New “Fly” in town
Regal Boats invited us on the new 38 FLY
Also in light of the cruise to the Bahamas on Regal’s new 38 FXO last fall, we recently received another message from Regal Marketing Director Jeff Littlefield announcing his new 38 Fly. What? Another model 38 flybridge so soon? He invited us aboard to spend the day getting to know this new “fly guy”…er…girl.
The sun wasn’t out for our trip from Miami to Boca Chita Key, but that wasn’t a problem for us. The 38 FXO and the new 38 Fly have the exact same layouts so our party of six rode comfortably inside the salon which features an L-shaped seating area opposite the starboard helm station with a 22 inch MFD . Aft of the helm is another comfortable bench with a handy storage space behind it. A small well-equipped kitchen completes this space which can be closed by a sliding door in case of bad weather. Both models provide the perfect platform for entertaining.
So what’s new on the 38 Fly? “The transom, and obviously the sterndrive. We just use Volvo and their system,” says Thomas Medri, Regional Sales Manager for Regal in Canada, who was our captain for the day. The 38 Fly (38′ 9 “LOA, 11′ 11”) is powered by two Volvo V8 430 EVC2 joystick catalysts with the option of two Volvo D4 300 diesels. It’s a double station with the fly, but you have total control…. (Overall) that means it’s a lot quieter,” he adds.
With the engines now placed inboard there is room for a full swim platform which can be used for easy access to and from the water or simply for basking in the sun. “You get this massive swim platform that sits inches from the water,” says Medri. “It’s a game changer for families.”
Families or large groups will get the most out of this boat. “People love them for their kids and stuff too,” he says. “There is so much space.
“The storage on this boat is unreal,” he adds. “Even the places you can’t see. I mean, it’s behind this file. It’s under the seat. It’s under that mattress. We have storage in the steps here. Yes, there’s even storage space in the first two steps that lead to the accommodations below: a full-width cabin forward with a queen-size berth (which lifts up for even more storage space) and another cabin amidships with a queen that can split into twins. Both have large windows that flood the rooms with natural light and share a full starboard head and a full port shower.
The sun came out around lunchtime, giving us the option of opening the saloon door and pressing the button to retract the window separating the galley from the aft cockpit, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor space. Captain Medri put on his chef’s hat and heated up the grill in the bar/entertainment center forward of the cockpit to whip up burgers for lunch. There was plenty of room to cook everything for this group of six, and some enjoyed the alfresco meal, while others dined in the living room under the cool air from the air conditioner.
When it was time to head back to Miami, I headed up to the flybridge because there was no way I was going to miss the chance to enjoy the view from anywhere else. Although a bimini comes standard, it has not been raised. Captain Medri piloted from the starboard helm station with two 16-inch screens. I sat behind him on the comfortable L-shaped sofa which has a table hidden under the seat. Just take it out when you want to dine upstairs.
The bow has a huge sunbathing area where I could have relaxed for the return trip, but I already had my feet on the flybridge with the wind blowing through my hair. Nothing beats that boating feel.
Medri agrees. “There are a lot of people who still want that wind in their face when they’re boating, but they also want the conveniences that Regal gives you with that galley upstairs or downstairs, or an open atrium,” he says. “And the ability to come here and have that sailing feeling that you grew up with is awesome.”
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