RAYGLASS Boats has been a fixture in the New Zealand boating scene since the 1980s.
Like many established boat brands, Rayglass started as a small family business and quickly grew into a trusted fibreglass boat manufacturer. In 2025, it now holds a solid reputation for building quality boats from its factory in Auckland.
The business is now fully owned by Brunswick Corporation, the large US parent company behind Mercury outboards and many well-known US boat brands.
Rayglass recently undertook a factory upgrade and opened a purpose-built 7,000 m² premises in Takanini/Auckland to consolidate production and meet growing international demand.
Part of this demand includes Australia where Rayglass is expanding its presence. Up until recently, the boats have had a small Australian presence, but it’s not until now that we’ve seen a larger range of boats in Australia and a network of dealers across the country.
The Legend 2350
The test boat, a Legend 2350, belongs to Freedom Boat Club. For those who haven’t heard of Freedom Boat Club, it is, as theme suggests, a “boat club” with a difference. Owned by the same parent company as Rayglass, Freedom Boat Club allows members to sign up and enjoy the benefits of boating with ease. It’s perfect for inner city dwellers or for those who want choice and variety in their boats. Members can also enjoy access at any of the Freedom Boat Clubs worldwide.
Freedom Boat Club Sydney Harbour recently took hold of this Legend 2350 and has recently acquired its second model. The idea was to offer a solid fishing boat that members could fish the
Harbour and take offshore safely. It also made a good crossover family boat. And that’s exactly what this boat offers; plenty of fishing friendly features and a practical and comfortable layout for taking the family for a day out.
The Legend 2350 has the same hull design and beam as the larger 2500 and 2800 models. This provides a spacious and beamy boat and a superior ride. It also means there’s loads of space in the cockpit and cabin for an effective crossover family/fishing boat.
The hard top configuration offers great protection for long runs out to sea or for finding shade and shelter with the kids. Let’s go over some of the main features.
Features
The transom offers ample space for fishing and like most well designed fishing boats, features a bait cutting board and rod holders. It’s a good size bait station and doesn’t impede space and it’s also removable. There’s also a plumbed livewell on the transom and a saltwater and freshwater deck wash.
The freshwater deck wash is useful for overnight stays or washing yourself after taking a dip There’s also a kill tank under the floor to hold fish or store gear. It features a
removable “chilly bin”.
Moving forward and there’s a rod locker on each side of the boat. These are hardly noticeable and a clever use of available space. They hold several rods out of harms way when travelling on the
water or road. When fishing, you can take advantage of the rocket launchers and other rod holders scattered around the boat.
Each cabin seat features a padded rear facing moulded cushioned seat. It’s a comfy place to sit and watch trolled lures or a spot for the kids to sit out of the way. There’s also some storage under these seats.
Moving forward into the spacious cabin and this boat featured a 12-inch Simrad sounder on the dash and extra room for gauges, marine radio etc. The windscreen offers good vision and there’s a window on the driver and passenger side to allow air flow when things heat up.
The bunk area features a toilet, a great idea for the family or long days out at sea. It’s also quite spacious and could fit a couple of people at a squeeze. It’s a good spot for storing fishing gear or using as a resting area if the family are onboard for a more leisurely day of cruising.
Performance
Interestingly, Freedom Boat Club was required to add additional weight near the transom of this boat for its commercial survey purposes. At lower speeds it changed the low speed performance somewhat compared to an “off the shelf” model. Once on the plane, it felt like a very capable offshore boat and wasn’t noticeable at all.
We tested this boat around Sydney Heads in a moderate swell and found it handled beautifully. Very little spray ended up on the windscreen and it was about as soft as you’d expect from a
quality fibreglass boat of this size. It features a 23 degree deadrise, which provides a nice soft landing. We also brought a couple of rods with us and threw some metal lures at schools of salmon along the way. At rest, it felt safe and not too tippy and made a great platform for fishing with more than enough space for two people to cast lures. You could easily fish three or four depending on your style of fishing.
The test boat was fitted with a Mercury 250hp four-stroke and is rated to a whopping 400hp. The 250hp offered plenty of grunt for the 2350. Merc’s 250hp four-stroke is a V8 4.6 litre outboard with a long list of innovative features, making it a smooth, powerful and responsive engine and a great
match on a boat like this.
Rayglass also offers this same boat in a inboard motor configuration with a recommended power rating of 270- 370hp.
The boat/motor/trailer weight on the Legend 2350 is roughly 2.5 tonne and the beam is 2.45m and length overall is 7.3m. This makes it a big but easily manageable rig to tow behind a 4WD.
Overall, I found the Rayglass Legend 2350 to offer a well designed boat with a good mix of fishing and family features. The “family” aspect of this boat doesn’t take away from its fishing credentials
at all! It features a quality build and a spacious, well performing hull capable of long stints offshore for fishing or playing around in the estuary or bay with the family. I have no doubt we’ll be hearing more from Rayglass in the not-too-distant future.
Rayglass also manufacturers several other models. The complete Rayglass and its Protector ranges are available in Australia (all built to order in New Zealand and shipped). Rayglass has dealers in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast with current 2700 and 3000 stock.
More details about Rayglass can be found at rayglass.co.nz and details about Freedom Boat Club at freedomboatclub.com.au.
