Axopar launches the 38 Sun Top, an open and social boat built for shared time on the water

by Axopar Boats 6 May 05:50 PDT

Axopar Boats introduces the 38 Sun Top, the second model in its all-new 38 range. Built around openness, flexibility, and shared time on the water, the Sun Top pairs a social, open-air layout with the same proven hull, drivability, and liveability that define the 38 XC Cross Cabin, which debuted at Boot Düsseldorf 2026.

With precise, confidence-inspiring handling, it delivers an unrivaled driving experience for both seasoned captains and those new to boating.

At its core, the Sun Top is a social platform as much as a boat to drive. The open layout removes the visual and physical barriers between helm, cockpit, and aft deck, bringing people closer to each other and to the sea. Driving, dining, and relaxing coexist within one continuous space, so the boat adapts to how the day unfolds rather than dictating how it should be used.

Axopar 38 Sun Top - photo © Axopar Boats

A flexible and social cockpit

The reimagined mid-section offers one of the most modular seating solutions in its class. Owners can configure the cockpit from individual helm seats to a forward-facing U-sofa that converts into a sunbed with an electric hi-lo table. A driver's sofa with flip-up bolsters and a reversible backrest lets the space shift naturally between driving, dining, and lounging. With optional bulwark seating, the cockpit comfortably hosts up to 10 people, all within the same social space. The aft deck extends this further: foldable activity platforms and alternative fender box layouts widen the usable area and bring people closer to the water for swimming, watersports, and loading gear onboard.

Axopar 38 Sun Top - photo © Axopar Boats

Close to the elements, ready for real conditions

Open boating has always promised freedom and a direct connection to the surroundings, but too often at the expense of comfort when conditions change. The distinctive Sun Top roof resolves that trade-off. Its sliding canvas opens the entire helm and cockpit to the sky when the weather allows or provides shade and shelter when needed. Optional roll-down canopies add further protection without limiting visibility or the sense of openness, extending usable boating into more days across the season.

Axopar 38 Sun Top - photo © Axopar Boats

Built on the Axopar 38 platform

While the Sun Top brings a new, open character to the range, it rests on the same foundation that defines every Axopar 38 — a twin-stepped V hull with sharp entry, supported by an overbuilt stringer system that delivers rigid structural integrity and predictable handling at every speed. The 38 platform has been obsessively designed and endlessly refined in the details. It also introduces refined hydrodynamics, improved weight distribution, and a re-engineered hull profile for an even more intuitive, confidence-inspiring driving feel at both low and high speeds.

The result is an intuitive driving feel that inspires confidence at the helm, whether the captain is a seasoned hand or new to boating. The same rigidity also supports noise reduction, making for a calmer onboard environment where conversation and relaxation feel natural even at cruising speed. Modularity sits at the heart of the Axopar 38: across the cockpit, aft deck, bow, and cabin, owners can tailor layouts and modules to how the boat will be used rather than choosing between fixed trade-offs.

The bow is designed as a genuine social space for sitting, dining, lounging, or sunbathing, whether under way or at anchor. Below deck, the front cabin carries over the increased headroom, new kitchen module, and optional enclosed toilet with shower that make the Axopar 38 a practical platform for longer stays, not just day trips. The front cabin feels bright and open, with skylights and the option of gullwing doors for daylight and ventilation.

Axopar 38 Sun Top - photo © Axopar Boats

A range that continues to grow

Following the debut of the Axopar 38 XC Cross Cabin at Boot Düsseldorf 2026, the range now expands with the Sun Top, with the Cross Top, featuring a forward-tilting windshield for added protection from the sun, to follow in September 2026. Together, the three models form a complete offering — each tailored to a different way of experiencing life on the water, but all built around the same core DNA of drivability, usability, modularity and long-term value.

"Boating has never been about the journey alone — it is about the people you share it with. The Axopar 38 Sun Top is built around that simple idea, giving owners the freedom to shape their experience on the water while staying true to the performance and quality that define the range." — Jan-Erik Viitala, Founding Partner, Axopar

Axopar 38 Sun Top - photo © Axopar Boats

Technical specifications:

Overall length (excl. engine): 11.85 m / 38 ft 11 in
Beam: 3.53 m / 11 ft 7 in
Draft to props: 1.1 m / 3 ft 7,3 in
Weight (excl. engine): 5300 kg / 11684 lbs (estimate with average options)
Passengers B: 10 persons / C: 12 persons
Berths: 2 (+2)
Fuel capacity: 830 L / 219 gal (1000L / 264 gal), approx. 250/330 nm range at cruising speed @3.3 l/nm
Construction: GRP
Category: B - Offshore / C - Coastal
Max speed range: 45+ kts
Outboard engines: 2 x 300hp / 2 x 350hp
Hull design: Twin stepped 20 degree V "Sharp entry hull"

Feature highlights

The most modular boat ever built.
Purpose-built for onboard comfort, socializing and liveability.
Industry-leading drivability and peerless seakeeping.
Reimagined hydrodynamics and balance for effortless control and agility.
Optimized strength to weight by overbuilt stringer system to ensure rigid structural integrity.
Extensively engineered noise reduction solutions for added comfort onboard.
Benchmark for class-best value and versatility.
Functional purity without distraction of gimmicks and superficial complexity.
Refined, functional design with great attention to details and meaningful innovations.
Made for boaters by boaters with obsessive focus on constant improvements.

Bow

Wider bow for improved walk-through.
Forward facing sofa layout as standard.
Powerdome design on couch roof with integrated skylights.
Optional all-new U-sofa layout with storage and table, transformable to a sun lounger.
Optional forward-facing sun lounge with storage underneath.

Front Cabin

Combined lounge sofa and bed solution with reclinable backrest for extended usability of the front cabin.
Increased headroom and standing height.
Kitchen module with sink and faucet, five drawers and space for fridge and coffee machine.
Cupboard with two shelves and space for microwave.
Optional fully enclosed toilet compartment with privacy enclosure and optional shower.
Optional gullwing access doors with portlights.

Cockpit

Aft deck modularity extended into cockpit area adding possibility to replace sport seats with sofas or aft seat row with a cockpit U-sofa and additional optional bulwark seats.
Efficient use of space optimized for easy movement on the boat.
Pilot seat base with three rotating helm seats, and optional refrigerators.
Optional driver's sofa with flip-up bolsters and reversable backrest.
Optional U-sofa configuration convertible into a sun bed with electric hi-lo table.

Aft deck:

All-new modular storage solutions for fender boxes ranging from full-size storage to wet bar or bench seats.
Modular options for aft deck ranging from aft-facing sofa, wet bar to aft cabin.
Optional foldable activity platforms with manual operation.
Splashwell cover for extending aft deck space.

General

Improved lithium power bank solutions.
Optional integration between Mercury JPO system and bow thruster.
Optional Burnewiin gunwale mounts, enabling a variety of accessories with quick attachment.
Optional XL fuel tank capacity of 1000 liters allowing extensive cruising range.
Spacious, smart storage solutions throughout the boat.

Upholstery options

Exterior (cockpit incl): Silvertex Petrol, Silvertex Hunter, Linetex Sphere, Linetex Chalk, Linetex Dust, Mediterrana Antracite, Mediterrana Taupe.
Interior: Basecamp, Monterra.

Standard equipment

General

Tri-generation evolution of twin-stepped sharp entry hull in GRP.
Integrated engine bracket in hull for twin outboard engines.
Engine bay with foldable hatch for optimized space use.
Fixed aluminum fuel tank of 830L.
Heavy-duty rub rail with rubber end caps in grey, also around swim platforms.
Axopar 3D signature chrome logo on the hull.
Bow thruster tunnel preparation in hull.
360-degree walk-around deck layout with self-draining open aft deck.
Anti-skid finishing on working deck areas and deck hatches.
All hardware, pulpits, locks, hinges, filler caps & cockpit grab rails in 316 stainless steel.
6 cleats on aft, midship and fore deck.
Additional hooking points for safety harness.
Fore deck pulpits.
Integrated side handrails.
LED navigation lights on roof.
Spacious anchor locker with drainage in bow.
Storage compartment on foredeck with cushion and harbor cover.
Sofa with backrest on fore deck with cupholders and harbor cover.
Three electric bilge pumps with auto-function.
Trim-tabs with joystick control.
Sound insulation and noise-reduction solutions.
Integrated boarding steps / maintenance access on both sides of helm.
180-degree foldable light mast in white painted aluminum with anchor light.
Signal horn.