This Season's Selection of Great Yacht Tenders and Water Toys

Almost as important as the yacht itself are the onboard amenities, which help create the perfect holiday for all aboard. A fully stocked toy chest with all of the latest & greatest tenders & toys will open the door to even more fun & excitement.

Two for One

Why be satisfied with doing just one thing well when you can do two things even better? This was the theory behind the Vanqraft VQ16, the first tender-scooter crossover from builder Vanquish Yachts of The Netherlands. The Vanqraft VQ16, developed by Vanquish Yachts CEO Tom Steentjes and renowned Dutch designer Guido de Groot, combines the fun of a water toy with the practicality of a tender. While small tender-scooters are built for one person to run around the bay, the Vanqraft VQ16 takes things to the next level, offering a high-performance scooter that’s fun to drive and a first-class tender that can ferry five guests in comfort. The driver straddles the center seat, much like a Jet Ski, while other passengers can sit in the cozy bow seats. Those looking for more of a thrill can sit behind the driver, feeling every turn. The scooter is designed to perform like a dream with easy maneuverability. Powered by a 200hp Yamaha 1.8L engine with jet propulsion, she easily reaches top speeds of 40 knots. Want to go even faster? A Veloce version capable of racing up to 50 knots also is available.

Tee Time

If hitting a golf ball from the top deck is like a driving range at sea, then FunAir’s new Yacht Golf set up is like having a golf course off the aft deck. The multi-green system allows the crew to set individual floating holes at varying distances, so golfers can aim for a range of holes and set the challenges to meet their skill sets. Yacht Golf comes in a set of three, allowing yachts take as many on board as the toy box can handle, easily making a nine- or 18-hole floating golf course out in the ocean. Tough netting on each green catches the balls when you make a hole in one. FunAir also has partnered with Albus Golf, so the balls that come with Yacht Golf are eco-friendly. Albus creates marine-friendly “Ecobioballs” — made popular by the likes of Richard Branson and his guests at Necker Island; these golf balls are actually fish food. They don’t degrade in the water right away, so when a hole-in-one is achieved the balls can be scooped up for later use. If you miss, you give the fish a tasty treat. Fun for golfers and sea life alike.

In Pursuit of Perfection

Is there such thing as the perfect tender? One superyacht captain is betting he’s come up with the formula for just such thing. “The ‘perfect’ tender should encompass speed, performance, stability, fuel efficiency, comfort and seaworthiness,” says Captain Dean Maggio, the principal behind Ocean 1 yacht tenders. Captain Maggio oversaw the build of the 170-foot (51.81m) Royal Huisman schooner METEOR and has helmed the yacht since its launch in 2007. Ocean 1 aims to stand out from the pack of RIB tenders by combining the attributes of a hardy, open-water tournament fishing boat with the comforts expected by the superyacht set. Lightweight composite construction meets a smooth, stable ride. Standard features include a large carbon-fiber hard top and hydraulic steering, and there are plenty of options to make the craft even more luxurious. The Ocean 1 360 is designed to be light, strong and fuel efficient. The hull is designed for maximum lift, meaning there’s less drag and more efficiency — a fuel efficiency of 1.5mpg at 45mph, in fact. The tender takes off to a top speed of 59.5mph at full load, and can reach an even speedier 64mph at half load. The first hull of the 36-foot 360 model was delivered in May, and hull two just debuted in Bermuda at the America’s Cup this summer.

Flying High

Foiling isn’t just for America’s Cup pro sailors anymore. The 17-foot F101 was created to make hydro-foiling accessible to anyone, and these fast-flying sailing trimarans are the perfect addition to the superyacht garage. The F101 is inspired by the Moth class but is designed to be sailed by the masses. Unlike Moths, it is extremely hard to capsize. Stable when foiling at low speeds, easy to handle and with a long hull to prevent nose-diving, it’s a boat that anyone can sail. Even novices can now enjoy the thrills of flying above the water on hydro-foils. The foils are retractable so the boat can be launched in shallow water, too. Best of all, while the boat is designed to be singlehanded, there’s room for a guest so two people can enjoy the fun as the F101 flies across the water at speeds of 10 to 25 knots.