The 38 Sun Top shares its hull platform, drivability, and core architecture with the new Axopar 38 XC Cross Cabin, which made its debut at the 2026 boot Düsseldorf boat show as the first model in Axopar’s next-generation 38 range.
Open-Air Focus Expands the New 38 Line
The defining feature of the Axopar 38 Sun Top is its uninterrupted central social space. Rather than separating driving and leisure areas into distinct zones, the layout has been designed to let the cockpit function as a continuous gathering area throughout the day.
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
At the center of the boat is a reworked modular cockpit arrangement that can shift between several configurations. Owners can opt for individual helm seats or a larger forward-facing U-shaped sofa arrangement that converts into a sunbed via an electric hi-lo table system. The driver’s seating area also features flip-up bolsters and a reversible backrest to support different uses while underway or at anchor.
Modular Cockpit Designed Around Shared Use
Optional bulwark seating expands the entertaining capacity further, with Axopar stating the cockpit can host up to ten people within a single connected social area.
The aft deck extends that flexibility onto the water itself. Foldable side platforms widen the usable deck area when stationary, while alternative fender box arrangements free up additional circulation space for swimming, watersports, or loading equipment onboard.
A Sun Top Designed for Changing Conditions
One of the key design challenges for open boating platforms is balancing exposure with comfort in changing conditions. Axopar addresses this through the yacht's large Sun Top roof system, which uses a sliding canvas section to alter the level of openness depending on the weather.
When fully opened, the roof exposes the helm and cockpit to the sky, while the closed configuration provides shade and protection without enclosing the dayboat completely. Optional roll-down canopies can also be added for additional shelter during colder or wetter conditions, extending usability across more of the boating season.
This approach follows the philosophy established by the earlier Axopar 37 Sun-Top, a model that became one of the yard’s most commercially successful platforms after its introduction in 2016. That boat established Axopar’s reputation for creating hybrid open-air layouts that retain weather protection without losing the immediacy of outdoor boating.
More Comfort and Function Below Deck
The Axopar 38 Sun Top has also been developed with extended onboard use in mind rather than functioning solely as a day boat. The forward cabin carries over several upgrades first introduced on the Axopar 38 XC Cross Cabin, including increased headroom, a redesigned kitchenette module, and an optional enclosed toilet and shower compartment. Skylights and optional gullwing doors bring additional daylight and ventilation into the lower accommodation spaces.
The bow itself has also been configured as a functional social area rather than simply a foredeck passageway, with layouts supporting dining, lounging, and sunbathing both underway and at anchor.
Updated Hull Design
Although much of the attention centers on the social layout of the motor yacht, the 38 Sun Top also introduces further development beneath the surface. Like the 38 XC Cross Cabin, the new model uses a twin-stepped V hull with a sharp entry profile, supported by a reinforced stringer system intended to improve rigidity and structural integrity.
According to Axopar, the updated 38 platform incorporates revised hydrodynamics, improved weight distribution, and a re-engineered hull profile aimed at producing a calmer and more predictable driving experience across different speeds and conditions.
How the Sun Top Fits Into the New Axopar 38 Family
The Axopar 38 Sun Top builds on the platform introduced earlier this year with the debut of the Axopar 38 XC Cross Cabin at boot Düsseldorf 2026. As the first model in the new range, the 38 XC Cross Cabin established the foundation for the lineup with a larger wheelhouse, redesigned accommodation spaces, expanded modularity, and improved year-round usability.
Designed as an all-weather adventure platform, the 38 XC Cross Cabin retained Axopar’s enclosed pilothouse concept while introducing larger glass surfaces, revised aft layouts, gullwing doors, and more flexible seating and cabin arrangements. Below deck, increased headroom, an updated bathroom layout, and optional kitchenette modules made the platform more practical for longer stays onboard.
The new Sun Top takes the same hull and overall architecture but shifts the focus toward a more open and social boating experience, removing much of the separation between helm, cockpit, and aft deck spaces.
The 38 range builds on the success of the outgoing Axopar 37 family, which includes the Axopar 37 Spyder, 37 Sun-Top, and Axopar 37 XC Cross Cabin. The 37 Sun-Top became one of the builder’s defining models after launching in 2016, pairing open-air boating with weather protection through its extended roof and sheltered helm. The new 38 Sun Top develops that concept further with a larger social cockpit, fold-out side platforms, increased interior volume, and a more refined hull platform.
With the arrival of the 38 Sun Top, Axopar continues to evolve its adventure-boat formula by pairing open-air social living with greater flexibility, comfort, and year-round usability across its new 38 range.
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