Regal 38 XO: The Sport Yacht That Goes Where Others Cannot

Photo Credit: Regal

Picture this: a 39-foot sport yacht with two staterooms, a walk-in shower, a full galley, and a retractable hardtop — parked nose-first on a sandbar in the Florida Keys with 26 inches of draft. That is the Regal 38 XO in a single image, and it is the image that stops buyers in their tracks at every boat show. By replacing traditional sterndrives with triple Yamaha outboards, Regal created something genuinely new — a yacht-quality cruiser with the shallow-water access, maintenance simplicity, and performance of an outboard boat. There is nothing else quite like it on the market.

Who It’s For

The 38 XO appeals to the buyer who wants the sport yacht lifestyle without the limitations that traditionally come with it. You love the idea of a proper overnight cruiser with air conditioning, a king-sized aft berth, and a gourmet galley — but you also want to explore the skinny water behind the barrier islands, beach the boat at Anclote Key for a taco lunch, and not worry about maintaining inboard engines. You have likely looked at sterndrive cruisers in this size range — the Sea Ray Sundancer 370, the Cruisers Yachts 38 GLS, or the Tiara Sport 38 LX — and wondered why none of them can get into the water you actually want to explore. The 38 XO answers that question.

Design and Layout

At 39 feet 3 inches overall with an 11-foot 11-inch beam, the 38 XO delivers the interior volume of a proper sport yacht despite its outboard configuration. The design achieves something remarkable: it moves the engine weight aft to the transom, freeing up a cavernous aft machinery space that Regal fills with premium ancillaries — a Fischer Panda generator, Mastervolt battery charger, Dometic air conditioning, and Florida Marine fuel and water tanks (Power & Motoryacht). The result is a level of systems quality typically found on boats costing significantly more.

The cockpit is pure Regal — that signature indoor-outdoor flow that defines the brand. Sliding glass doors retract completely to merge the L-shaped transom seating with the interior salon, creating one continuous entertaining space. An integrated electric smokeless grill, under-counter refrigerator, and solid-surface countertops handle serious meal preparation, while a drop-down galley window connects the interior galley to the outdoor refreshment center (Regal Boats). The retractable hardtop opens at the touch of a button, transforming the upper salon from a climate-controlled cabin to an open-air sundeck in seconds.

Forward, a multiposition sunpad provides lounging versatility, with a flat working area at the bow that makes anchor handling safe and practical — a functional detail that many cruisers overlook. Full-size walkarounds on both sides ensure safe passage fore and aft, even underway.

Below deck, the 38 XO punches well above its weight class. The aft stateroom features a full-size king bed with walk-around space, convertible to twins when needed — the largest in its class according to Regal. The forward stateroom houses a centerline California Queen, also class-leading for walk-around access. The head features a split layout with the toilet and vanity separated from the walk-in shower with teak lattice sole and bench seating, creating a spa-like experience that rivals boats ten feet longer (Sandy Hook Yacht Sales). A 32-inch LED TV folds down from the overhead at the push of a button, and the full galley includes a refrigerator, freezer, sink, and two-burner stove.

Performance

Triple Yamaha F300 outboards come standard, with F350s available as an upgrade. With the standard 300s, the 38 XO tops out at approximately 42.8 knots; the 350s push that to 46 knots — over 53 mph (Yacht Buyer). Cruise speeds settle in the low-to-mid 30s, with the 360-gallon fuel tank providing comfortable range for a Bahamas crossing or extended coastal cruising.

The 18-degree deadrise provides a stable, predictable ride that tracks well through turns and handles chop with composure. The boat carries CE Class B certification, rated for offshore winds up to 40 knots and seas up to 13 feet — a serious credential for a vessel in this class (Power & Motoryacht). The optional Seakeeper 3 gyro stabilizer virtually eliminates roll at anchor, transforming the overnight experience from tolerable to genuinely comfortable.

At the helm, a Garmin glass cockpit with a single 22-inch display or optional dual 16-inch screens integrates all instruments and controls in one intuitive interface. The Yamaha Helm Master EX with joystick and autopilot makes close-quarters maneuvering straightforward, and a Lewmar bow thruster provides additional confidence in tight marina situations. From the helm seat, visibility is excellent in every direction — a critical factor when operating a yacht of this size in unfamiliar waters.

Ownership

Brokerage 38 XOs average market pricing around $565,000. That reflects a premium over many sterndrive cruisers in this size range, but the outboard advantage — lower maintenance, no winterization of inboard systems, easier repowering, and that remarkable shallow draft — justifies the positioning for buyers who plan to use this boat the way it was designed.

The 55-gallon freshwater tank and 29-gallon waste holding tank support genuine multi-day cruising, while the generator with its own 28-gallon diesel tank keeps climate control and systems running indefinitely at anchor. Regal’s fit and finish — hand-stitched vinyl, Seagrass flooring, and the quality of hardware and systems throughout — reflects a builder that takes pride in the details that matter over years of ownership.

The Sandbar Discovery

Rachel and Tom had owned a 36-foot sterndrive cruiser for four years and loved everything about it except the places it could not go. Their favorite anchorage behind a small barrier island off Sarasota required crossing a shoal that dropped to 30 inches at low tide — close enough to see the bottom through polarized lenses, too shallow for their three-foot draft. When they saw the 38 XO at the Fort Lauderdale show, the spec sheet stopped them cold: 26 inches with drives up. The following spring, they crossed that shoal for the first time, tucked into the anchorage they had been staring at from a distance for four years, and grilled filet mignon on the transom while the sun set behind the mangroves. Tom turned to Rachel and said, “We should have done this years ago.” Now they keep a running list of shallow-water destinations they could never reach before — and the list keeps growing.

The Bottom Line

The Regal 38 XO occupies a category it essentially created: the outboard-powered sport yacht that delivers full cruiser accommodations with the draft of a center console. It goes where sterndrive yachts cannot, maintains like an outboard, and lives like a luxury cruiser. For the buyer who refuses to be limited by their boat’s draft, this is the vessel that opens the map.

Explore full specifications at YachtSpecsDirect.com

Browse available Regal inventory at mintedyachts.com/regal