New “Fly” in Town
Regal Boats invited us out on the new 38 FLY
Still basking in the afterglow of crossing to the Bahamas on Regal’s new 38 FXO this past fall, we recently received another message from Jeff Littlefield, Regal’s marketing manager, announcing its new 38 Fly. What? Another 38 flybridge model so soon? He invited us on board to spend the day getting to know this new “fly guy”…err…gal.
The sun wasn’t out for our journey from Miami to Boca Chita Key, but it 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-side helm station with a 22-inch MFD. Aft of the helm is another cozy bench with a convenient storage area behind it. A small, but well-equipped galley completes this space that can be enclosed with a sliding door during inclement weather. Both models provide the perfect platform for entertaining.
So what is new on the 38 Fly? “The transom, and obviously, the sterndrive. We’re just using 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” beam) is powered by twin Volvo V8 430 EVC2 Joystick Catalysts with the option of twin Volvo D4 diesel 300s. “You get the driving joystick, you have your docking modes, you know it’s dual station with the fly, but you have full control…. (Overall), it means this is much quieter,” he adds.
With the engines now placed inside, there is room for a full swim platform which can be used for easy access to and from the water or just for lounging in the sun. “You get this massive swim platform which is just inches off the water,” Medri says. “It’s a game changer for families.”
Families, or large groups, will get the most enjoyment from this boat. “People love these for their kids and stuff, too,” he says. “There’s just so much space.
“Storage on this boat is unreal,” he adds. “Even places you can’t see. I mean, it’s behind that backrest. It’s under the seat. It’s under that mattress. We’ve got storage in the steps down here.” Yes, there’s even storage in the top two steps that lead to the accommodations below: one full-beam cabin forward with an island queen-size berth (that lifts to provide even more storage space) and another cabin amidships with a queen that can split into twins. Both have large windows that illuminate the rooms in natural light and share a full head to starboard and a full shower to port.
The sun came out around lunchtime, giving us the opportunity to slide open the salon door and push the button to retract the window separating the galley from the aft cockpit creating a seamless indoor-outdoor space. Capt. Medri put on his chef hat and heated up the grill at the wet bar/entertainment center forward on the cockpit to make burgers for lunch. There was plenty of room to cook everything for this party of six, and some enjoyed the meal alfresco, while others dined in the salon under the cool air from the air conditioner.
When it was time to head back to Miami, I made my way up to the flybridge because there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to take in the view from anywhere else. Although a bimini comes standard, it was not raised. Capt. Medri piloted from the starboard-side helm station featuring dual 16-inch screens. I sat behind him on the comfortable L-shaped settee that has a table hidden underneath the seat. Just take it out when you want to dine up top.
The bow boasts a huge sunpad where I could have relaxed for the ride back, but I already had my feet up on the flybridge with the wind blowing through my hair. Nothing beats that boating feeling.
Medri agrees. “There’s a lot of people that still just want that wind in their face when they boat, but they also want the amenities that Regal brings you with that galley up or head down below, or open atrium,” he says. “And the ability to just come up here and just get that boating feeling that you grew up with is awesome.”
Head on over to Regal Boats
