Axopar has been on the Financial Times’ list of 100 fastest-growing companies for two years and is now delivering at least 1,000 boats a year. More than 5,000 Axopars have been delivered to date. This year, the Axopar 22 is being introduced to reinvigorate the entry-level models as the Axopar 24 retires.
The Axopar 22 has contemporary styling. There’s a sharp entry and a slightly reversed bow with a pronounced bluff deck overhang to deflect spray. Designers also created a chunky stepped-hull form with chines carried all the way forward.
Two versions of the Axopar 22 are available: Spyder or T-Top. A single 115 to 200 hp Mercury outboard delivers the oomph. The 22 I got aboard was Hull No. 4, a Spyder. It had a Merc 200 outboard and easily topped 40 knots. At a fast cruise of 30 knots, range would be around 170 nautical miles.
Those hull steps do their job without any fuss. The boat was on plane in about five seconds, and there was minimal heeling. From the helm, the 22 inspired confidence, and there were no nasty snags in even the sharpest of turns.
The first Axopar was the 28, which launched in 2014 and is still part of the model range with three versions available: an open, a cabin and a T-top. At the top of the range is the Axopar 37, which also comes in three versions: Open, XC Cabin and Sun Top. All the models have stepped, deep-V hull forms, are propelled by outboard engines, and have walk-around decks. The bigger models are open, with or without T-tops, or have enclosed wheelhouses.
With typical extras and the biggest engine, the Axopar 22 is priced around $76,601. The same boat with the smallest engine would be $68,464. The standard specification includes a bare deck, the bridge console, pilot and copilot seats, and an aft bench seat.
Clever Details
A handrail rings the deck. The windshield adjusts from near-vertical to fully raked by twisting knobs on each side. A locker under the aft deck can accommodate a life raft.
Axopars Inbound
According to Axopar, about 40 percent of its boats are shipped to North America. The models all nest efficiently into containers. As of midsummer, 10 of the Axopar 22s had arrived and 140 more were on order for the 2022 model year.
Behind the Design
The Helsinki studio of designer Jarkko Jämsén, called Navia, was responsible for all the Axopar designs. The studio’s biggest yacht project to date was the exteriors on the 253-foot Feadship Pi.
Take the next step: axopar.fi
