Ten years after Finnish boatbuilder Axopar Boats launched its first model, the Axopar 28, the builder recently debuted its new Axopar 29 Range.

The series has two models: the Axopar 29 Cross Cabin (XC) and the Axopar 29 Sun-Top (ST). While the designs have familiar Axopar DNA, there have been some changes, according to the builder.

In a press release, Axopar stated that these changes included “redefined hydrodynamics and improved efficiency, the hull itself is more defined, more fluid, and with a less angular stance about it.” The hull form is a twin-stepped, deep-V design with a knifelike entry and 22.5 degrees of transom deadrise.

The builder says that the “bow section is higher with a more pronounced flair that will impart a sense of protection from the elements and maintain its renowned ride quality, even in rougher conditions. The walkaround side decks are also wider, making maneuvering around the boat easier.”

These enhancements are based on the builder’s decade of experience building and running the Axopar 28 as well as customer input.

The 29 XC has an offset helm station, cleaner sightlines, wider and taller sliding doors, more and level floor space as well as increased legroom for the helmsman and passengers alike, according to Axopar.

The 29 ST is notable for its improved social spaces. The cockpit has a U-shaped settee and a foldout hi-low table, which also forms a sun pad. The settee’s backrests adjust four ways to accommodate multiple seating and relaxing scenarios. There is a foredeck lounge to accommodate even more friends and family for that sunset cruise.

Perhaps, the most significant design change is found at the bow where it has what it calls a multicabin. The area can serve as under-deck stowage and have a freshwater toilet and sink, or it can be set up as a full-length cabin for overnighting.

“The multicabin forward gives tons of extra usability for the boat and now you can have two couples, or two adults and two kids staying overnight, when selecting the main sleeping aft cabin to the boat.,” the builder stated in a press release.

Power options are a single 300 hp to 400 hp outboard or twin 200 hp outboards. The builder says that when running the Axopar 29 models between a 22-knot to 32-knot cruise-speed range, fuel efficiency is virtually unchanged. Axopar adds that the 29 models are capable of a 37-knot fast cruise speed thanks to the hull-design improvements. The builder says fuel economy has increased by up to 30 percent as well and range is 200-plus nautical miles.

Top-end speed is reportedly around 48 knots.

Take the next step: axopar.com

Quick Specifications

• Length Overall: 29′
• Maximum Beam: 9’8″
• Draft: 2’8″
• Max HP: 400

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Axopar, which makes gasoline-outboard-powered boats and electric-outboard-powered boats, has joined forces with Agapi Boat Club to offer boat-club memberships.

The Axopar x Agapi Boat Club will have its first three locations on the French and Spanish rivieras, in Empuria Brava and Menorca, Spain, as well as St. Tropez, France. More global locations are expected to be announced in the coming months.

“We’re pioneering a hassle-free, global adventure boating experience, and we’re thrilled to welcome more Axoparians on the water,” Jan-Erik Viitala, founding partner at Axopar Boats, stated in a press release. “Our investment in Agapi—a seasoned player in the circular economy and sharing concept—comes after seven years of their expertise.”

Memberships will give customers access to boats from 22 to 45 feet length overall, depending on the membership category. As a boater’s experience level grows, he or she will be able to access different membership categories.

What is the cost for a membership? Prices range from about $4,265 to about $37,300 annually, depending on the membership level and range of boats.

Take the next step: Go to axopar-agapiboatclub.com

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What a shame that I had only an afternoon to play with Axopar’s new flagship, the 45 XC. When I first saw it the day before, the boat was tied to an outer pontoon at the Cannes Yachting Festival with a kayak and an electric mountain bike strapped to the coachroof rack, unwashed salt glistening in the early autumn sunshine. The 45 XC looked liked it had just returned from an epic voyage. These Finnish-designed crossover vessels look adventure-ready.

Outwardly, all Axopars share the same design cues: slightly reversed stems, a glimpse of hull steps at the waterline, high bulwarks and deep walkaround decks. On the bigger models, there are also cabins with an explorer-style, raked-forward windshield.

The XC in this model’s name stands for “cross cabin.” Think of a nautical multitool, and you will get the gist. Every cubic inch aboard has a function—or three. Stuff slides back and forth, glides up and down, and rotates this way and that way to meet all manner of guest demands.

For instance, when pushed forward, the 45 XC’s side-deck doors open up the after half of the cabin to the side decks, a feature that is made all the more interesting by fold-down bulwark sections that increase on-deck real estate and reinforce the connection with the sea beyond. With the addition of a couple of cushions, those fold-down surfaces become bench seats. Conversely, push those side doors back, and the bridge end of the cabin opens up. Moreover, a furniture module amidships can slide back and forth to maximize floor space forward or aft, while sunroofs above bathe the space in sunshine and fresh air.

The forward cuddy cabin, accessed via a sliding door to port of the helm and located down a few steps, has a lower salon with wraparound sofa seating and a V-berth tucked into the bow for overnights, long weekends or just rainy-day quiet time with a book. A head-shower compartment is to starboard. There is plenty of natural light, thanks to two windows and a skylight in the superstructure, which has sections that hinge up gull-wing-style to bring in more light and fresh air, as well as provide more access. With everything open, the 45 XC’s interior feels very different, making the forward cabin an inviting alternative during the day for those wanting shade and quietude.

Outside spaces are just as useful. There is a sun pad on the foredeck and various options for the cockpit, which comes bare as standard. The 45 XC that I got aboard has a U-shaped booth setup, but an alternative arrangement places a sun pad on top of the boat’s aft cabin that’s big enough for a second double berth and an extra head. The latter option also has a sizable window facing aft onto the motor casings and twin hatches that are otherwise hidden beneath the sun pad cushions.

The Axopar 45 XC is rigged for Mercury outboard power, and the one I got aboard came with the biggest available option: triple 300 hp Mercury Verados. Weather permitting, 900 heavy horses should deliver up to a cheek-flapping 48 knots comfortably. Frustratingly, during the early stages of my sea trial, we were bucking 3-plus-foot seas and a stiff southwesterly, so our best runs remained in the low-40-knot range for a long while until, by chance, we found a slightly calmer patch of water to push those ergonomically friendly throttles to the pins. A couple of reciprocal runs soon confirmed that the gloves could come off properly. From a standing start, the 45 XC was on plane in around 10 seconds, and just 20 seconds later, the boat managed a couple of reciprocal runs of 43 and 47 knots. The 45 XC that I was aboard was running a little under half load with two people, no stores, three-quarters fuel and a half-empty water tank.

Helm ergonomics are good, and the vessel’s handling is precise, although if the helmsman turns the wheel over too sharply, the 45 XC can oversteer, and those hull steps will momentarily lose their lift. Given suitable sea conditions, this crossover craft fast-cruises efficiently all day at around 28 knots, which equates to 5,000 rpm, or 80 percent of the engines’ maximum rev range. At that rate and allowing for a 10 percent fuel reserve, expect to get a 240-nautical-mile range between fuel stops. Nudge the speed up by 10 knots, and it will knock only around 50 nm off the cruising-speed range.

Most of the Axopar 45 XCs already sold for North American destinations are bound for South Florida, with options such as air conditioning, a wet bar and fishing amenities.

These crossover boats are indeed adventure-ready, no matter what type of at-sea adventure an owner has in mind.

The Range

The Axopar model lineup includes 11 models across five core hull sizes: 22, 25, 28, the best-selling 37 and, most recently, the flagship 45. If the standard offerings aren’t enough, German performance enhancer Brabus Marine has pimped-up versions of the 25, 28 and 38. They are billed as the Brabus Shadow 300s, 500s and 900s.

Design Origins

Axopars are built in Poland, but the creative team is Finnish. The concepts come from company founder Jan-Erik Viitala.

Take the next step: axopar.fi

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Axopar has been on the Financial Times’ list of 100 fastest-growing companies for two years and is now delivering at least 1,000 boats a year. More than 5,000 Axopars have been delivered to date. This year, the Axopar 22 is being introduced to reinvigorate the entry-level models as the Axopar 24 retires.

The Axopar 22 has contemporary styling. There’s a sharp entry and a slightly reversed bow with a pronounced bluff deck overhang to deflect spray. Designers also created a chunky stepped-hull form with chines carried all the way forward.

Two versions of the Axopar 22 are available: Spyder or T-Top. A single 115 to 200 hp Mercury outboard delivers the oomph. The 22 I got aboard was Hull No. 4, a Spyder. It had a Merc 200 outboard and easily topped 40 knots. At a fast cruise of 30 knots, range would be around 170 nautical miles.

Those hull steps do their job without any fuss. The boat was on plane in about five seconds, and there was minimal heeling. From the helm, the 22 inspired confidence, and there were no nasty snags in even the sharpest of turns.

The first Axopar was the 28, which launched in 2014 and is still part of the model range with three versions available: an open, a cabin and a T-top. At the top of the range is the Axopar 37, which also comes in three versions: Open, XC Cabin and Sun Top. All the models have stepped, deep-V hull forms, are propelled by outboard engines, and have walk-around decks. The bigger models are open, with or without T-tops, or have enclosed wheelhouses.

With typical extras and the biggest engine, the Axopar 22 is priced around $76,601. The same boat with the smallest engine would be $68,464. The standard specification includes a bare deck, the bridge console, pilot and copilot seats, and an aft bench seat.  

Clever Details

A handrail rings the deck. The windshield adjusts from near-vertical to fully raked by twisting knobs on each side. A locker under the aft deck can accommodate a life raft.

Axopars Inbound

According to Axopar, about 40 percent of its boats are shipped to North America. The models all nest efficiently into containers. As of midsummer, 10 of the Axopar 22s had arrived and 140 more were on order for the 2022 model year.

Behind the Design

The Helsinki studio of designer Jarkko Jämsén, called Navia, was responsible for all the Axopar designs. The studio’s biggest yacht project to date was the exteriors on the 253-foot Feadship Pi.

Take the next step: axopar.fi

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It takes a lot to make an impression at the Monaco Yacht Show. Port Hercules is studded with so much glitz and glimmer that it’s hard for even some of the mega-­yachts to stand out. And yet the Brabus Shadow 800 by Axopar managed to do just that, at only 36 feet 9 inches length overall.

Brabus is a German aftermarket company that makes supercars even more, well, super. Brabus specializes in Mercedes and Maybach cars, and the company recently delved into the marine world in partnership with the Finnish builder Axopar.

Axopar is known for fast, nimble vessels. The builder is not much for frills, which is exactly what makes this partnership so enticing. When you combine Axopar’s no-nonesenseness with German auto luxury, the result is quite intoxicating.

For example, the stitching on the Brabus Shadow 800’s red-leather helm seating is highly detailed (the company calls it “sport-pattern stitching”), and the amount of carbon-fiber accents in the construction lends this boat an air of lavishness that should make her sought after as a mega-yacht tender.

When I ran her in calm seas in the Mediterranean Sea off Monaco, she performed well. She is built using the same hull form as Axopar’s 37, with 22 degrees of deadrise at the transom and a narrow, axe-bow entry for slicing through seas. She cruised at 30 knots, a tick slower than the builder’s suggested cruise speed of 34 knots. At wide-open throttle, she reportedly can do 48 knots. (I didn’t drop the hammer because the boat was all gussied up for the boat show.) In terms of handling, she made hard-over turns to both port and starboard in a single boat length, and at the wheel, I felt more like I was aboard a PWC than a center-console. It was hard not to smile while driving a vessel this nimble.

Down below, she has a forward berth that would be good for any child or adult who has had enough of the sun for the day. A flat-screen TV is built into the after bulwark.

Brabus and Axopar plan to build only 20 of these limited-edition center-consoles, each of them with a gunmetal-gray hull and red exterior upholstery. So, for those interested in a luxuriously appointed, eye-catching vessel with excellent performance and a ­conversation-starting pedigree, the time to act is now.

Inside Job

The Brabus Shadow 800 is designed for an overnight away from the marina, with a forward berth, an electric toilet, and a flat-screen TV on the after bulwark. There’s stowage under the mattress, and a USB charger is built in at bedside. A curtain can close off the sleeping area for privacy.

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If you think you don’t know the work of German car company Brabus, think again. It optimizes luxury cars, including those built by Mercedes-Benz.

When Axopar, the boatbuilder in Finland known for aggressively styled center consoles and walkarounds, wanted to soup up its 36-foot Shadow 800, it chose Brabus to help.

Axopar also added a carbon-fiber dashboard, titanium-finished hinges, and powerful, twin 400 hp Mercury Verado 400Rs that hang off the transom like trophies.

Whom It’s For: The Shadow 800 is for the owner who wants a 50-plus-knot tender with a seaworthy hull and super-sharp styling that’s reminiscent of supercars.

Picture This: You’re in a crowded harbor that’s buzzing with luxury tenders. Everyone’s head is on a swivel checking out the other guy’s ride — that is, everyone except for you.

The Axopar Brabus Shadow 800 provides everyone on board with the quiet confidence that comes from knowing luxury and performance details make all the difference.

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Meet the Brabus 800 Shadow by Axopar.

This 36-foot-9-inch tender is built by Finnish-based Axpoar boats, noted for its fast, aggressive-looking center consoles and walkarounds. However, this one is a bit different as the builder collaborated with noted high-performance auto company Brabus.

On the performance side, this tender is equipped with twin 400 hp Mercury Verado outboards, which are predicted to propel, this deep-V designed, twin-stepped hulled craft to 50-knot plus speeds. With her 192-gallon fuel capacity and running at a 35-knot cruise, the Shadow is expected to have a 250-nm range, plenty given that the vessel’s moniker, means that her primary purpose is a tender to a larger yacht.

In addition to speed, onboard luxury was a design goal for the Shadow. To that end, Brabus and Axopar uses carbon fiber accents, adding a sense of chic style. The stainless-steel stanchions and handrails are painted black, enhancing this feeling even more. Fittings, cup holders and hinges are black powdercoat. The color’s sleek appeal is carried over into the hardtop with a retractable roof, while red Sunbrella Silvertex on the cockpit seats creates a striking contrast. The cabin’s soft goods are covered in Brabus fine leather and Alcantara.

Other notable flourishes include a hardtop with retractable roof, Mercury joystick piloting and skyhook anchoring system, Garmin electronics package with dual 12-inch displays (16-inch displays are available) and HD radar, Fusion entertainment system and 42-inch LG TV in the cabin belowdecks.

Additionally, the Shadow’s VesselView 903 system pairs with an owner’s smartphone via Bluetooth allowing them to access vital data such as fuel burn, maintenance intervals, engine hours and more.

The Shadow’s primary purpose is dayboating, but there are accommodations belowdecks for a couple, and an optional aft cabin provides room for two more.

The Shadow’s initial production is 20 vessels starting at a base price of about $493,973. The builder is planning larger Shadow craft, up to 45 feet length overall, within the next two years.

Quick Specs:

LOA: 36’9”

Beam: 10’10”

Fuel Cap.: 192 gal.

Top Speed: 50-knots plus

Cruise Speed: 35 knots

Passenger Cap.: 10

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Quick Specs of the Axopar 37 T-Top

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There’s nothing like a bit of Scandinavian design to make your fleet pop, aesthetically speaking. If we are of like minds, then this minimalistic 37 T-Top from Axopar, a Finnish company, might be just the vessel for you. And, of course, form follows function. She’s a day boat well-suited for making a quick hop into port. And I do mean quick: With optional twin 350 hp Mercury Verado 350 XLs, the boat can hit a scintillating 50 knots, gliding along on a twin-stepped hull with 20 degrees of deadrise at the transom.

WHOM IT’S FOR: The 37 T-Top would make a great second boat for a person with design sense that slants Euro, and who also has a need for speed.

NOT A BANK-BREAKER: At $185,140, including Twin Verado 300’s, you might even consider getting two.

PICTURE THIS: The late afternoon winds have whipped up a confused chop that separates you and your friends from your favorite watering hole across the bay. The other boats will have to pick their way slowly toward their piña coladas. But not you. Your 37’s hull slices bumps to smithereens, and she can get up and go in rougher stuff than this. Looks like you’re buying the first round.

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What We Love: The inverted windshield, the twin 350hp Mercury Verado outboard engines and the spacious salon.

Learn More: Check out our feature from Yachting Magazine on the Axopar 37.

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