NEWS - Fairline Targa 58 Gran Turismo awarded
Luxury boatbuilder Fairline has taken out the UK’s Motor Boat of the Year Award 2011 in the Sportscruiser Above 45ft category with its Targa 58 Gran Turismo, launched in 2010. This is the third consecutive year that Fairline has won a Motor Boat of the Year Award.
The awards are judged by a panel of boat testers from UK marine titles and the winners announced at a gala dinner at the Savoy Hotel, London on January 10.
One of the judges, Hugo Andreae, said the category nearly caused “a riot” among his peers when they met to decide the winner. He admitted they struggled to agree on what actually constituted a sportscruiser — the confusion being that some of the larger ones have sprouted flybridges.
"Our winner is a boat that doesn't just deliver on the water, but also moves the game on with a raft of clever new innovations that bring real benefits to the end user. It is the Fairline Targa 58," said Andreae.
The award was accepted by Fairline’s technical director Adam Greenwood. "We are absolutely delighted that the design of this model has been recognised,” he said.
“The Targa 58 Gran Turismo was the launch pad for new concepts such as the Tender Launch System, which we designed in-house to assist owners in launching and retrieving their tender,” Greenwood continued.
“We also introduced an entirely new Fairline interior layout with the master cabin and en suite forward to maximise space onboard, whilst still creating a luxurious living space," he said.
Australian Fairline dealer and CRS Yachts sales and marketing director, Mark Chapman added: “This is a seriously impressive release from Fairline and the model is truly deserving of this award.
“We sold our first Targa 58 on release at the 2010 Sydney International Boat Show and have had strong interest ever since. It really is unique,” he said.
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Rendering: Fairline Targa 50 Gran Turismo.
Photo: Fairline’s technical director Adam Greenwood (left) accepts the Motor Boat of the Year Award 2011 in the Sportscruiser Above 45ft category.