Regal 38 XO (2019-)

Brief Summary

The team at Regal has introduced a new player in their lineup. A crossover between their larger luxury sport cruisers and their more nimble outboard line, they call her the Regal 38 XO. She is a dual cabin sport cruiser powered by triple 300-hp Yamaha outboards. 

Key Features

• Master cabin suite
• Guest cabin with convertible king or twin berths
• Hardtop with sunroof
• Triple Yamaha outboards
• Integrated swim platform
• Two 16,000 BTU and one 27,000 BTU AC units
• NMMA, ABYC, USCG, and CE Certified
• Aft cockpit with grill station       

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	38' 10'' 11.84 m
Beam	11' 11'' 3.63 m
Dry Weight	18,000 lbs. 8,165 kg
Tested Weight	19,970 lbs. 9,058 kg
Draft Up	24'' 0.61 m
Draft Down	38'' 0.97 m
Deadrise/Transom	18-deg.
Fuel Capacity	350 gal. 1,325 L
Water Capacity	55 gal. 208 L
Total Weight	19,970 lbs. 9,058 kg

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Time to Plane	4.7 sec.
0 to 30	10.7 sec.
Props	17px15.5
Load	3 persons, 2/3 fuel, no water, 50 lbs. of gear
Climate	64 deg., 45 humid; wind: 0 mph; seas:

Engine Options

Tested Engine	3 x 300-hp Yamaha 4.2L F300
Std. Power	Not Available
Opt. Power	3 x 300-hp Yamaha 4.2L F300 3 x 350-hp Yamaha 5.3L F350

Captain's Report

Captain's Report by Capt. Peter d'Anjou 

Mission

Regal, based in Orlando, Florida, like much of the industry is offering a larger boat with outboards. The 38 XO is a conversion of Regal’s Grand Coupe 38, one of Regal’s twin sterndrive-powered Sport Yacht models. The XO and Grand Coupe use the company’s same Oceantrac V-hull design. The XO combines the luxury of the sterndrive with outboard power – bridging the gap between Regal’s Sport Yacht and Outboard Series.

The boat’s mission is to be a sporty coastal cruiser with overnight or weekend accommodations for a family or two couples.

Being able to pull a 38' (11.58 m) boat up on a beach is not something easily done with outboard boats, so right there the use of the boat is more versatile than her sterndrive-powered twin. The draft with the engines down is only 38'' (.97 m), so in coastal areas with tidal swings, the outboard XO may be a more practical alternative. The 38 XO V-hull has a deadrise of 18-degrees at the transom and with her top speed of nearly 50 mph (80.46 km) is expected to be a versatile coastal cruiser.

Major Features

• Master cabin suite
• Guest cabin with convertible king or twin berths
• Hardtop with electric sunroof
• Triple Yamaha outboards
• Integrated swim platform
• Aft cockpit with grill station        

Design

Construction

The 38 XO is resin-infused over closed-cell foam in her own tooling.

Performance

Top Speed. With the triple Yamaha F-300s turning 17” (43.18 cm) pitch, 15.5” (39.37) diameter Saltwater Series II propellers and run up to 5800 rpm, our speed topped out at 49.2 mph (79.1 kph). 

Best economic cruise came in at 4000 rpm and 31.2 mph (50.2 KPH). It was at that speed that the 36.7 gph (138.9 lph) fuel burn translated into 0.9 mpg (0.36kpl) and a range of 268 miles (431 km), all while still holding back a 10-percent reserve of the boat's 350-gallon (1,325 L) total fuel capacity.   

Acceleration

The Regal 38 XO has good pickup with these engines; we reached planing speed in 4.7 seconds with a 10.5-degree bow rise, accelerated to 20 mph (32 kph) in 6.5 seconds and 30 (48 kph) came and went in 10.7 seconds.   

Time-to-plane:    4.7 seconds

Zero to 20 mph:  6.5 seconds

Zero to 30 mph: 10.7 seconds

Handling

She’s a nice handing boat with surprising agility and quick response to the helm. She’s slightly bow high at cruise so a little tab brings the bow down. At full speed, she’s at a more level attitude. Otherwise, we only used the tabs to level an uneven distribution of weight.  

When entering turns, she’ll roll 19-degrees into the turn and lose roughly 4 to 5 mph (6.43 to 8.04 kph) as her shoulder carves into the turn. Keep those turns to port shallow as the operator will lose visibility unless the sunroof is open.  

Her sharp entry had her cutting through the light wakes we crossed with minimal hull slap at full speed. Pulled back to cruise, she cut through effortlessly. Otherwise, our calm day prevented us from exploring her rough water handling.   

For docking, we put the helm master joystick through its paces to see how well the 38 XO responded. As it turns out, the system was well dialed in. The three engines basically work as two because the starboard and center are locked together with a tie-bar. Small movements of the stick had us sliding right into and gently up against the dock. 

Boat Inspection

The Swim Platform and Transom

The main focal point here is the redesign of the swim platform from the sterndrive model. By extending both 42” x 21” (106.68 cm x 53.34 cm) wings on either side of the platform, Regal has better integrated the outboard engines, transom storage and access to the machinery space. Both wings act as swim steps and each has 8” (20.32 cm) pull-up cleats on either side. Two more 10” (25.4 cm) fixed cleats are mounted on the bulwark leading up the stairs to the aft cockpit.

The Mechanical Space

The engine space from the sterndrive model still hosts machinery in the 38 XO, a gas-powered genset and an optional SeaKeeper 3 stabilizer. The former engine room provides some added storage on the 38 XO, which is accessible from the swim platform. The 38 XO also carries a bigger fuel tank (350 gallons / 1,324.89 L) than the sterndrive version.

The Aft Cockpit

Heading up the port side staircase from the swim platform, we are met with courtesy lighting along the way and an outward-opening stainless steel/acrylic gate at the top, which leads us into the L-shaped seating area of the cockpit.

With the large window between the cockpit refreshment bar and galley plus the sliding partition doors open, it’s easy to see how seamlessly the cockpit and salon blend to create a versatile open entertainment space.

The Bow

On the foredeck above the cabin trunk is an 80” x 59” (203.20 cm x 149.86 cm) sun pad.

The Anchor 

The Galley

The galley features an electric cooktop, a single basin sink, drawer-style refrigeration, overhead storage with a microwave and a pull-out trash receptacle.  

The Salon 

As we enter the salon from the cockpit, a 43” (109.22 cm) couch is to starboard.  It has soft-touch vinyl upholstery.  A Corian end table is to the side, supporting beverage holders.  On the window ledge behind the sofa are air conditioning vents for the two 16,000 BTU main deck A/C units. 

Just above the couch is an optional 32” (81.28 cm) drop-down TV, viewable from the port side seating. 

The port side in the salon has an L-shaped settee with storage underneath and a pedestal table fabricated from wood and vinyl with stainless inlay, all on an elevated platform 7” (17.78 cm) above the deck.

The Helm 

Just below the Garmin displays are a stainless steel beverage holder, an array of electrical switches, a small cubby with connectivity and the bow thruster joystick is to the far right. Below the accessory switches are the fully-featured Fusion stereo with AM/FM, SiriusXM, touchscreen, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.

The steering wheel is mounted to a tilt base. To its right are the VHF and engine start/stops. On the shelf by the window are the engine controls, the SeaKeeper gyro stabilizer control panel, the Optimus joystick for effortless docking, trim tab controls and the remote controller for the forward displays. 

We head below through the center-mounted companionway. Below are two staterooms and a split head, all climate controlled from an 18,000 BTU A/C system.

The main electrical panel is to starboard at the bottom of the stairs that include storage. 

The Master Cabin

Straight ahead and through a set of triple-panel pocket doors, we come to the master cabin. 

The master stateroom consists of an island berth that's 79” x 60” (200.66 cm x 152.4 cm) with steps to both sides and nestled between hull side windows. There’s accent lighting above them as well as around the padded headboard.

Headroom is 6’2” (1.88 m) with 36” (91.44 cm) above the berth, decreasing as we move forward.

Just outside the sliding privacy doors of the master cabin, the head is split into two separate compartments. The water closet is to starboard with an electric flush porcelain toilet, vessel sink, storage shelves and a hull side window. To port is the shower compartment, housing the contemporary plumbing fixtures and shelf space for products.  

The VIP Cabin

Amidship is the VIP cabin. It would rival for designation as the master were it not for the headroom that begins at 5’4” (1.62 m) at the entrance, dropping to 4’7” (1.4 m) over the 5” long (1.52 m) couch and lowering again to 4’3” (1.3 m) until we get over the berth, where it’s 2’4” (0.71 m). 

The 81” x 80” (205.74 cm x 203.2 cm) berth is mounted on the centerline and slides apart to form two single berths that are 40” (101.6 cm) wide. Hull side windows provide for views and natural light.   

Equipment Discussion

A range of hull color options and interior finishes will make personalizing the 38 XO fun.

Options to Consider

• Triple F350-hp Yamaha outboards 
• Bow thruster
• SeaKeeper 3 12v
• Overboard discharge (requires electric toilet)
• Teak cockpit table
• SeaDek on the swim platform
• Windlass remote
• Sirius XM antenna
• Garmin autopilot
• Cockpit fridge

Price     

The Regal 38 XO has a price in the range of $525,000.

Observations

Regal successfully accomplished its goal of creating a brand-new class in its fleet. The 38 XO was surprisingly nimble and Regal packed a lot of features into the accommodations with an open concept main deck that made the boat feel larger than her actual size. She is suited for entertaining, weekends with the family and trips along the coast or pulling up on a beach.