The Fairline Targa 40 debuted at the Dusseldorf boat show last January to quite a lot of acclaim. And, it is easy to see why.
The design is aggressively modern with a full-figured bow section that provides a lot of interior volume. The bow is almost plumb at the top, but then curves neatly aft and flares to deflect spray. The glazing in the topsides are embedded in a wide, curved black band that mirrors the shapes of the cabin top and the cockpit’s wind screen and hard top. It’s quite interesting looking and attractive.
It seems Fairline, a venerable British boat building company, set out to make the new Targa 40 do many different things for cruising family. Every piece of furniture or system has multiple purposes and configurations.
At the helm, seeing over the high bow is slightly difficult. But, with the huge sunroof retracted, you can stand on a neat little folding stool to look straight out over the bow. Even better, the wheel itself can be tilted forward so it is handy to use when standing. Very cool.
The cockpit has a dinette without a table. But, in fact, it does have a table that folds away neatly under the settee when not in use. On the starboard side, the bulkhead folds down hydraulically to enlarge the cockpit and create a little balcony.
Aft there are two aft facing seats that convert into full-length sun beds. Lift up the port bed from aft and you open a dinghy garage that will fit an 8-foot inflatable and engine. The compartment also has a compressor for inflating the dinghy and a charger for your electric outboard.
The layout below provides a good-sized galley, a dinette that will seat six, a head and two sleeping cabins. The owner’s cabin forward is unusually spacious due to the volume of the hull being carried so far forward. The guest cabin has twin berths and is tucked under the salon floor. There will be some bumped heads getting in and out of this space,
The Targa 40 is powered by twin Volvo D6 340-horsepower engines with stern drives. These gives the boat a top end speed of about 32 knots. At 25 knots, it burns an economical 1.25 gallons per miles and at 20 knots it will have a range of 170 miles.
Fairline builds quality cruisers and the new Targa 40, a boat that does so many things well, deserves the praise it is receiving. It will serve many a family well. Read more.
