There are charter destinations, and then there are places that genuinely stop you mid-sentence. New Zealand is the latter. We've been watching this corner of the South Pacific quietly earn its reputation as one of the most compelling luxury yacht charter destinations on earth — and from December 2026, the 121-foot Dubois-designed sailing yacht Radiance will be right there to explore it in style.
This is not your typical Mediterranean circuit. A New Zealand yacht charter with Radiance means remote anchorages with no other boats in sight, landscapes that feel borrowed from a fantasy novel, world-class diving, and — honestly — a sense of freedom that's hard to find anywhere else. She's available across both islands, and the choice between them is, frankly, one of the most delicious dilemmas in all of private yacht charter.
The Yacht: Built to Sail, Designed to Impress
Designed by Dubois Naval Architects and built by Bayards in 2010, Radiance has just completed a thorough 2025 refit — following earlier updates in 2019 and 2022 — and she shows it. At 37 metres and 160 gross tonnes, she's a proper performance sailing yacht, but one that never sacrifices comfort for speed. Twin helm stations bring guests genuinely close to the sailing action, which we think is one of her most underrated qualities. There's something visceral about feeling the breeze and watching the sails fill as you thread between headlands.
The cockpit is wonderfully versatile — twin dining tables, a fixed bimini, and convertible lounging space that can be enclosed when the weather calls for it. Above, the raised salon wraps around panoramic windows and houses a dedicated chart table; it's a proper sailing ship's brain, and the view from it is exceptional. Accommodation runs to four ensuite staterooms for up to eight guests, anchored by a full-beam master suite complete with bathtub and separate shower. The coach roof sunbathing area and generous swim platform round things out — this is a yacht that rewards both the action-seeker and the devotee of doing absolutely nothing.
North Island: Colour, Culture, and World-Class Diving
The North Island itinerary takes in four of New Zealand's most iconic cruising grounds. Start at Great Barrier Island — wild, forested, and mercifully free of crowds — before heading to the Poor Knights Islands, a marine reserve that Jacques Cousteau once ranked among the world's top ten dive sites. The underwater topography here is extraordinary: tunnels, arches, and caverns teeming with subtropical fish species rarely seen this far south.
From there, the Bay of Islands — 144 islands, countless beaches, and some of New Zealand's richest history — is a charter holiday in its own right. Cap it with the Cavalli Islands, a cluster of granite outcrops with calm, clear waters perfect for snorkelling, kayaking, or simply anchoring off an empty beach with nothing but birdsong for company. Radiance carries a brand-new Smuggler 440 tender, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, waterskis, and a full set of snorkelling gear, so there's no shortage of ways to get amongst it.
South Island: Fiordland and the Edge of the World
If the North Island is New Zealand's colourful, sun-soaked face, the South Island is its soul — raw, dramatic, and utterly unlike anywhere else. A New Zealand yacht charter through Fiordland is, in our view, one of the most spectacular private yacht charter experiences available on the planet right now. Full stop.
Milford Sound — technically a fiord, but we won't hold that against it — delivers sheer cliff faces plunging 1,200 metres into the sea, waterfalls that appear from nowhere after rain, and a silence so complete it becomes a sound of its own. Deeper into Fiordland lies Doubtful Sound, three times the length of Milford and far less visited; this is where you feel genuinely alone with the landscape. And then there's Stewart Island, New Zealand's southernmost inhabited point, where you're more likely to encounter a kiwi than another yacht.
The Details
Radiance sleeps eight guests across four ensuite cabins, staffed by a crew of five. She's available for a New Zealand luxury charter holiday from December 2026, with Fiji on the programme for the summer season. Whether your instinct pulls you north or south, this is an expedition-minded luxury yacht charter that doesn't ask you to compromise on a single thing — adventure and elegance, together, in one of the world's last truly wild places. Speak to our team to start planning your itinerary.
- Length: 121'5" (37.0m)
- Builder: Bayards
- Built / Refit: 2010 / 2025
- Guests: 8 | Cabins: 4 | Crew: 5
- Cruising Speed: 10 knots
- Available: New Zealand from December 2026
