The 38 Sun Top is the open-layout variant of Axopar's new 38 platform, announced by the Finnish yard in May 2026. It shares the same hull and running gear as the 38 XC Cross Cabin but reorganises the deck volume around a single, unobstructed social space. For captains managing tender programmes where the primary brief is guest transfers, beach days, and watersports support, that distinction matters.
What the cockpit layout actually delivers
The mid-section has been redesigned around a modular seating system. In its default configuration there are individual helm seats; those can be reconfigured into a forward-facing U-sofa, which in turn converts into a sunbed via an electric hi-lo table. A driver's sofa with flip-up bolsters and a reversible backrest allows the space to shift between a driving position and a social arrangement without any significant re-rigging. Optional bulwark seating brings the cockpit capacity to ten guests within the same continuous zone.
That level of reconfigurability is useful in a tender context, where the boat may serve a morning water-ski run, a lunchtime beach transfer for twelve, and an afternoon sunbathing platform - all on the same day.
The Sun Top roof: managing the open-boat trade-off
Open day boats make a clear promise - direct connection to the environment, unobstructed sightlines, social informality - and then compromise it the moment the weather closes in. Axopar's Sun Top roof addresses this with a sliding canvas that opens the helm and cockpit fully to the sky in good conditions and closes down when conditions deteriorate. This is a more practical proposition for yacht programmes operating across variable Mediterranean or northern European seasons than a fully open format would allow.
Aft deck and water access
The aft section includes foldable activity platforms and alternative fender box arrangements that increase usable deck area and lower the freeboard access point to the water. For superyacht tender use, where loading swimmers, paddleboards, or dive kit is a routine operation, this matters more than it might for a private owner using the boat from a marina berth.
Where this sits in the tender market
The 38 Sun Top is not a purpose-built superyacht tender in the specialist sense - Axopar builds to a production schedule, not a bespoke brief. What it offers is a well-engineered Finnish-built hull in the 11-12 metre class with a deck plan optimised for group social use, a weather-management roof, and genuine aft water access. For owners whose programme calls for a capable open day boat that can carry ten guests comfortably and handle a watersports brief, it sits alongside the Iguana 29, the Frauscher 1017 GT Air, and the Williams Sportjet 460 as a platform worth evaluating. The Axopar tends to come in at a more accessible price point than the custom-tender alternatives, with the trade-off being a production rather than bespoke specification.
