New Tricks: Saxdor Profile

Saxdor Yachts might be a new name, but the driving force behind the brand is by no means a newcomer to the industry

A casual observer of the boating world would be perfectly justified in noting that there are a staggering number of boat brands, particularly when compared to something more pedestrian like motor vehicles. But when one starts to scratch the surface, one discovers these seemingly separate boat brands are not so widespread as they may first appear — what one finds is a network of key industry figures, whose influences stretch across whole portfolios of brands. Sakari Mattila is one of these people.

Mattila is the driving force behind one of the most captivating new brands to hit Aussie waters of late — Saxdor Yachts

. Keen-eyed boaties will likely recognise characteristics such as the plumb bow from Mattila's previous work, and may even make the connection with Axopar, Paragon, Aquador and XO, all of which he was originally part of the team who designed and founded.

Less obvious is the name, which also pays tribute to the designer's previous achievements: there's the 'S', because it all starts with Sakari, the 'AX' from Axopar, his most recent brand; and 'DOR' comes from Aquador, his first boat brand.

Saxdor Yachts was officially founded in Finland during October 2019. The idea was simple, to innovate high-performing personal watercraft with prices that wouldn't frighten off entry level buyers. Mattila explains, “The concept behind Saxdor Yachts is to make the next generation of affordable boats. These are premium craft with modern styling and an affordable price that are fitted with the latest technology.”

The first design, the Saxdor 200, introduced an entirely new concept with its ‘water scooter’ style jockey seat and a spec sheet offering a standard 100hp outboard capable of 34kt (optioned up to 175hp, it'll hit 45kt without breaking a sweat). All this and it hit the European market at a starting price of just €20,000.

Before long, Saxdor's subsidiary-owned shipyard in Poland was working full steam to keep up with demand. During 2020, they produced 200 boats and managed to fill their order book for 2021. At the same time, the Saxdor 200 started receiving accolades, winning an award at Best of Boats 2020, the prestigious European Powerboat of the Year 2021, and scoring an Innovation Award in Holland. This year, the second Saxdor design, the 320, is expected to achieve similar success, and within the next two years, Saxdor will offer a range of hulls up to 40-feet.

For Australian distributor The Adventure Boat Company, the decision to work with Saxdor was a no-brainer. Their experience distributing one of Mattila's earlier projects, XO Boats, was all they needed to convince them this was one brand the Aussie market would be drawn to.

David Carpenter, owner of The Adventure Boat Company, explains: “At an incredible starting price of just $54,995, which includes a Mercury 100hp outboard, the Saxdor 200 Sport makes the dream for many Australians to get on the water a cost effective reality. And with the Saxdor 200, affordable boating doesn’t mean compromising quality, seakeeping, versatility, performance and sexy European styling. With it’s full GRP construction, twin stepped hull and class leading Finnish build quality, The Saxdor 200 really is the complete entry level package for all Australians.”

To find out more about Saxdor, arrange a test or discover upcoming models, visit adventureboats.com.au.