The Saxdor 2 hundred recreation caught our interest with its formidable looks and scarcely plausible beginning price of £22,158 (inc 100hp engine), however how does it carry out at the water? 2 stroke vs 4 stroke
Very not often can we sense the want to have boat testers at the equal sea trial, however for the Saxdor 200 sport we made an exception. That’s partially because the provider had two fashions in inventory with one of a kind engines but commonly because neither Jack nor I desired to miss out on such an thrilling and innovative new craft.
you may make up your very own mind after studying this but judging from the 2 fashions Saxdor has shown us to date (the two hundred and the 320 GTO), it looks as if being the maximum exciting new emblem on the grounds that Axopar burst onto the scene in 2014 – and all of us recognize how well that became out.
perhaps that’s hardly unexpected given that the man at the back of Saxdor, Sakari Mattila, turned into additionally one of the founding companions of Axopar before cutting ties with them and setting up Saxdor as a completely unrelated enterprise. That stated it’s now not tough to draw parallels between Saxdor and Axopar; they are each Finnish-owned and built in Poland, with edgy styling, vertical bows, outboard engines and competitive prices.
Very competitive within the case of the Saxdor 200. This 20ft sportsboat, entire with a 100hp Mercury outboard engine and a popular spec that consists of nav lights and an adjustable windscreen, retails for £22,158 inc VAT on the water within the united kingdom. That’s less than the cost of a hydraulic passerelle on a Princess V55!
So what does your money purchase and how has Saxdor controlled to make it so low priced? The starting point is a tasty searching twin-step hull with a slim beam of 7ft 6in and an strangely sharp deadrise attitude of twenty-two.five° at the transom. that is quasi-race boat territory compared to the 8ft-plus beam and 16-18° you’d usually discover on a 20ft sportsboat.
The Saxdor two hundred is likewise distinctly light at 780kg, apart from engine, or roughly 1,000kg with engine, fuel and some stores on board – once more absolutely half a tonne lighter than a standard 20-footer. that means strong overall performance and extraordinary fuel consumption. It additionally makes it a lot easier to tow, release and get better the use of an everyday family vehicle in place of a hefty 4×four.
To be truthful, it doesn’t truely appearance or experience like a 20ft boat; a 17ft bowrider might be a higher fit in terms of useable deck space, while the narrow beam, low topsides, open transom and triple jockey seat configuration have as much in commonplace with
a % as they do a sportsboat.
in reality, the Saxdor has been designed to attraction to each percent owners trying to take the subsequent step up as well as sportsboat fans seeking out something quicker and funkier than the same old offerings. It really has the right impact on each me and Jack as we stroll down the pontoon towards the twin Saxdor 200s.
With their formidable pictures, angular styling and pared again helm designs, they appearance a long way sportier and more attractive than the average bowrider – the Ariel Atom of the boat world in a sea of Ford Fiestas. The without a doubt clever bit is making the sort of desirable boat so smooth to construct.
by way of retaining the variety and complexity of mouldings to the minimum but giving clients the capability to personalize their boats with limitless add-onsalternatives from engines and seating layouts to hard tops and camper tents, it really works on every stage. The handiest obvious missing alternative is a bathing ladder for the stern.
on the water
to this point so exact, however if the ones racy looks flatter to lie to out at the water, no amount of f9ef7d9e905d1a4504697a5c6dd610d7 ought to win over the proper boating fanatic. fortunately, the hull is a peach, handing over an remarkable trip thru the messy Solent chop of our take a look at.
The Saxdor two hundred manages that rare feat of acting like a mild, nimble, agile craft in flat add-onsaccessories whilst feeling enormously stable and sturdy inside the tough. not anything squeaks, rattles or flexes. It’s so accurate that it makes the 100hp engine sense alternatively breathless. There’s not anything wrong with its acceleration or mid-range urge but it runs out of steam at 31 knots while it’s clean that hull can take a lot extra.
The 150hp model is some other tale, it goes like a rocket and doesn’t prevent until it’s knocking on the door of 40 knots. At that speed the two hundred recreation does start to feel a little flighty and also you turn out to be greater privy to just how little there's between you and the water.
the ones reduce down bulwarks exaggerate the impression of velocity which combined with the raised crucial jockey seat makes it feel like you are sitting at the boat instead of in it. Being so small and mild, it's miles vulnerable to being bounced around a piece, requiring a firm grip on the helm and a regular hand on the throttle.
It always appears to land softly, even as the ones twin steps help it to trip splendidly flat, however the 150hp version (not to mention the 175hp) isn't for the frail or faint-hearted. not like some stepped hulls, it didn’t seem vulnerable to slipping or spinning out while driven tough thru a flip, even though the bigger engine will harmlessly spin away excess electricity if you observe an excessive amount of throttle too early.
The easy helm cadd-onsole works quite properly too with neat information like the backlit stainless steel switches and elective 9in Simrad touchscreen MFD assisting it to look easy and sophisticated instead of spartan.
but, in case you don’t specify the chartplotter, you’ll must depend upon Mercury’s smart smartphone app to show engine facts as there are no analogue dials. protection from the factors is better than you’d assume thanks to a lifting windscreen that continues most
of the wind and spray off your face, despite the fact that the fiddly handscrews that lock it in location want sorting out.
in my view, I suppose a fixed display with a stainless steel surround that doubled as a handhold could be a higher (but likely greater expensive) choice. The open transom additionally manner that rapid reversing or a large wake hitting the stern at anchor can lead to soggy toes, despite the fact that any water you deliver soon drains again out the way it came.
The driving position is ideal but no longer perfect; the angled footrest is immediately in front of the jockey seat and too steep for taller skippers, while the saddle doesn’t extend some distance enough ahead to grip with your thighs. What’s honestly wished are more than one angled-in footrests outboard of the cadd-onsole to brace in opposition to and/or a winged returned relaxation to lock you in vicinity.
the two small straps and eyelets keeping the hinged seat top in vicinity and giving get admission to to the locker beneath also appear a chunk flimsy, they work nicely sufficient however cozy stainless steel latches might be classier and more robust. It’s a shame the 4-seater variation wasn’t to be had for us to strive because the dual helm bucket seats and two-seat aft bench should well resolve this.
the other moderate gripe is the as an alternative cheap-feeling Mercury throttle that lacks the smooth, wonderful shift into and out of equipment of some competitors, now not to mention a neutral indicator and a lockout switch to save you unintentional shifts into astern. The 175hp version of the Saxdor two hundred sport blessings from the smoother however more expensive fly-by way of-twine throttle.
The huge deck segment in advance of the caccessoriesole lifts on a pair of alternatively simple fuel struts to reveal a full-length shallow locker. The (elective) foredeck cushiadd-ons in shape flawlessly in right here and with the useful resource of a camper-style cover may be was a useful occasional berth. all of it adds yet more attraction to a surprisingly versatile bundle.
individually, I think the pop-out fender buttaccessories are a gimmick too a long way – inside the absence of defend rails you need something to tie fenders to however these are fiddly and some distance much less beneficial than an extra pair of midships cleats.
Our verdict
If this appears like whingeing, i'm able to only agree, because the truth is we each adore the little Saxdor. It’s speedy, elegant, a laugh to power and plenty greater realistic than any Jet Ski. It’s also unbelievably appropriate price for money even as dealing with to appearance, feel and behave like a miles more high priced craft.
To make the maximum of its capability you'll want to upgrade to at the least the 115hp engine and spend more than one grand on optiaddaccessories (judging from the pictures, I’d move for the four-seater layout) but you could still get at the water with all of the proper gadget for well underneath £30,000. i will’t think of some other boat that gets anywhere close to providing that a good deal fun for that type of money.
Saxdor 200 specification
LOA: 19ft 6in (five.94m)
Beam: 7ft 6in (2.29m)
Draft: 2ft 4in (zero.72m)
Displacement: 780kg (ex. engine)
check engine: single 150hp Mercury outboard
Engine add-onsalternatives: unmarried a hundred, one hundred fifteen, or 175hp Mercury outboard
top speed on take a look at: 38.eight knots
Cruising speed: 20 knots
gasoline intake: 14.four lph
gasoline potential: 110 litres
Cruising variety: 122nm at 4 knots (inc. 20% reserve)
RCD category: C for 3-four human beings
Hull layout: Sakari Mattila and J&J layout
beginning charge: £25,seven-hundred (inc. 100hp engine)
fee as examined: £32,995 2 stroke vs 4 stroke