They say that no man is an island, but with the Saxdor 400 GTO, you can take your own private island with you.
Like most boat reviewers, I really look forward to trying out boats that are truly innovative with unique features, and the Saxdor 400 GTO is exactly that. Unfortunately, Auckland’s unpredictable spring weather caused this review to be postponed three times, but when we finally made it down to Westhaven Marina, the conditions were perfect for testing this ‘adventure boat,’ as Saxdor describes it.
At first glance, the hull appears both impressive and stylish, with its plumb bow and stepped hull – now a hallmark of modern European composite boats. It’s easy to see why Saxdor claims to be the fastest-growing European boat brand. The striking white gelcoat with black trim, complemented by a pair of gleaming white Mercury V10 400hp outboards, give it real presence. The hull design, shared across several Saxdor models, uses a twin-stepped 21o vee that delivers superb performance and economy when paired with outboards. Using outboards also preserves interior space and simplifies rigging and maintenance.
The cabin is notable for offering true 360o vision, interrupted only by the slim roof support pillars. In fact, it feels more like a pergola roof than a traditional cabin – although those pillars hide a clever secret. The clear sides, which fully enclose the main cabin, fold neatly away into the pillars themselves. Zach Du Burgess from Sports Marine, the New Zealand agent for Saxdor, had already prepared the boat before our arrival. He noted that the process takes about 20 minutes and is perfect for a sunny day like ours. In less favourable weather, the entire area can be closed in to form a fully weatherproof cabin, complete with
a diesel space heater to keep passengers cosy.
We had no need for heaters on this warm spring day as we stepped onto the wide, flat boarding platform. The boat features a completely flat, single-level deck with no steps between the swimming platform and the sun lounge in the bow. This makes moving around incredibly easy – no stubbed toes or trip hazards. It is described as a ‘wet boat,’ with decks that drain overboard and no carpet to worry about. The amount of space is remarkable, and the boat feels far beamier than its 3.55m width would suggest. This is helped by narrower cockpit sides, which – as we later discovered – hide an even bigger secret.
Astonishingly, an entire midships cabin is tucked into the hull under the central sofa bed, providing a spacious twin-berth cabin with natural light courtesy of hidden windows. Other compartments in the hull include wet lockers for water sports gear, sealed hatches providing access to electrics, the heater, and engine rigging, plus an optional transom grill station.
The marble-coloured upholstery is striking, nicely offset by Flexiteek flooring and black trim, though other colour options are available. A double daybed is complemented by an L-shaped sofa around a centrally-mounted table. The sheer number of available seats makes clear that this boat is designed as a social hub; including the forward sun lounge, up to 12 passengers can be comfortably accommodated. The port-side galley includes a cooker, food-prep area, and two refrigerated compartments that can function as fridge or freezer. A massive electrically-operated sunroof glides open silently at the press of a button.
The huge single-pane windscreen with twin wipers includes a step-through door on the port side, giving access to the forward sun deck, while a sliding door alongside it leads into the main cabin below. Here, a generous twin berth is accompanied by hull windows, and a full bathroom with electric toilet and shower provides true comfort for longer trips. An optional upgrade allows the conversion of some of the storage to a small single child’s cabin, making it even more family-friendly.
The helm station itself is a work of art, featuring twin 16-inch Simrad NSO16 multifunction displays, plus a customised nine-inch Simrad touchscreen used to control all onboard systems. A panel of touch-sensitive switches provides an alternative way to operate lights and systems, while the Sleipner bow thruster makes marina manoeuvring effortless. The boat includes shore-power wiring, DC and USB outlets, an advanced audio package, radar and AIS, and a light bar on the roof. Zipwake interrupter trim tabs keep the boat level at all speeds, regardless of passenger movement.
Of course, the new-generation Mercury V10 outboards deliver not only excellent efficiency, power, and quiet operation, but also digital electronic throttle and steering. This enables Mercury’s impressive ‘Skyhook’ virtual-anchor system, integrated into the joystick control. With Skyhook engaged, the GPS and engine controls hold the boat precisely in position and orientation – no anchor required.
When you do want to anchor traditionally, the real anchor is hidden under that plumb bow. A retractable fairlead keeps everything invisible until needed. When deployed, it allows the anchor to drop well clear of the bow. All this sits beneath a large forward hatch, which is covered by Flexiteek decking that also forms a bow step. The bow seating wraps around a drop-in table, which converts into a double sunbed. A removable sunshade can be erected when needed, and large deck drains rapidly clear any water entering the bow.
But the party trick of this boat is its ‘terraces’– Saxdor’s name for the boat’s drop-down sides. At four metres long, they deploy electrically to create your own private-island. These terraces expand the deck width to roughly five metres and are perfect for sitting on with your feet in the water. This feature alone makes the 400 GTO unique in its class and absolutely fits the ‘adventure boat’ description. The massive amount of usable space created at rest makes this the ultimate platform for socialising – and, dare we say it, showing off. I’d retrofit this into my own boat if I could, though the engineering required to maintain hull rigidity would be substantial.
Of course, none of this would be as enticing without the performance to match – and thankfully, the 400 GTO delivers in full. In perfect test conditions, we headed out from Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour into the Hauraki Gulf, and once clear of speed restrictions we opened the throttles.
At speeds above 20 knots, the benefits of the stepped hull become obvious. The boat feels like it is flying, with the twin-step configuration drawing air beneath the hull to reduce wetted surface – and therefore drag. Despite each engine’s substantial 5.7-litre V10 displacement, we cruised comfortably at 30 knots using just over four litres of fuel per nautical mile.
Pushing the throttles harder, we exceeded 46 knots, and even then fuel burn only rose to just over five litres per nautical mile. Unlike most boats – where fuel consumption rises sharply in the upper half of the power curve – the Saxdor’s consumption remains remarkably linear thanks to its efficient hull. There is very little reason to throttle back unless conditions dictate.
The same hull design keeps the boat flat and stable at all speeds with minimal wake disturbance. There is almost zero bow rise during hard acceleration. The plumb bow helps soften the ride in chop conditions, though our footage shows it riding well clear of the water most of the time. The boat is exceptionally dry, with no spray on the windscreen even when crossing wakes. The V10s are impressively smooth and quiet; even at full throttle we could converse in normal voices at the helm.
With a substantial 1,000-litre fuel capacity, the 400 GTO offers an easily achievable range of more than 150 nautical miles at 30 knots – even after applying a safety margin. Its ability to cover long distances at speeds that many boats can’t even reach, let alone sustain, makes it the perfect machine for reaching remote spots quickly.
So, what doesn’t this boat do well? The complete absence of fishing rod holders reflects its target market and intended use. To be fair, dripping bait or fish blood onto the marble upholstery and white gelcoat would feel sacrilegious. The open-sided design is also never going to be as snug in winter as a fully-enclosed hardtop – although Saxdor does offer a fully-enclosed version. But for taking a group of friends to a beautiful secluded spot quickly and enjoying the environment far from the madding crowd, it is simply perfect.
In summary, this is a seriously fast boat intended for socialising and impressing friends. The standard of finish is immaculate – right down to details like the inlayed wooden table edges. Performance is stunning, and the fuel efficiency for a 10-tonne boat is market-leading. The fold-down terraces are a unique feature that I suspect we’ll see more brands attempt in the future. While ideally suited to a New Zealand summer, it has enough comfort and protection to be used year-round.
For more details, visit SportsMarine.com and look for the Saxdor 400 GTO.
