We celebrate the well-deserved winners of the 2019 Motor Boat Awards, as chosen by our select group of judges
Sportscruiser up to 45ft
Sponsored by
Finalists
- Fairline Targa 43 Open
- Grandezza 34 OC
- Keizer 42
- Pardo 43
- Prestige 460S
Winner: Fairline Targa 43 Open
It’s one thing to build a large, expensive sportscruiser that looks and feels the part but it’s far harder to achieve in the under-45ft sector where competition is rife and the conflicting demands of spacious accommodation and rakish looks are trickier to balance.
Fairline has pulled this off superbly well with the Targa 43. Alberto Mancini’s distinctive styling plays a big part in that but perhaps the bigger achievement is that despite this being the smallest sportscruiser in the Fairline range, the quality is right up there with its flagship model, the Targa 63 GTO. It even includes a built-in level of customisation that allows owners to make their mark.
It impresses throughout, from the wonderfully open cockpit and flawless driving position to the lavish full-beam master cabin and handy tender garage for a Williams Minijet.
Crucially, it also drives like a Fairline should with reassuring sea-keeping, agile handling and the kind of refined, easygoing cruising that owners appreciate.
Targas of this size have traditionally been among the best boats that Fairline has ever built and this latest generation looks set to carry on that trend.
