Reporting from Boot Düsseldorf 2024, MBY Hugo Andreae gets an exclusive tour of the all-new Axopar 29 by the man behind it...
Attempting to replace an icon is always fraught with danger but the new Axopar 29 appears to have cleared that hurdle without batting an eyelid. All the traits that made the original 28 such a runaway success have been retained or improved upon, while the few weaknesses have been comprehensively addressed.
It’s actually the same length as its predecessor and only 3cm wider but thanks to a slightly higher freeboard, a more heavily flared bow and careful honing of the cockpit coamings, it feels like a significantly larger boat.
That’s most apparent in the bow, where there’s now space for seating along both sides of the table as well as a forward-facing bench. Lift up the latter and you’ll discover a proper little cabin underneath it.
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Most of the time this will simply be used as a glorified heads compartment with a drop-down sink and plenty of storage space for kit, but fold the steps away and spread out the cushions and it converts into a surprisingly decent double berth.
On the open Sun Top model, the twin helm feels even slicker and more secure than before, while behind that you can choose between four more individual seats and either a wet bar or an aft cabin. Or you can swap the lot for a more sociable U-shaped dinette with a fill-in cushion to make it into a sunbed.
The rear backrest can then be reversed to make an aft-facing bench or moved forward to pick up shelter from the windscreen.
The Cross Cabin’s wheelhouse and doors are appreciably bigger on the 29
The Cross Cabin enjoys even more improvements over its predecessor, including extra headroom in the wheelhouse, slimmer mullions for better visibility, wider door openings and side decks that feel significantly less cramped than before.
But perhaps the biggest change is the way it now connects so much better with the aft cabin, making access easier and feeling much less claustrophobic once you’re down there.
By reducing the number of joins and mouldings, the weight has barely changed, while tweaks to the twin-stepped hull are said to allow faster cruising with increased comfort at no cost to fuel efficiency.
Meanwhile, a larger 400-litre tank extends the range to over 200nm. That all sounds great but we’ll find out just how good it is during our sea trials in April.
Axopar 29 specifications
LOA: 29ft (8.95m)
Beam: 9ft 8in (2.98m)
Draft: 2ft 8in (0.80m)
Engines: 300-450hp
Fuel capacity: 105 gal (400 litres)
Enjoy the tour…
