The new Targa 64 Gran Turismo, one of the flagship yachts of the British shipyard, responds completely, both in performance as well as in comfort and technology, to what is expected from a large sports yacht with sedan typology.

The Targa 64 Gran Turismo, presented in a worldwide premier last September in Monaco, is the new flagship of the Targa range from the British shipyard Fairline, a denomination that includes the family of sports boats with open configuration of this make. Based on the success of the Targa 62, this new model incorporates a great number of new technical solutions and systems, such as the patented design of the opening hard top or the spectacular electro-chromatic bulkhead to separate the toilet cabinet in the main cabin. The Targa 64 GT is, along with the Squadron 78 and 68, one of the larger sized yachts from the shipyard, which means that the clients can benefit from the specialised and exclusive services of the Yacht Division department at Fairline throughout the whole purchase and construction process of the boat, a service that is offered only to the owners of these three large lengths boats. The Yacht Division department works in very close collaboration with the design and production team at the shipyard, being up to date of the latest trends and developments to be able to incorporate them to the units under construction according to the demands of the owner, besides taking care of the logistic of the meetings between the owner and the consultant of the Yacht Division. From the construction point of view, each Fairline hull is designed specifically for each one of the models guaranteeing in this way the optimisation for a certain length, beam and power. Also, the hull, the deck and the superstructure are united with bolts, creating a structure that is very rigid and resistant to torsion. The laminated weave is placed unidirectionally and each layer of gelcoat is brushed to obtain the maximum structural integrity. All the hull inner surfaces, including the bilges and the stowage areas are coated to leave a smooth and easy to maintain finish.

Another one of the aspects that the British shipyard takes care for specially are the vibrations and the on board creaking. To avoid them Fairline manufactures each bulkhead in wood so that it fits exactly in the specific place and it fixes it without using joints nor any sealant. The assembly of the engines is planned with the same objective, that once mounted on the silentblocks they are left a few weeks in the workshop so that they settle while the boat is being built before being mounted in the hull, avoiding uncomfortable visits from the technical service to realign the engines after the first hours of navigation. To all that a rigorous final finishing process comes along that implies more than 2.000 independent controls and a visual control stage that can require more than 30 hours.


AN INNOVATIVE HARD TOP
The opening hard top is one of the largest dimensions of its kind installed to date and is in charge to turn a great part of the main deck into a large covered saloon. This new hard top design has been exhaustively tested by the engineering team at Fairline and Lola Engineering and incorporating a pneumatic joint that provides one of the most robust systems available on the market nowadays. Proof of it is that the shipyard has put the of hard top mechanism to the test for more than 7.500 cycles, the equivalent to 32 years of normal use, with no incidences. It is clear that on the Targa 64 Gran Turismo they have given priority to the space of the large covered saloon by the hard top than the outer area of the cockpit. In any case, the main deck of the 64 GT is large enough to welcome astern a generous solarium - under which we find the garage – and an elegant dinette with an L shaped sofa, as well as a complete auxiliary piece of furniture with cooker.
The teak coating is present both on the floor as well as on the furniture, that combined with sophisticated clear colour textile upholsteries, provide the whole with great elegance. But where the 64 really shows all its splendour is in the ample saloon located on the main deck. The sensation of amplitude is reinforced by the lateral panoramic windows and the zenithal ones in the dinette area – visible only when the hard top is closed - providing excellent natural illumination. The distribution is simple: the whole port side is destined to an ample C shaped dinette and to the L shaped sofa placed slightly more forward, whereas on starboard there is an entertainment piece of furniture and the steering position.This last one, along with the L shaped seat, remain in the open after opening the hard top, allowing to enjoy similar sensations to those that are obtained sailing on a an open vessel of smaller length. From some buttons located in the dinette the height of the table, the opening of the zenithal window and the elevation of the 32 inches TV screen hidden in the starboard furniture can be controlled electronically.

ELECTRO- CHROMATIC BULKHEAD
The inner distribution of the Targa 64 GT allows to six people to stay overnight in three double cabins, plus the ship’s crew, whose cabin is located astern and with access from the cockpit.
The main cabin located at full beam amidships in perpendicular configuration stands out. In addition to an oversized double bed, it has an original separation bulkhead between the bathroom cabinet and the cabin that by means of an electro-chromatic system can be darkened or made clearer. This system allows, just by pressing a button, to maintain the privacy in the bathroom or to use advantageously the natural light coming from the large lateral windows. The inner accommodation of the 64 is completed with a double cabin forward and a cabin on port equipped with twin beds. Of course, both cabins have their respective bathrooms with separated shower cabins and the standard of the finishes is at the height of the main cabin. The shipyard offers, to the owners’ choice, two different layouts for the inner galley. The unit presented in Cap d’Ail, Monaco, last September, had a distribution on which the prominence of the galley was reduced to install a small L shaped dinette. On the second option the dinette is eliminated so that the galley occupies the whole starboard side with the installation of an American bar.
The materials for the interior decoration of the 64 GT have been carefully chosen, alternating hard wood – eucalyptus, American cherr y and maple - hand worked with the highest quality plywood. Throughout the boat the master y of the carpenters becomes evident so that the wood grain fits perfectly in the panelling of each one of the cabins.

EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE
The Targa 64 GT on which we sailed in Monaco was equipped with two MAN 1100 CRM propulsion units of 1.100 Hp each, although the shipyard also offers the option to install two Caterpillar C18 engines of 1.015 Hp each. In both cases, according to the shipyard, the 64 GT is able to reach 35 knots of maximum speed. And the fact is that during our navigation we could completely confirm these data regarding the MAN, as with the fuel at half load, nine people on board and with a flat sea, we reached 35 knots at 2.350 revolutions without problems. At maximum speed, the consumption of the 1.100 CRM is of 205 litres per navigation hour. If what is pretended is to make a more calm cruising program, a speed of around 26 knots at 1.800 rpm will maintain an optimal performance-consumption ratio of 118 litres per hour.