Fairline Targa 43 Review: British Sportscruiser Benchmark
Why the Targa 43 remains the yardstick for a 40-foot sports cruiser on both sides of the Channel.
Jack & Anchor Editorial3 August 2026 6 min read
Seakeeping
The Targa 43's deep-V hull is the reason owners keep coming back. She will hold 22 knots in a Solent chop where softer-riding competitors have to throttle back, and the hardtop version is genuinely usable in a British summer.
Engines
Twin Volvo D6 shaft drives are the sweet spot: simple, well supported and easy to service. Check hours against service records, and budget for sterndrive bellows if you are looking at an earlier drive-leg variant.
What to check
Hardtop actuator seals, cockpit teak fixings, and moisture readings around transom fittings. Boats stored ashore under cover, as many UK examples are, present dramatically better than Mediterranean berth-kept sisters.
