PARDO 38 : the “Baby in the family” is striking

If, thinking about the Pardo 38, your mind evokes glamorous scenes of luxury cocktails enjoyed in the trendiest ports and anchorages of the moment, you are only partially right.

While her bold beauty is clear at first sight, to better understand her marine qualities, her innate ability to meet the multiple needs of a day at sea and her unsuspected predisposition for medium-range cruising, you need to take a more in-depth, analytical and complete look.

In order to understand the real reason for the global success of this open yacht, you need to climb on board, sail and spend some time on it. Only this way, you can understand the thousand facets that this small jewel is able to synthesize within just 12 meters of length.

That’s why, as soon as we got the chance, we did not hesitate and climbed on board the brand-new Pardo 38 that, in white livery, was waiting for us in the waters of Lake Garda.

Pardo 38 Sea Trial

A beautiful day welcomes our exit from the port of Moniga del Garda. It’s sunny, there is no wind and the flat water of the lake reflects the amazing colours of a vegetation that could not be greener than this.

We proceed at low speed while the inverted bow of the Pardo 38 cuts through the water surface, gently rippling it, with no drag marks aft. Excellent premises for what is a completely new hull, specially designed for the Pardo 38. Feauturing a deadrise angle of over 15 degres and a very pronounced V-bow profile, these waterlines guarantee excellent seaworthiness and a soft ride on the waves.

Among the numerous engine options, both sterndrive and outboard, that Pardo Yachts makes available for this boat, the owner of this Pardo 38 has chosen twin Volvo Penta D6, 380Hp each. It’s a medium yet “light” power, both in terms of overall weight and fuel consumption.

I push the gas throttles forward and the Pardo speeds up without hesitation, the speed increases and the boat gets up on plane immediately. At just 2,000 rpm, we are sailing at 21 knots with perfect trim. The boat is perfectly stable on the water, the trail is clean and, thanks to the protection offered by the large windshield, everyone on board feels like standing still.

Speeding up a little more, the supercharger comes into operation with a truly striking progression. The Pardo 38 increases, without any visible effort, her speed while sailing with a substantially perfect trim.

At cruising speed and 3,000 rpm, the boat sails at more than 31 knots with the same comfort as a 50-footer and the same fuel consumption as a RIB: 3 l/nm, that is 45 l/h. Really great! In these conditions, we could travel the distance that separates La Spezia from the island of Capraia in two hours, with first-class comfort and very low emissions.

I push the throttles forward, I want to see how far the Pardo 38 can go. I feel the acceleration increase while the GPS marks increasingly important numbers. I adjust the drives until I feel the propellers that almost breathe, then a click down and both the trim and speed are at the maximum. The speedometer touches 40 knots, a very good performance for the youngest member in Pardo Yachts’ family that, at this speed, registers a fuel consumption of less than 80 l/h.

I slow down and, at 27-28 knots, I perform some turns. Progressively, the boat tilts. The turning angle becomes increaingly tighter. We’re turning with a diameter of no more than 20 meters, I take my hands off and the Pardo 38 remains in trajectory without blinking and, above all, without reducing her speed. I counter-turn, intercept our wake but the boat proceeds totally undisturbed, with no shocks. What a hull, guys, that a hull…