Danish designer Niels Jeppesen shaped the XC 38 as a Gran Tourismo on the water: a compact performance cruiser that combines comfort and speed for fast passages, with the potential to travel long distances offshore.
Design and Construction
At just under 38 feet, the XC 38 has a waterline length of 34.1 feet, a beam of 12 feet 6 inches, and a displacement of 19,180 pounds. Ballast is 8,322 pounds of lead and iron.
The XC 38 retains the slippery hull form of X-Yachts’ out-and-out racing boats but adds more beam and more draught to make it more cruising-oriented. Forward, the hull has a deeper V-shaped cross-section. A large single spade rudder provides good grip, lovely feel, and precise manoeuvring; owners describe the aluminium-stock rudder, sandwiched in GRP, as very big.
To accommodate the cruising displacement, the boat carries a heavier keel: a lead bulb on a cast-iron fin, faired with an epoxy shell. Below the waterline, the skin fittings are flush, matching the low-drag approach of the three-blade Flexofold propeller.
At the structural heart of the boat is a metal frame connected to the GRP hull, supporting the rig and keel loads—a long-standing X-Yachts practice. In the XC 38, a steel matrix girder transfers loads between the keel, keel-stepped mast, and rig, making the boat exceptionally stiff. A 200-litre fuel tank, hot water, fresh-water tankage, and lithium batteries use the space around this matrix, keeping the centre of gravity low.
Rig, Handling, and Performance
Owners call the XC 38’s rig big, while the builder says the Xc38 offers superb performance in an easily handled package. Towable jib cars mounted alongside the coachroof help make the boat close-winded compared with most cruising yachts, supported by an efficient, easy-to-use traveller.
All lines run aft beneath the deck to clutches inside the fixed windscreen. The German mainsheet stays clear of the cockpit on a coachroof-top traveller; from there, it runs to the mast and then aft through ducting.
A 110 per cent genoa can be carried comfortably in up to 18 knots of true wind. Conditions were much more demanding when YACHT tested the boat on the North Sea in 6 to 7 Beaufort. The crew needed a reef in the mainsail and a reduced 108 per cent genoa, while strong gusts and shifting winds called for attentive steering and active mainsheet trim.The position of the helmsperson and mainsheet trimmer proved not entirely successful in those strong-wind conditions, a caveat for anyone sailing the boat hard upwind in a blow.
The carbon-fibre wheels give the helmsperson marvellous haptic feedback. On one reviewed boat, the initial mainsail reef was deep, while the second reef sat comparatively close to the first, reducing the effort needed to shorten sail further.
Cockpit and Accommodation
The cockpit edge is recessed to accommodate part of the wheel rim, allowing the helmsperson to sit, steer, and trim the mainsail without stretching. The transom lowers on a purchase-block system, revealing a liferaft beneath the cockpit sole and forming a bathing platform.
Below deck, the saloon feels notably spacious, both in volume and in the quality and cosiness of the interior. Nordic Oak carpentry covers almost every surface and sole board. The galley has a Corian-branded quartz-composite countertop that is hard-wearing and easy to clean.
The builder calls the large double berth in the forepeak the “Owner’s Cabin.” A single aft cabin lies to starboard, although one tester found its berth too short for a boat of this size. Opposite, aft of the navigation station, is one of the largest heads compartments seen in a yacht of any size.
Known Issues
The aft berth’s limited length is a surprising compromise on a 38-footer. The helmsperson and mainsheet-trimmer positions may also prove awkward when sailing hard upwind in strong conditions, as the North Sea test showed.
X-Yachts issued a warning that copper in some anti-fouling reacted with the aluminium rudder stock and caused corrosion. Treatment around the top of the rudder post should therefore be avoided.
The Verdict
The XC 38 is a thoughtfully evolved cruising yacht. It borrows the efficiency of a racing hull while offering the stiffness and poise expected of a bluewater traveller. It is quick, close-winded, and precise at the helm, with a flush underwater profile and a rigid keel-matrix structure.
The interior is genuinely roomy where it matters and beautifully finished. Even so, the short aft berth and the helm arrangement in strong wind reveal the limits of the Gran Tourismo brief.
Pros
- Exceptionally stiff steel-matrix hull structure and a low centre of gravity
- Close-winded handling, with towable jib cars and cleanly led control lines
- Spacious saloon with Nordic Oak joinery
- Unusually large heads compartment
- Flush skin fittings and a lead-bulb keel to reduce drag offshore
Cons
- Aft berth is too short for a boat of this length
- Helmsperson and mainsheet-trimmer positions can be awkward in strong wind
- Aluminium rudder stock is vulnerable to corrosion from copper-based anti-fouling
