Southbound in Style – Delivering the New Lagoon 38

There’s no better way to get to know a new boat than to spend a couple of days at sea with her.

This time, the job was to deliver the brand-new 2026 Lagoon 38 from the Gold Coast down to Pittwater, ready for display at the Sail Expo at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club. This is only the second time the new Lagoon 38 has been displayed in the Southern Hemisphere, so there was plenty of excitement around getting her south and ready for the show.

Joining me for the delivery were local legend John Cowpe and his friend Andrew. With the boat loaded up and ready to go, we headed out from the Gold Coast and into what initially proved to be a fairly lively introduction to the new Lagoon.

Performance

Conditions leaving the Southport Seaway were less than ideal. We were pounding into short, sharp seas with around 18 knots of wind directly on the nose — not exactly the gentle shakedown cruise you might hope for on a brand-new boat.

But it was actually a great opportunity to see how the Lagoon 38 handled the conditions.

One of the most noticeable features of the new Lagoon is its wide-chined bows. The additional volume and buoyancy forward allow the bows to take the impact of the waves, rather than the underside of the bridgedeck slamming down onto them.

And it worked.

Despite the conditions, the ride was surprisingly comfortable. There was certainly plenty happening outside, but the amount of slamming was considerably less than I expected, and the Lagoon 38 continued to push through the short seas in a composed way.

The wide bows also bring another significant benefit: a lot more usable interior volume. There are huge storage lockers in each bow, while the forward cabins are exceptionally spacious. It’s a good example of how the hull design isn’t just about performance or seakeeping — it translates directly into the practicality and comfort of the boat.

As we worked our way down the coast, we were eventually able to bear away enough to get some sail up. With the Eastern Australian Current ripping south beneath us, we were soon making good progress down the coast.

Sunrise, whales and perfect sailing conditions

The following morning delivered a completely different picture.

A beautiful sunrise, with a pod of whales appearing off the bow. The wind was light, the sun was shining, the sea had settled into a slight following swell and the forecast was for the breeze to gradually build from the north; exactly what we’d hoped for.

As the afternoon progressed, the breeze filled in to around 15–20 knots right on the stern. For the first time on the trip, we could finally switch off the engines and let the Lagoon 38 show what she could really do under sail.

We were consistently seeing 8–11 knots, with the Lagoon surfing down the ever-growing swell. What impressed me most wasn’t simply the speed, though — it was how stable she remained.

Running dead downwind in following seas is not always an easy job for a catamaran. With the seas building to around two metres and becoming increasingly steep, I was watching closely for any tendency to veer off course or become unsettled.

The Lagoon 38 simply stayed on track.

The bows never buried, the cockpit and decks remained completely dry, and the autopilot kept her comfortably on course. Even when surfing down the waves, there was a reassuring sense of stability and control.

The new dual-mainsheet system

One of the features I particularly came to appreciate during the delivery was the new dual-mainsheet system fitted to the Lagoon 38.

Instead of a conventional traveller, the mainsail has separate port and starboard mainsheets arranged in a bridle.

There are a couple of advantages to this arrangement.

Firstly, it eliminates the need for a traveller, simplifying the cockpit and mainsail arrangement. Secondly — and importantly when running downwind — the bridle also acts as a boom brake.
That means if you were to have an accidental gybe while running dead downwind, the boom isn’t able to swing violently from one side of the boat to the other.

It’s a simple system, but one that I found both very functional and reassuringly safe.

Midnight and a freshening breeze

Just as I came up for my watch, the conditions had changed considerably. The wind had built unexpectedly to around 25 knots, and the seas were becoming steeper, with a much shorter period.
It was time for a reef. Fortunately, this was an incredibly easy operation on the Lagoon 38. The boat uses a single reefing line system, operated through a single electric winch positioned right at the helm station.

There was no need to leave the cockpit. In fact, there was almost no need to leave the helm station seat.

The first reef was in quickly, and for a while it looked like that might be enough. Unfortunately, the wind had other ideas. Within around 30 minutes we were seeing gusts of 35 knots, so another reef went in. We were hoping that would be the peak of the night — thankfully, the stronger breeze didn’t last too long. However, I did appreciate the thrill of surfing down two-metre-plus swells at 10–13 knots in complete darkness.

The Lagoon 38 was remarkably composed throughout it all. Sitting behind the clears, nicely cocooned from the elements, it was hard not to appreciate just how quickly the boat could cover ground while still feeling secure and controlled.

A very impressive introduction

By the time we approached Pittwater, I had spent enough time aboard the Lagoon 38 to form a pretty good first impression.

What stood out wasn’t one particular feature, but how well all the different elements worked together.

There were so many features that really impressed me. Grab rails exactly where you wanted them, the elevated helm station giving excellent visibility of the rig and all four quarters of the boat – so helpful for docking and manoeuvring, the engine bay hatches being located in the cockpit meaning engine checks whilst underway are safe and don’t require disturbing anyone.

And perhaps most importantly, the Lagoon 38 feels like a boat designed around the realities of cruising: comfortable, spacious, capable and easy to manage.

Available for inspection

After a brief stay in Pittwater for Sail Expo, she’s now at Middle Harbour and ready for her next assignment: The Spit Boat Show 2026, 7-8 November. If you missed previous opportunities to see, here’s your chance! She’s very much worth a look.

– Luke Holliday

New 2026 Lagoon 38

This is hull #6, delivered direct from the Lagoon factory with commissioning completed in early 2026. Presented in new condition, this Lagoon 38 is backed by the full factory warranty - 7 years on the structure, 5 years on the 29HP Yanmar engines, and 3 years general warranty.