Axopar 37 Sea Trial: safety, precision and speed.

Axopar 37 Sun-Top: Sea Trial

The Finnish shipyard Axopar arose from the genius of the founders of three brands: Aquador, XO Boats and Paragon Yachts. Its name is indeed derived from the initials of these boat manufacturers –  A – XO – PAR – and is intended to identify a great personality.

And personality is one among the main strengths of the new Axopar 37 Sun-Top, a completely different boat where economy and quality are surprisingly fused together in a really efficient way. With a starting price of just € 80,950 ( outboards excluded, of course) it may cost about € 130,000 when fully-equipped, which is absolutely not bad for an open yacht of over 11 meters.

I got curious and I rushed to test her.

Axopar 37 Sun-Top Sea Trial

The Axopar 37 is the current flagship of the shipyard and can be fitted with a total power of 700 horsepower which, according to the shipyard, is supposed to deliver a 50-knot top speed. Our test boat is powered by twin brand-new Verado V8 outboards whose 300hp horsepower, 8 cylinders and 4.600 rpm seem to promise great performances.

Climbing on board, I can’t help but stop and look at the intriguing design of the new Mercury Verado engines that, as dark as the night, fit in perfectly with the lines of the Axopar 37. Framed by the bar dedicated to water-skiing , the two outboards look really good.

At the rudder, the boat instill, since the very first moments, a sensation of control. The lake is empty enough and there are just a few boats on the horizon. To try to figure out the real attitude of this 37-footer, I start performing increasingly tighter turns and, even if topsides almost touch the water, the Axopar 37 remains perfectly stable and well-balanced.

Far from being peevish, she faithfully follows her course, ploughing through the waves like a blade. I like the great sense of safety this boat gives both the pilot, who controls his maneuvers while perceiving a great stability, and passengers who, even if they can see topsides touch the water, feel the boat soft on the wave  and, above all, never get wet.

I grab throttles firmly and I start pressing it down; despite a fuel tank at 70% and 5 passengers on board, the boat reaches 30 knots within just 9.7 seconds. This 37-footer never tends to raise the bow; instead, it slides flat on the water. At full throttle, I record a top speed of 46 knots.

I want to sail some miles at the cruising speed, so I dose the gas and, at 30 knots, the boat seems to go significantly more slowly and I can enjoy the beauty of the lake and the stability of this excellent hull.

What I really like is the precision and responsiveness of this boat at the rudder, a little course adjustment is sufficient to make the boat follows the correction immediately.

I press the throttle down again and, at a certain point, during the tightest turns, I try to leave the rudder. Unperturbed, the boat follows its course with no problems, binding like Valentino Rossi: a really extraordinary performance!

But every boat has its own flaw and, indeed, at over 35 knots, the windscreen can’t deflect the air efficiently anymore. This air is too strong and extremely annoying, especially for those seating aft, at this speed, never mind at a higher speed. It takes so little to make anything fall overboard, the windscreen covers only the three pilot seats.

But, after all, we’re talking of a pure open boat, almost a motorboat and therefore we have to pay a price for such a special line.

About the new Mercury Verado outboards

Our Axopar 37 Sun-Top is equipped with twin new Mercury V8 Verado 300hp outboards whose roar immediately suggests a really interesting performance.

At full throttle, engine revolutions go up, the sound gets deep, adrenaline, irresistible. At sea, the two new Verado engines are really great: at low speed, they are actually silent but, at high speed, they are always highly responsive.

The new propulsion systems are efficient even in terms of fuel consumption and emission levels. The work done by Mercury is excellent and results are more than tangible.

Axopar 37 – Description

The Axopar 37 features a hand laminated hull in vinylester resin and GRP material. More specifically, the standard version includes a spacious forward cabin equipped with double bed and instant access to the deckhouse.

The cabin can be equipped with a small gas grill, the bathroom has a standard shower compartment while a black-out curtain can separate the bed from the rest of the cabin, when necessary.

The helmsman station features a large driving console with modern clean lines which can be equipped with two 12-inch screens. The three anatomical seats are adjustable to steer the boat while standing or seating. Protected by the windscreen, they offer a good view over the water and a perfect protection against the wind, even at the highest speeds.

Behind the seats, there is the adjustable table of the cockpit; the three front seats can swivel 180 degrees to make this a very sociable area around the table. In the stern, an additional four-seat row hosts passengers. All this large central area is protected by an electrically-operated awning.

The aft deck is offered in three different versions: it can be equipped with nothing; with an optional wet bar module with refrigerator, electric grill and sink with faucet; or with a cabin with a double bed and flush Lewmar skylight.

On the external sides of the cabin, windows contribute to flood interiors with natural light while enhancing the sensation of space. Outside the cabin, the roof can even be equipped with some optional sun cushions.

Side-decks are wide and safe and it is therefore very easy to move on board, also thanks to a sturdy handrail covering the whole topsides’ perimeter. At night, topsides can be illuminated by optional LED lights embedded into the hull.

Forward, passengers can enjoy anchorages and navigation thanks to a comfortable large sun pad which can accommodate up to 4 adults. Moreover, backrests offer the possibility to use the sun pad even in half-lying position. In the bow, the anchor locker can be equipped with an optional retractable arm ( price: € 4,250)

Technical Specs

Axopar 37  – Performances

Test Conditions: 4 passengers on board, flat lake, no wind, fuel tank at 70%