MY FANTASY FLEET
Name: Paul Collard Current boat: Fairline Targa 38 Berthed: Southampton
Being on a boat is a wonderful escape from normal life and its inevitable ups and downs. For me half the fun of having a boat is tinkering around and getting to know and understand all its systems so that when it goes wrong, I am able to fix it. Enjoying meals on the boat, watching sunsets and getting under way as dawn breaks are some of the best times I’ve ever had on board.
FAIRLINE TARGA 58GTB £1,500,000
This would be our entertaining boat that would enable us to invite friends and family to spend quality time with us. As this has a beach club at the stern, things like SUPS, Seabobs and water-skiing accessories would be a must. I would also add tall aerials on the roof, an Ultra Anchor for safe and reliable overnight anchoring and a Fusion sound system linked to underwater lighting. I’d also specify a Seakeeper stabiliser to keep things nice and steady when the beach club is open. I have chosen Fairline for the high-quality design, finish and reliability. Croatia would be high up my list of cruising areas but I would have it shipped to different destinations each year.
NORDHAVN 52 £1,300,000 EXVAT
This would be my explorer, a boat for spending long periods on board. Destinations would include the Norwegian Fjords and the South of France but I would also love to explore the whole of the UK’S waters, including the Isles of Scilly and the Caledonian Canal. I’d have the largest engine option available and the tallest aerials possible, with the extension risers. I’d also opt for an Iris CCTV monitoring system throughout, with night vision and intercom system, docking controls at the stern and a watermaker to ensure the boat was self-sufficient for longer trips away.
Other musts would include a Williams jet tender, three
VHF radios to monitor several channels at once, at least four plotting screens and two radars to have as much information to hand as possible, including a plotter in the saloon. Finally, I’d get a powerful remote searchlight and the biggest, loudest horns I could find.
PIRELLI PZERO 1400 CARBON EDITION
€600,000
Built by Tecnorib in Italy as a fast dayboat or superyacht tender, this would be my fun boat. With a bigger boat you lose the sense of speed so the RIB would bring me back closer to the water for a real adrenaline rush. I’d opt for the Cabin version rather than the open Sport in order to get a proper heads, and a T-top to provide some shade. Suspension seats would be a must and I’d choose Fusion EL series speakers with built-in LED lighting, plus underwater lights linked to wave impact whilst under way. A decent windlass and anchor for secure anchoring at whatever coves and bays I stopped at would also be on the list.
Send in your suggestions to mby@futurenet.com with My Fantasy Fleet in the subject line. You must chose three boats for your imaginary fleet with a total value of up to £5 million.