Saxdor builds three different boats on the 400 platform, and the letters do not explain themselves. GTS, GTO and GTC share one hull, one beam and one construction method, then give three different answers to the question that decides how a 12-metre boat actually gets used in Western Australia: how much of it is open to the weather. Anyone comparing the three wants the same things — the figures that are genuinely shared, the figures that differ, and an honest match to the boating they have in mind. This article works through all of it in order.

The short version first. The 400 GTS is the open walkaround: Mercury outboard power to 850 hp and, at up to 50 knots, the fastest of the three. The 400 GTO puts a full-beam wheelhouse on the same hull and leaves it open, with fold-out side terraces and a push-button sunroof. The 400 GTC encloses that wheelhouse completely behind insulated glazing and panoramic glass doors. Same boat underneath, three positions on top.

There is also a practical reason to read this now. The first 400 GTS in Western Australia makes its public debut at the Perth Boat Show, 4 to 6 September 2026 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre — which means one of the three can shortly be judged in person rather than from a screen. Details at the end.

One platform under all three

Start with what does not change, because it is most of the boat. Every 400 carries the same platform figures from Saxdor’s own specifications:

  • Length overall: 12.4 metres (40.7 feet)
  • Beam: 3.55 metres
  • Draft: about 0.65 metres excluding engines
  • Hull: twin-stepped V21° deep-V
  • Construction: vacuum-infused GRP
  • Certification: CE Category B for 12 passengers

Those six lines settle a lot before the deck styles enter the discussion. Choosing between GTS, GTO and GTC is not choosing between hulls — the twin-stepped deep-V, the Category B certification and the vacuum-infused construction are common property across the series, so running character and offshore rating do not divide the range. The shallow draft, quoted excluding the engines because outboards trim clear of the water, is the same story on all three: skinny water that would stop most 40-footers is open to any of them.

It also means the three are alternatives to each other rather than a good-better-best ladder. Saxdor does not publish a price list for the series — at the time of writing, pricing on the 400s is on application, with the 400 GTO listed as POA — so the choice rests on how the boat will be used, not on a printed gap between variants. The rest of this article is about exactly that choice.

Saxdor 400 GTS: the open walkaround

The GTS is the 400 with the least between you and the water. It is an open walkaround with a glass-shielded helm, folding side terraces that widen the deck at rest, convertible sunbeds and modular seating that rearranges to suit the day. There is no wheelhouse; shelter is what the helm glass provides, and the entire deck is one connected outdoor space.

It is also the performance pick. The GTS takes Mercury V8 and V10 outboards to a maximum of 850 hp and runs to 50 knots — five knots beyond the quoted top of its siblings’ ranges. Fuel capacity is 900 litres, with 170 litres of fresh water, a 96-litre grey-water tank and a 53-litre black-water tank.

Read those numbers together and the character is clear. Against the wheelhouse variants the GTS gives up 100 litres of fuel and 40 litres of fresh water, and gives up nothing in pace. It is configured for days that start and finish in the same harbour: swimming, sunbathing, a fast run out and a fast run home, terraces folded down and the whole deck open at anchor.

Saxdor 400 GTO: the open wheelhouse

The GTO is the middle position. It carries a wheelhouse across the boat’s full beam — with fold-out side terraces, a push-button sunroof and a convertible stern sunbed — and it adds joystick docking at the helm. The wheelhouse brings shade, shelter and a fixed social space without sealing the boat behind glass: open the sunroof and fold out the terraces and it lives like an open boat at rest.

Power is twin outboards of 700 to 850 hp for a quoted 35 to 45 knots. Tankage rises with the deck: 1,000 litres of fuel and 210 litres of fresh water, both up on the GTS. That is the trade in one sentence — a few knots off the top end in exchange for more fuel aboard and a deck that keeps working when the sun is fierce or the breeze is up.

Saxdor 400 GTC: the enclosed one

The GTC takes the same full-beam wheelhouse and closes it in completely. The structure runs the entire width of the boat and is finished with insulated glazing, panoramic glass doors, electric sunroofs and drop-down balconies — the side terraces again, this time deploying from an enclosed saloon. Open the sunroofs and the doors and it airs out; shut everything and it is a sealed, insulated cabin with a panoramic view.

The mechanical story matches the GTO exactly: twin outboards of 700 to 850 hp, 35 to 45 knots, 1,000 litres of fuel and 210 litres of fresh water. Between GTO and GTC, in other words, nothing on the specification sheet separates them under way. The decision is entirely about the glazing — whether you want the option of shutting the boat against wind, spray and weather, with insulation working for you on cold mornings and hot afternoons alike.

Which 400 fits which WA boating

Map the three onto a Western Australian calendar and the choice usually makes itself.

The GTS is the summer boat. If the pattern is day runs — out in the morning, an anchorage or a beach for the afternoon, home before dark — the open deck, the sunbeds, the terraces and the 50-knot ceiling are precisely the equipment for it. Its 900 litres of fuel suit that duty comfortably, and by the builder’s own figures it is the quickest way in the series to cover water.

The GTC is the all-season boat. WA boating does not have to stop in winter, but open boats often do. An enclosed, insulated wheelhouse with panoramic doors turns a July passage or a hard sea-breeze afternoon into a reason to close the doors rather than stay in the pen. For an owner who intends to use the boat twelve months a year, the GTC is the honest recommendation.

The GTO sits deliberately between them. It suits owners who want the wheelhouse’s shade and social space through long summer days aboard but do not plan to chase the weather through winter. It keeps the GTC’s tanks and engine options without the enclosed glazing, and the sunroof and terraces preserve the open-boat feel at anchor.

Two practical notes for anyone shortlisting. First, pricing: at the time of writing the 400 series is price on application, so current numbers and specification come from a conversation rather than a brochure — the Saxdor range page covers where the 400s sit in a line-up that spans roughly 20 to 46 feet. Second, if the comparison you are actually running is against another Nordic brand, our Saxdor vs Axopar page lays out the builders’ own figures side by side, including why the two brands’ draft and length numbers cannot be compared cell to cell.

See the open 400 in person at the Perth Boat Show

Specification tables only carry this decision so far, because the differences that matter — the openness of the GTS deck, the feel of a full-beam wheelhouse — are exactly the things paper is worst at conveying. That is what makes this September useful. The first Saxdor 400 GTS in Western Australia makes its WA public debut on the Motoryachts Australasia stand at the Perth Boat Show, running Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September 2026 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, 21 Mounts Bay Road, Perth. The story of that boat’s arrival is in our 400 GTS debut article, and our Perth Boat Show 2026 guide covers dates, opening hours, tickets and what else to see across the six pavilions.

Walking the GTS settles the open half of this comparison directly: stand at the glass-shielded helm, walk the deck, sit where your guests would sit. With that real baseline, the wheelhouse question — GTO open or GTC enclosed — becomes much easier to answer. The GTS is the 400 confirmed for the stand; the team can talk through the GTO and GTC alongside it and arrange the next step from there. Tickets are available online (online prices carry a booking fee), and the show trades late on Friday, open until 7pm with discounted entry from 3.30pm.

If the show weekend does not suit, the comparison does not expire with it. Motoryachts Australasia is the official WA dealer for Saxdor, based at Rous Head Harbour in North Fremantle, with viewings seven days by appointment. Call +61 499 770 180, or get in touch through the contact page and tell the team which of the three sounds most like your boating — the GTS you can board in September, or the wheelhouse variants worth planning a follow-up around. For what that follow-up looks like, our guide to arranging a viewing after the show walks through it step by step.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the Saxdor 400 GTS, GTO and GTC?

All three are built on the same 12.4-metre platform; the difference is the deck. The 400 GTS is an open walkaround with a glass-shielded helm, folding side terraces and convertible sunbeds. The 400 GTO adds a full-beam wheelhouse that stays open, with a push-button sunroof, fold-out side terraces and joystick docking. The 400 GTC encloses that full-beam wheelhouse completely behind insulated glazing and panoramic glass doors, with electric sunroofs and drop-down balconies. In short: open boat, open wheelhouse, enclosed wheelhouse — the hull underneath does not change.

Do the Saxdor 400 GTS, GTO and GTC share the same hull?

Yes. Saxdor's published specifications give all three the same platform: 12.4 metres overall, a 3.55-metre beam, a draft of about 0.65 metres excluding engines, and a twin-stepped V21-degree deep-V hull built in vacuum-infused GRP. All three carry CE Category B certification for 12 passengers. That matters for buyers because running character and offshore rating are common to the whole series — choosing between the three is a decision about the deck and glazing above the waterline, not about the boat underneath it.

How fast are the Saxdor 400 GTS, GTO and GTC?

By the builder's own figures, the 400 GTS is the quickest: with Mercury V8 and V10 outboards to a maximum of 850 hp, it runs to 50 knots. The 400 GTO and 400 GTC both take twin outboards of 700 to 850 hp and are quoted at 35 to 45 knots. Fuel capacity follows the same split — 900 litres on the GTS, 1,000 litres on the GTO and GTC. In practice the open GTS trades some tankage for outright pace, while the wheelhouse variants trade a few knots at the top end for more fuel aboard.

Which Saxdor 400 suits Western Australian boating best?

It depends on the seasons you actually intend to use. The GTS is the summer day boat: open deck, convertible sunbeds, folding terraces and up to 50 knots for fast runs out and back. The GTC is the all-season choice — its enclosed, insulated wheelhouse with panoramic glass doors keeps winter passages and windy afternoons comfortable, and its electric sunroofs open it up in summer. The GTO sits between the two: a full-beam wheelhouse for shade and social space, left open rather than glazed in. Pricing on the 400 series is on application at the time of writing, so a conversation with the dealer is the practical next step.

Where can I see a Saxdor 400 in Western Australia?

The first Saxdor 400 GTS in WA makes its public debut at the Perth Boat Show, held Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September 2026 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, 21 Mounts Bay Road, Perth. It appears on the Motoryachts Australasia stand — check perthboatshow.com.au for exhibitor details, and buy tickets online through the show's ticketing page. Outside the show, Motoryachts Australasia is the official WA dealer for Saxdor, based at Rous Head Harbour in North Fremantle, with viewings available seven days by appointment. Call +61 499 770 180 or use the contact page to arrange one.