It's 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday in the Keys. You're anchored in three feet of crystal water, watching your kids jump off the wraparound swim platform while your partner preps breakfast in the galley. The triple Yamaha 350s are tilted up, giving you access to sandbars that would ground most 39-footers. By noon, you'll be cruising at 33 mph toward a waterfront lunch spot 40 miles away. By sunset, you're back at the dock, and the kids are asleep in the aft stateroom while you're watching the underwater lights attract baitfish from the cockpit.
This is the weekend the Regal 38 XO was designed for. Not the brochure version. The real one.
Who It's For
The 38 XO is for the owner who wants the layout and amenities of a 40-foot express cruiser but refuses to give up the efficiency, shallow draft, and serviceability of outboards. You're likely coming from a 33- to 36-foot bowrider or center console and realizing you want overnighting capability without stepping into the maintenance complexity of inboards or pods.
You value versatility. You want to fish the flats in the morning and host cocktails at the dock that night. You want two real staterooms, not a V-berth with a curtain. And you want to pull into any marina in South Florida without worrying about draft or finding a mechanic who knows your engine.
This boat is not for the traditionalist who believes outboards don't belong on a yacht. It's for the pragmatist who knows they do.
Design & Layout: Where the 38 XO Separates Itself
The single-level cockpit sole is the first thing you notice. Drop the salon window with a button, slide the glass doors open, and the aft cockpit and upper salon become one continuous entertaining space. No step. No threshold. Just 20 feet of usable real estate from the helm to the transom.
The galley sits inside the salon with a two-burner stove, sink, and refrigerator. Lower the window, and it connects directly to the aft cockpit grill and outdoor fridge. You're not running food up and down stairs. You're cooking in one place and serving in another without leaving the conversation.
The aft stateroom is where Regal made the smart call. It's a true king berth that converts to twins, with walk-around space and an upholstered settee. The forward stateroom features a centerline Olympic queen with actual storage underneath. Both cabins have privacy doors, not curtains. The head has a walk-in shower with a teak floor and a vessel sink. This is not a cruiser pretending to be a yacht. It's a yacht that happens to have outboards.
Performance: Freedom, Not Just Speed
Triple Yamaha F300s are standard. Triple F350s are optional. Regal's own test boat ran the 350s and hit 53.4 mph at wide-open throttle. But the number that matters more is 33 mph at 4,000 RPM. That's your cruise speed. That's where you'll spend 90 percent of your time on the water.
The hull keeps the bow down from 20 to 40 mph with little to no trim adjustment. You're not fighting the boat. You're not constantly tweaking tabs. You set the throttle and go. The Helm Master EX joystick and bow thruster make docking a one-person job, even in a crosswind.
The 360-gallon fuel capacity gives you real range. At cruise, Regal's test sheet records 0.72 miles per gallon, which works out to about 230 statute miles with a ten percent reserve. That's Fort Lauderdale to Key West with margin to spare, and it puts the Bahamas inside a single leg.
The 26-inch draft with drives up is the hidden advantage. You're accessing water that most 38-footers can't touch. Sandbars. Backcountry. Skinny-water anchorages. The outboards tilt, and suddenly you're in places that require a center console or a flats boat.
Ownership Conversation: What It Actually Costs
The 38 XO starts around $650,000 to $700,000 depending on options. That's not entry-level, but it's competitive with similarly equipped express cruisers from Sea Ray, Cruisers, or Formula. The difference is what happens after the sale.
Outboard maintenance is straightforward. Oil changes, lower unit service, and annual inspections can be done at almost any marina. You're not scheduling haul-outs for outdrive service or dealing with closed-cooling systems. Yamaha engines are reliable, parts are available, and most techs know how to work on them.
The diesel generator keeps the air conditioning, refrigeration, and electronics running at the dock or on the hook. The twin 16,000 BTU and single 27,000 BTU AC units will keep the cabin cool in July. The bow thruster and joystick are standard, not add-ons.
This is an owner-operated boat. You don't need crew. You don't need a captain. You need to know how to dock, how to read a chart, and how to check your oil. If you can handle a 33-foot bowrider, you can handle this.
Where to Start
The 38 XO is the right boat if you've outgrown your current setup but aren't ready to compromise on draft, efficiency, or ease of ownership. It's the right boat if you want two real staterooms and a layout that works for families, not just couples. It's the right boat if you value versatility over tradition.
Explore full specifications at YachtSpecsDirect.com.
Browse available Regal inventory at mintedyachts.com/regal.