Reporting from the 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival, MBY editor Hugo Andreae takes us on a full tour of the Saxdor 400 GTO, which was making its global debut...
While the Saxdor 400 GTC we featured back in May 2022 employed a very upright, full-beam, all-weather pilothouse, the new Saxdor 400 GTO adopts a much more open approach. It uses the raked screen common to Saxdor’s GTO models, alongside semi-glazed sides and twin overhead sunroofs at the forward part of the cockpit.
This highly versatile combination is designed to enable you to enjoy excellent protection at the four-man helm without sacrificing the open sensations that a lot of boaters value so highly.
Further aft, the Saxdor 400 GTO’s arrangement tallies much more closely with that of the GTC pilothouse boat. Even as standard, the GTO includes twin cockpit balconies that run half the length of the boat, radically increasing the deck space at rest.
In the absence of side decks, Saxdor again takes advantage of the full beam here, providing access to the foredeck seating zone via a door to port of the helm.
It also factors in a set of panoramic opening sections on both sides of the central dining area, providing an unobstructed link between the ‘internal’ cockpit and the extra deck space of those fold-down terraces.
Article continues below…
Saxdor 320 GTC yacht tour: Astonishing value all-weather 50-knot sportsboat
Saxdor 400 first look: New flagship model to scale up this fast-growing range
While Saxdor’s description of the new boat as a “private island” might be taking things a bit far, there’s no doubt then that the new Saxdor 400 GTO provides far more space and versatility than you would tend to expect of a 40fter.
In addition to all that user-friendly day space, there’s a forward double cabin and separate bathroom, each with standing headroom of more than 6ft. There’s also the option of a kids’ cabin beneath the companionway steps, plus a mid cabin, which is accessed via the cockpit sofa.
Based upon the twin-stepped hull of the award-winning Saxdor 320, it’s expected that the standard rig of 300hp Mercury V8 outboards will enable the new Saxdor 400 GTO to exceed 40 knots. But with Mercury’s optional V10 400s, you can apparently push that top end well beyond the 50-knot mark.
In short, it’s fast, it’s sexy, it’s full of day boating versatility and it’s capable of sleeping five people at a time. And with base prices from just €223,000 plus VAT, even the price of the new Saxdor 400 GTO looks appealing.
Enjoy the tour…
Saxdor 400 GTO specifications
LOA: 40ft 8in (12.4m)
Beam: 11ft 8in (3.55m)
Engines: 2x 300-400hp Mercury outboards
Top speed: 46-50 knots / 53-57 mph
Starting price: €223,000 (ex. VAT)
