Auckland's Rayglass Boats has completed the first in-house lamination of its 380 Wide Body Protector at the company's purpose-built production facility in Takanini, marking a significant milestone in its manufacturing history.
For Rayglass, this goes beyond symbolism. Wide-body lamination had previously been contracted to external parties, meaning the company's largest models were partly built beyond its direct oversight. The new Takanini facility, designed from the outset to handle large-scale composite construction, brings the entire process under a single roof for the first time, strengthening quality assurance, production efficiency, and the company's capacity to scale.
“A key driver behind building this facility was to bring the lamination of our larger boats in-house,” said Dean Harris, President of Rayglass Boats. “It’s a game-changer for us. The team has done an outstanding job, and we’re thrilled with the results. This new capability allows us to ramp up production and meet the increasing global demand for our wide-body vessels.”
The 380 Wide Body Protector occupies the top of the Rayglass professional and recreational range, serving operators across the globe. Coastguards, superyacht tender programmes, and serious offshore users all rely on the platform, and completing its hull laminate entirely in Takanini marks a confident advance in both craftsmanship and capability.
The decision to integrate large-vessel lamination into its Auckland operations fits with Rayglass's wider strategy of building local expertise and reinforcing New Zealand's standing as a centre of world-class marine manufacturing. Production growth, the company intends, will remain firmly in Kiwi hands.
Founded in 1987, Rayglass has spent nearly four decades establishing itself among New Zealand's foremost powerboat builders, earning a reputation built on technical innovation, performance, and an uncompromising approach to quality. The company now sits within Brunswick Corporation's global portfolio of marine brands, a position that places it well to respond to growing international appetite for the Protector range.
With the Takanini facility fully operational, Rayglass moves into a new chapter with tighter control over its manufacturing process, greater precision at every stage of construction, and a clear ambition to compete at the highest level internationally.
