rising Sun's tenders have triggered inquiries for similar craft and Warren Vaudrey, managing director, Vaudrey Miller Yachts, says the company has just signed another high-profile tender contract where exceptional quality is the prime consideration.

Southern Ocean Marine has also supplied two 6.4m centre console RIBs and a 9.9m runabout to AIR, a 90m (295ft) motoryacht. They were built exclusively from carbon fibre and meticulously fared to achieve a high-end paint finish. Detailing included teak decks, fold-out side doors, bathing platform and fold-away carbon fibre anchoring arm.

The RIBs are service tenders for the crew and the 9.9m runabout is the owner's personal water taxi. Its twin Volvo Penta stern drives it to 47.3 knots and special features include a hydraulically operated fold-down windshield (to enable a crane to slew it into its garage), hydraulic engine hatches and an extensive array of electronics that match those on the bridge of the mothership.

Southern Ocean Marine secured the tender contract after the success of a 19.8m performance cruising yacht they built in 2001. Greg McNabb, director, is hopeful the tenders will generate more referrals.

"They have only just gone into service and we have already received remarkable feedback from numerous superyacht captains."

He says Southern Ocean Marine would like to build more high-end tenders because they represent a segment of the export market which is largely insulated from currency and market fluctuations.

"The owners' wealth and preference for exceptional quality means they are willing to pay for the hours involved."

According to Showboats International, global orders for superyachts are up 28 per cent this year. Vaudrey Miller Yachts and Southern Ocean Marine are hopeful more of this international workload will filter down to Henderson and Tauranga.