YachtBuyer is putting the Wellcraft 38 Explorer (formerly the 355) versus the Quarken 35 in a head-to-head battle of speed and agility. Who will take the crown in this face-off? Will it be Jack Haines on the Quarken 35 or Aquaholic in the Wellcraft 38 Explorer? Find out as they push these boats to the limit!
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Wellcraft 38 Explorer
36ft 4in (11m)
£329,950 ex. VAT
For many people, the word “Wellcraft” still conjures images of Don Johnson, pastel suits, and 1980s Miami Vice. Back then, Wellcraft built its name on speed and swagger, producing Scarabs that looked at home skipping across Biscayne Bay. But a lot has changed in the 40 years since those poster-boat days.
Today’s Wellcraft has been reborn under Groupe Beneteau, with its sights set firmly on the new wave of Scandinavian-inspired adventure boats. Think Axopar and Quarken: upright profiles, big walkaround decks, practical interiors that turn from dayboat to an overnighter. The 38 Explorer is Wellcraft’s answer, and it looks every bit the rival - taller, broader in the beam, and carrying all the chunky rooftop kit a boy could need: the light bar, the sat domes, the open array radar.
Jack: “You bought a Wellcraft then?”Nick: “Well, you know, I like to be traditional, and although it's a very modern boat, it has, of course, a very fine tradition.”
Wellcraft 38 Explorer Tour
Compared to the Quarken, the Wellcraft 38 Explorer feels taller and chunkier, with more presence above the waterline. A boarding gate makes life easier when stepping ashore, though you can also wander aboard from the bathing platform, where a stainless-steel goalpost frame doubles as a grab rail and tow point.
In the cockpit there's a clever fold-out bench system at the transom, instead of fixed seating so you can make the space clear.Slide open the large aft door and window and the cockpit flows into the wheelhouse. Here, the fit-out feels sturdy and practical: a compact galley with hob, sink, fridge and microwave; a convertible dinette that drops to form a berth; and three forward-facing helm seats with bolsters.
Big side doors on both sides add ventilation and easy deck access, and the asymmetric layout means the starboard side deck is particularly broad. Twin sliding roof panels bring in the air and light, while those roof bars add the all-important adventure-boat look.
On the foredeck, a deep sunpad with integrated recliners gives passengers a comfortable view forward, cupholders and table fittings are where you want them, and under lies a surprisingly roomy cabin. Down here you find a full-beam double berth and a separate shower compartment.
Quarken 35
34ft 9in (10.6m)
£275,000 ex. VAT
The Quarken 35 is the new kid on the block. Built in Finland, it’s part of a new wave of adventure boats designed with the same ethos as Axopar and Saxdor: keep it simple, make it usable. It’s one of the most hotly contested corners of the market, and the 35 is pitched right into the middle of it as a rival to Axopar, Saxdor, and of course Wellcraft.
Though Quarken is a young brand, experience runs deep. The 35 is a natural step up from the smaller 27, scaled intelligently and given extra refinement through a continuing collaboration with Finnish studio R2 Marine. The twin-step hull and asymmetric decks are part of the evolution.
Jack: This is incredibly capable, all rounder, perfect for the UK, Northern Europe I'd say.
Quarken 35 Tour
The Quarken’s cockpit table is on a clever system: it can be mounted aft, amidships, or even carried forward to the bow. Remove it altogether and the space opens right up. There’s a sheltered bench at the stern that lets you look out over the water instead of into the boat, and little balconies that drop halfway down the bulwarks to create instant extra seating. They work so well it makes you wonder why more builders don’t do the same.
From the cockpit, an asymmetric layout draws you along the starboard side deck, which is wider and deeper, while the port deck remains narrow but still usable. The side door into the wheelhouse is tucked under the roof overhang, keeping it sheltered, and the aft doors have a neat trick: one is the standard side slider, the other can be pulled back as well, so you can open the saloon from either end.
Inside, the Quarken feels bright thanks to a fixed glass roof, though buyers can swap this for canvas if they prefer. The galley is slightly bigger than on the Wellcraft, with a diesel hob that means no need for a generator, plus the usual sink and fridge. Seating is flexible too - the dinette drops electrically to create a double berth, or you can flip the backrest to face aft when the doors are open to the cockpit. Forward, the below-decks space is straightforward but effective. A double berth forward is joined by a small heads compartment, and an extra berth to one side, which doubles as a cosy settee.
Out on the foredeck, cushions and a slot-in table mean it can work as a lounge, and a small forward-facing seat at the bow adds another option.
The Drag Race
Standing by, 3, 2, 1, GO!
Conditions off Cowes were breezy, choppy, and a challenge for both boats. Two 35-footers, near identical in length, one slightly beamier, one carrying a lot more power. The Wellcraft had three Yamaha 300s outboard for a combined 900hp, while the Quarken lined up with its twin 300s, a total of 600hp. The Wellcraft also weighed two tonnes more, so the question was would brute force or lightness come out ahead?
Tabs up, throttles buried: the racebegins. The Quarken leapt forward first, its lighter hull snapping out of the hole... but the Wellcraft very quickly powered past, all three props biting hard. Spray flew, hulls thumped into the chop, and then came the highlight: flat out at around 45 knots, the Wellcraft found itself launched clear - a perfect takeoff ramp from a swell and the wash of the Red Jet ferry. The engines flared, all three props briefly above water before crashing back into the Solent.
The Quarken kept charging gamely, but the gap only widened and the result was clear. In a straight-line sprint there is no contest - the Wellcraft 38 Explorer took a convincing win
The Agility Test
Nick: This is just about the most British challenge I’ve ever heard. And despite the fact I don’t drink tea, you’re on.
After all that excitement, it’s time for a cup of tea. But the kettle can only come on at the end of an Agility course. From the Yacht Squadron line there's a sprint to the green mark, three tight turns around it, back into harbour, lines and fenders out, boats alongside, and only then you can start making a brew.
It sounds a bit silly, but it's a good test. You learn how the boats behave at speed, how quickly they change direction, how easy they are to manage when you’re short-handed, and how practical the on-board kit is once you stop. In the space of one lap and a cup of tea you find out a lot about what these boats are really like to live on and handle.
The Wellcraft had a slight advantage here, as it's equipped with joystick control and Stay Point dynamic positioning. With a button press it can hold station, leaving Nick free to walk the decks and prepare the boat. But taking your time in the busy Solent has its own consequences as the Red Jet ferry gave a sharp blast of the horn to hurry the Wellcraft out of the channel.
The Quarken is more old school, with only twin throttles and a proportional bow thruster, it needs hands-on management. Setting fenders in the breeze it's harder to keep the boat perfectly steady, but as it has full walkaround decks, they were all set fairly quickly and before Nick on the Wellcraft.
Once both boats were secured alongside, the final stage began, making tea. Here the Quarken struck back. Its diesel hob meant the kettle was heating straight away, while the Wellcraft had to rely on a camping kettle and shore power. It turned into a race against the whistle, and the Finnish boat finished first. Tea was brewed and enjoyed on the bow while the Wellcraft was still waiting for its water to boil.
Nick: If you can call making a cup of tea faster on one boat than another a victory, then I think you’re welcome to it. I’ll take the drag race.
Final Thoughts
Lining these two boats up side by side was always going to be fascinating, because on paper they look so evenly matched.
The Wellcraft 38 Explorer impressed most with the way it handled its power. Triple engines and 900hp suggest something wild, but in practice it felt confidence-inspiring. The seakeeping was excellent, and even when launched clear at 45 knots the boat still didn't feel unruly.
The Quarken 35 came at the test from another angle. It doesn’t have the same raw performance, but what it does deliver is a very capable all-rounder. In the chop off Cowes it just wanted to be at 30 knots. The deck design is spacious, the sleeping arrangements practical, and the diesel hob is a faster solution that gave it the edge in the tea-making challenge.
Put simply, one boat wins on speed, the other wins on usability. The Wellcraft has the power and the presence; the Quarken has the agility and the practicality. Both show just how strong this sector of the market has become, and whichever way you lean, you’ll be getting a boat that’s great fun to drive. And for Nick, after finishing stone last in the Fairline Drag Race, this felt like sweet revenge.
Head to Head Stats
| Spec | Wellcraft 38 XP (as tested) | Quarken 35 (as tested) |
|---|---|---|
| Length overall | 11.0m (36ft 4in) | 10.6m (34ft 9in) |
| Beam | 3.3m (10ft 10in) | 3.4m (11ft 2in) |
| Displacement | 7.3 tonnes | 5.1 tonnes |
| Engines | 3 x Yamaha 300hp outboards | 2 x Yamaha 300hp outboards |
| Total power | 900hp | 600hp |
| Top speed | 45 knots (50+ with twin 350s) | 44 knots (50+ with twin 350s) |
| Cruising speed | 30-32 knots | 30 knots |
| Fuel burn (cruise) | 130L/h (1mpg) | 100L/h (1.3mpg) |
| Price (ex-VAT) | £329,950 ex.VAT | £275,000 ex VAT |
