After more than two decades shaping the marine industry, Paul MacDonald stepped down from his role leading Southern Spars in 2024. The retirement was brief. He has since redirected his energy into MCD Boutique Yacht Brokerage, a deliberately compact operation built around a handful of carefully chosen brands rather than a high-volume catalogue.
That philosophy will be on full display at this year's Auckland Boat Show.
Two new models form the centrepiece of MCD's show presence, each representing a distinct take on adventure on the water. Both aim at capable, purposeful boating, but the similarity ends there.
The IATA Sunfinder 50 arrives from Turkey as a 50-foot performance adventure boat with a top speed of around 45 knots. Below decks are two cabins with flexible bathroom configurations, while the deck layout is oriented firmly toward socialising and enjoyment. Bow seating is wide and generous, sun pads spread across the stern, a central galley bar anchors the main space, and a hydraulic platform lowers at anchor to turn the transom into a proper swim zone. It is a fast, open boat conceived for life outdoors, moving quickly between good anchorages.
Sweden's Delta 48 Adventure takes the opposite tack. Built on the proven Delta 48 Coupe platform, the Adventure variant adds a more substantial top structure and detailing suited to rougher, more demanding conditions. Diving, fishing, and extended passages when the weather turns are the scenarios this boat is built around. Where the Sunfinder invites sunshine and speed, the Delta 48 Adventure offers shelter and capability.
From Greece, the Omikron OT-60 rounds out the new-build offering with a long-range cruising focus that sets it apart from both. Recent production runs have pushed the standard fuel range to 2,000 nautical miles, achieved not by upgrading the twin 250 hp inboard motors but by increasing tank capacity and refining the hull through intensive CFD analysis. The result is efficiency-led range, a meaningful difference from simply fitting bigger engines. Since the original launch, further refinements have been made to details including hidden exhaust systems, but the headline number remains range.
For anyone contemplating longer passages, the OT-60 gets you up into the Pacific, across to Australia, and around to the Kimberleys and up into Asia if that is on the agenda. That kind of reach changes the conversation around what a boat can do.
MCD is also joint central agent for Pyewacket, the high-performance offshore racing yacht long associated with Roy E. Disney, the great-nephew of Walt Disney. The name carries weight in serious racing circles. Across multiple campaigns, Pyewacket earned a place on major international start lines and established itself as a genuinely competitive offshore platform.
The central agency is shared with Juan K Brokerage, with marketing reaching into global racing networks. Interest has come from two directions: experienced offshore campaigners who know the yacht's record well, and buyers attracted by the prospect of acquiring a proven hull with genuine history behind it. Transactions involving race yachts of this calibre rarely move quickly, but discussions are active. To have a yacht of this standing represented out of New Zealand at all is an uncommon thing.
Beyond new builds and brokerage listings, MCD is connected to Yacht Syndicates of Auckland, a six-owner syndicate model designed for buyers who want meaningful access to a yacht without carrying the full weight of sole ownership. Each participant holds a one-sixth share, with an annual management fee covering servicing, maintenance, cleaning, and preparation. Bookings are made in advance, and the day-to-day operational demands are handled centrally rather than falling on individual owners.
MacDonald's view is that this structure suits the way many owners actually use their boats. Full private ownership carries costs and responsibilities that often outpace the time available to be on the water. A professionally managed share removes much of that burden while preserving what actually matters: the experience once you leave the marina.
In the current market, the logic is hard to argue with.
At the Auckland Boat Show, MCD Boutique Yacht Brokerage will present the Sunfinder 50, the Delta 48 Adventure, and the Omikron OT-60, alongside brokerage listings that include Pyewacket. MacDonald brings a background spanning performance sailing systems, superyacht engineering, and international brokerage, and conversations at the stand tend to go considerably further than specification sheets. The portfolio is small by design. Every boat in it is there for a reason.
