34 KNOTS OF FUN

FAIRLINE’S TARGA 43 OPEN IS A CRUISER FIT FOR THE GROWING FAMILY

Knife-shaped hullside glass stretches from just below the bow to just abaft amidships, blending with a straight-edge sheer line and a raked hardtop that looks like the wind has blown it back. Together, these design elements create the Fairline Targa 43 Open’s sporty profile. ¶ The express cruiser’s look comes from designer Alberto Mancini, who also penned the builder’s Targa 63 GTO. Fairline is hoping for repeat success with this 43, since the original Targa 43, produced from 1997 to 2005, saw about 300 hulls built. ¶ A deep-V hull form supports the new model’s racy aesthetic and should slice through a seaway. The fiberglass hull, deck liner, and longitudinal and transversal stringers are resin-infused, adding strength without weight. ¶ Power for the 43 Open is twin 435 hp Volvo

Penta IPS600 diesels, and the builder reports a 34-knot top-end. ¶ For fun in the sun, the yacht has a foredeck sun pad, as well as a sun pad over the transom garage. The garage holds a Williams 280 Minijet tender. The teak-covered hydraulic swim platform should make for easy launching and retrieval, and the builder says the platform’s 661-pound lifting capacity allows for a Sea-Doo Spark with a 421-pound dry weight. Three-step teak passages flank the tender garage, allowing cockpit access from port or starboard. ¶ The helm is forward and to starboard with two seats, and can be outfitted with a joystick for simplifying close-quarters maneuvering. Across is an L-shaped settee with a table for guests. Abaft is L-shaped cockpit seating, and another seat is across from it, keeping everyone in the conversation. ¶ For cruising families, there is a two-stateroom, two-head layout belowdecks. The standard setup has a forepeak master with a double berth and an amidships guest stateroom with twin berths. And the spaces can be switched, with the forepeak getting a scissor berth for two, if desired. ¶ The galley-down is between the two staterooms. It has a two-burner cooktop, a microwave and a fridge/freezer to port, and a dinette across. ¶ Fairline’s 43 Open may be the smallest model in the builder’s four-model Targa lineup, which stretches to 63 feet length overall, but she possesses the same sleek design, amenities and performance as her bigger sisters.