Anyone cross-shopping Saxdor and Axopar in Western Australia runs into the same three questions. How closely related are these two Nordic brands, really? Why do their spec sheets refuse to line up cell for cell? And is there a practical way to walk both decks in one day without flying east? This article answers all three, and the third answer comes with a date: 4 to 6 September 2026.

The short version first. Motoryachts Australasia (MYA) is the official WA dealer for Saxdor, and we are bringing the first Saxdor 400 GTS in Western Australia to the Perth Boat Show — the boat’s WA public debut. Axopar’s Australian and New Zealand dealer is Eyachts, whose WA location is on Preston Point Road, Bicton, about five kilometres up the Swan River from our base at Rous Head, North Fremantle. That geography means both brands can genuinely be seen in a single afternoon, and show week is the easiest week of the year to start.

One declaration before the comparing begins: we sell Saxdor, so read us accordingly. Our rule on this subject is simple. Every figure comes from the builders’ own published specifications, and where Axopar publishes the better number, we say so. The full model-by-model tables live on our Saxdor vs Axopar comparison page; this article is the field guide for checking the boats in person.

Two brands with shared history

This comparison is unusual because the brands are related. Saxdor’s own launch release describes founder Sakari Mattila as “the original designer and founder of award winning boat brands Axopar, Paragon, Aquador and XO” — that is Saxdor’s wording, not ours. Axopar’s company page tells its story through Jan-Erik Viitala, named as Founding Partner, and does not mention Mattila at all. We present both accounts and leave the family history to Finland.

The commercial records are easier to state. Axopar launched the 28 in 2014 and says it has delivered more than 7,500 boats. Saxdor was created in 2019 and became a subsidiary of Malibu Boats in March 2026, with Mattila as Head Designer. Neither boat is a copy of the other, in other words. These are two mature interpretations of the same Nordic idea — efficient stepped hulls and outboard power — and that shared DNA is exactly why walking both decks tells you more than reading either brochure.

The measurement traps: read the footnotes first

Put a Saxdor spec sheet beside an Axopar one and the numbers will mislead you unless you know how each builder measures. Two traps matter most:

  • Draft. Saxdor publishes draft excluding the engines — 0.49 m on the 320 GTC, about 0.65 m on the 400 series. Axopar publishes draft to the propellers — 1.05 m on the 29. Read naively, the Saxdor appears to need half the water. Neither figure is wrong; they answer different questions, and they are not comparable cell-to-cell.
  • Length. Axopar publishes length excluding the engine — the 38 XC’s 11.85 m is measured without its outboards — so the boat at the pen is longer than the headline figure. Before comparing lengths, ask each crew exactly what their number includes.

The lesson generalises. On both stands and both spec sheets, ask what every number includes and excludes. The people showing you the boat will tell you; the tables rarely do.

What to check aboard each boat

Once the footnotes are settled, the genuine differences deserve your attention. Three areas repay a close look.

The hull. Both brands step their hulls, so a stepped running surface is not a point of difference — it is the shared starting point. The published deadrise figures do differ: Saxdor states a twin-stepped 21-degree deep-V across the 400 series, while Axopar publishes 22 degrees on the 29 and 20 degrees on the 37 and 38. Ask each crew what their geometry is tuned for and how it behaves in a Perth afternoon sea breeze; the answers are more useful than the single degree separating the brochures.

The construction. Saxdor states vacuum-infused GRP across its range. Axopar states hand lamination with a vinylester first coat on the 29 and 37; the 38 is listed simply as GRP. Both are established ways to build a boat, and each builder will make the case for its method — ask on both decks, and compare the answers.

The pairings. Cross-shopping only works when the models actually correspond. The Saxdor 320 GTC lines up against the Axopar 29 XC Cross Cabin: 10.28 m and 400–600 hp against 9.31 m excluding engine and 300–500 hp, with 428 L of fuel against 400 L. In the 40-foot class, beam is the tell. The Saxdor 400 GTC carries a 3.55 m beam, which pairs it with the Axopar 38 XC Cross Cabin at 3.53 m — not the 37, whose 3.35 m beam puts it a size below. Compare the wrong pair and every conclusion that follows is skewed.

The 40-foot pairing also shows our fairness rule working. Saxdor publishes 35–45 knots for the 400 GTC on 700–850 hp; Axopar publishes 45-plus knots for the 38 XC on twin 300 to 350 hp outboards. That is Axopar’s better number, achieved on less rated power, and we say so. Saxdor’s counters are capacity — 1,000 L of fuel against 830 L — and its infused construction. The row-by-row tables, with every footnote explained, are on the comparison page linked above rather than repeated here.

The boat on our stand is the third member of the 400 family: the Saxdor 400 GTS, the open walkaround with a glass-shielded helm and folding side terraces. It shares the 12.4 m, 3.55 m platform with the GTC and GTO, takes up to 850 hp of Mercury outboard power for up to 50 knots, carries 900 L of fuel and is CE Category B certified for 12 people. If the enclosed GTC is the boat you are weighing against the 38 XC, the GTS on the stand still tells you most of what you need — the hull, the construction and the dimensions are common across all three 400s.

One afternoon, two brands: the show and Bicton

The Perth Boat Show 2026 runs Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, 21 Mounts Bay Road — six pavilions and more than 80 exhibitors. Doors open 9.30am daily, closing 7pm on Friday and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, and the Friday evening session from 3.30pm offers adult and concession entry at $12.50 online plus booking fee. Dates, prices and a walking plan are in our complete Perth Boat Show 2026 guide.

The Motoryachts Australasia display is led by the first Saxdor 400 GTS in Western Australia alongside the Sunseeker Superhawk 55; the full story of the debut — why this boat, and why now — is in our 400 GTS show preview. No stand number has been published at the time of writing, so check exhibitor details at perthboatshow.com.au before you go.

On the Axopar side, we will not speak for another dealer’s show plans — the exhibitor list at the link above is the place to check. What we can offer is fixed geography: Eyachts’ WA location on Preston Point Road, Bicton, sits about five kilometres up the Swan River from our own base at Rous Head, and the cross-shop does not depend on who exhibits where. During show week you can walk the 400 GTS in the pavilions and arrange the Axopar visit in Bicton within the same afternoon, in either order.

A suggested path for a serious buyer:

  • Walk the 400 GTS at the show first. Bring the measurement questions from this article and ask them at the helm, not from the brochure.
  • Arrange the Axopar side with Eyachts in Bicton, and put the same questions to them.
  • Then sit down with the published tables and mark where each brand’s figures win. The gaps between what you read and what you felt aboard are where the decision actually lives.

Start the comparison at the stand

Show week compresses a cross-shop that would otherwise take weeks of emails into three days. Tickets are available through the official ticket page — adult entry is $22.50 online plus booking fee, and the discounted Friday evening session is the cheapest way in if a focused hour aboard the 400 GTS is all you need.

If a crowded pavilion is not where you make a decision this size, the same boat can be inspected quietly afterwards. Viewings at our North Fremantle base run seven days by appointment, and our note on arranging a viewing after the show explains how that works. Either way, tell us what you saw at Bicton — genuinely. Honest comparison sharpens our answers, and it is how we would want to be shopped.

Call +61 499 770 180, or contact the team to arrange a show-week walkthrough of the 400 GTS, book a viewing at Rous Head once the pavilions close, or ask about time on the water aboard the 400. Start the comparison at the boat show; five kilometres of river will finish it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I see the Saxdor 400 GTS in Perth?

The first Saxdor 400 GTS in Western Australia is making its WA public debut on the Motoryachts Australasia stand at the Perth Boat Show 2026, held Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, 21 Mounts Bay Road. A stand number has not been published, so check exhibitor details at perthboatshow.com.au before you go. After the show, the boat can be viewed at MYA's North Fremantle base at Rous Head, where viewings run seven days by appointment. Call +61 499 770 180 to arrange a time.

Can I compare Saxdor and Axopar boats in Perth on the same day?

Yes. Motoryachts Australasia is the official Western Australian dealer for Saxdor, based at Rous Head in North Fremantle, and Axopar's Australian and New Zealand dealer is Eyachts, whose WA location is on Preston Point Road, Bicton — about five kilometres up the Swan River. That proximity means both brands can genuinely be seen in one afternoon. During show week the Saxdor side is even easier: the first 400 GTS in WA is on the MYA stand at the Perth Boat Show, 4 to 6 September 2026. We do not speak for Eyachts' show plans, so contact them directly about the Axopar side.

Why don't Saxdor and Axopar specifications compare directly?

Because the builders measure differently. Saxdor publishes draft excluding the engines — 0.49 m on the 320 GTC — while Axopar publishes draft to the propellers, 1.05 m on the 29, so the draft cells on the two spec sheets answer different questions. Axopar also publishes length excluding the engine, which makes its boats longer at the pen than the headline figure suggests. Neither convention is wrong, but comparing the sheets cell-to-cell will mislead you. Ask each dealer what every figure includes before drawing conclusions.

Which Axopar model matches the Saxdor 400 series?

The Axopar 38, not the 37. Beam is the giveaway: the Saxdor 400 GTC carries a 3.55 m beam and the Axopar 38 XC Cross Cabin 3.53 m, while the 37's 3.35 m beam puts it a size below. On the builders' published figures the 400 GTC runs 12.4 m with 700–850 hp, 1,000 L of fuel and 35–45 knots; the 38 XC is 11.85 m excluding engine, twin 300 to 350 hp outboards, 830 L and 45-plus knots. Further down the range, the Saxdor 320 GTC pairs with the Axopar 29 XC Cross Cabin.

What is the difference between Saxdor and Axopar hull construction?

Both brands step their hulls, so the stepped running surface is common ground rather than a differentiator. The published deadrise differs slightly: Saxdor states a twin-stepped 21-degree deep-V, while Axopar publishes 22 degrees on the 29 and 20 degrees on the 37 and 38. Construction methods diverge more clearly. Saxdor states vacuum-infused GRP across its range; Axopar states hand lamination with a vinylester first coat on the 29 and 37, with the 38 listed simply as GRP. Both are established building methods — ask each crew to make the case for theirs when you step aboard.