A strong wind whistles in from the North Sea fromabout five to six Beaufort towards us. We are travelling on the Grevelingenmeer near the Port Zélande marina and are sitting in the sheltered driving position of the Targa 48 GT. The abbreviationstands for Gran Turismo and usually describes well motorised, yet comfortable sports cars. Has Fairline also managed to make the Targa 48 fit for the "Grand Tour"?
In contrast to the Targa 48 Open, the GT version now has a hardtop, which guarantees a new level of comfort. The sunroof can be opened or closed at the touch of a button, depending on the weather, and a three-part glass front at the rear also keeps wind and weather outside - if desired.
The Targa 48 GT is available with either two or three cabins. In theTwo-cabin version the space is used for a second dinette. The owner's cabin extends across the entire width of the ship, leaving room for a sofa, and there is direct access to the private bathroom. The guests in the bow and starboard cabins share another bathroom, which in turnonly accessible from the cabins is. On the way to the toilet, you therefore always have to walk through one of the cabins, even during the day - this is a somewhat unfavourable solution.
In both versions, a crew cabin (extra) can be installed instead of the aft storage space under the cockpit bench seat. The galley on our test boat is located on the lowest floor on the port side, but can also be installed in the saloon above on request. The propulsion is provided bytwo Volvo Penta diesels with IPS drives. However, if you want to enter the engine compartment for servicing or to check the fuel pre-filter, for example, things get a little tricky.
When entering, you have to step onto thenarrow steps to avoid stepping on fragile engine parts on the starboard engine. Once you have reached the bottom, it is quite narrow overall. If you need to reach the filters, the metal access ladder blocks the way and you need a second person to pull the ladder up into the cockpit. All in all, not service-friendly.
In addition to the engine compartment access, there is also a "Emergency hatch". If a fire breaks out in the engine room, the fire extinguisher can be activated and the fuel taps closed from there by remote control. Remarkable: there are even two manual bilge pumps housed here. The thermal fuses and the relay switches for the batteries are elegantly concealed in a cupboard compartment in the hallway and can be operated from here in a user-friendly manner.
Back to the whistling North Sea wind: not only are we well protected, we are alsocomfortableover the choppy water. In any case, our test boat has no problems at all with what it gets in front of the bow. We don't go faster than 8 knots so that we don't create any disturbing waves in the shore area with our boat.
We measure the lowest gliding speed at 2000 rpm and a speed of 17 knots. In order for the Targa 48 GT to be economical when travelling, the speed must be increased to 24 kn to 28 kn and both engines must be turned between 2400 and 2600 rpm.
One tank of petrol is then theoretically enough for a range of only around 204 nm plus 15% reserve. This means that the Targa does not fulfil our test criterion for the minimum range.
As with long-distance races in a sports car, you also have to make a pit stop every now and then in the 48 GT. If you want to get further on one tank of petrol, you should shift down a few "gears". In this way, you can still reach a destination around 1060 nm away (plus reserve).
After all, the Gran Turismo can glide with just one engine and fully extended trim tabs and could theoretically travel 153 nm on one tank of fuel, plus reserve. Thanks to effective sound insulation, we measured a maximum sound pressure of 75 dB/A in the closed saloon at full throttle.
Conversations are still possible even at full speed and nothing stands in the way of enjoying music.
In the harbour, the test boat can be manoeuvred in any direction thanks to the standard joystick and optional bow thruster. Onesecond joystickcan be found under the folding armrest on the starboard side of the cockpit bench seat. A nice idea, but not very practical as you have no view of the starboard side of the boat.
The view from the driver's platform is better, from where you can see theBoat can be seen well all round. The driving position is equipped with one bucket seat each for the skipper and co-driver. The driver sits more towards the centre of the boat, the co-driver to the right.
However, this seating position impairs visibility when cornering, as the roof rails come into view when the boat leans towards the centre of the curve following its deep V-hull. In addition, the test boat takes a long reach due to the small steering angle of the pod drives, which we are told is the owner's intention. As a result, all extreme manoeuvres performed at top speed are very moderate.
However, anyone who frequently sails on inland waterways such as the Rhine should have the steering angle of the IPS drives adjusted more closely so as not to get too close to the banks when cornering quickly. You don't need an extra patent for this on the Rhine, as the boat measures less than 15 metres in length.
Fairline holds aLong list of accessories for their Targa 48 GT. For example, the future owner can equip their boat with a hydraulically lowerableBathing platform which has no problems with a payload of 400 kg. Dinghy or jet ski can easily be parked on it. A bow thruster would also be advisable, because despite the IPS drives and joystick, longer reverse passages in crosswinds are no fun without this aid.
The money for the second joystick can be saved for the reasons already mentioned. If you want to sail on the North Sea, Baltic Sea and parts of the German inland waterways, you will need to invest in certified navigation lighting. Then nothing stands in the way of the "Grand Tour" with friends or family.
CONCLUSION
With the Targa 48 GT, Fairline has launched a boat that is suitable for both sporting purposes and family outings. However, the gliding range is lacking, which is something to consider when travelling long distances.
You can read the full test in the October issue 2018 from BOOTE. Or you can download the PDF for the test below.
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