Tartan, an American boat builder specializing in the design and manufacture of fiberglass sailboats since 1971, has decided to update its catalogue. Or rather, Tartan wanted to rely on Torqeedo Cruise for its Fantail series of sailboats.
This is an important turning point, as testified by Tartan Yachts through the words of its chief designer Tim Jackett, who spoke of how the demand from their customers has changed. The acceptance of electric mobility by consumers has thus made it possible to enter the world of emission-free engines, choosing a leader in the sector such as Torqeedo.
Fantail Sailboats have been updated
Jackett explained that he first approached the Torqeedo world in 2008, during the Oakland Boat Show. On that occasion, the German company, leader in electric motorization for the nautical sector, was demonstrating its electric motors on inflatable boats. A couple of years later he would then design a new, smaller day sailer, and that’s where the light came on.
Today, Fantail series boats are standardized with Torqeedo Cruise outboards. At first the focus was on a bank of standard deep cycle marine batteries, a choice which however did not prove to be optimal compared to electric propulsion. Here then came the decision to switch to lithium-ion, as well as deciding to reduce the total weight of the battery.
But the real reason that prompted the adoption of a Cruise electric outboard is linked to the particular request of a Tartan Yachts buyer. His wish was to be able to sail on Lake Erie, in the Great Lakes area of North America, without giving up a series of precise characteristics:
- He was looking for a powerful solution to cope with the lake conditions
- He wanted a fixed installation rather than running an outboard
- Was searching for additional storage space
Said and done. Thanks to the integrated Torqeedo system, you can include a fixed Cruise pod with a folding two-blade propeller, a Power 48-5000 lithium-ion battery, charging system and motor controls. Plus, there’s GPS, full battery monitoring, and the ability to read range and speed. All with an elegant design.
Sustainability and versatility
What Tartan Yachts has found in Torqeedo is a fully integrated solution, from propulsion to battery to recharging. This allows any manufacturer to be able to act with greater freedom, with the awareness of making a responsible and performing choice.
The same boat owners can take advantage of a long list of innovative features, such as the possibility of checking the speed in real time from the display, checking the battery charge status and the cruising range correlated to the current speed.
Given the important breakthrough, the strong acceptance and demand, after choosing the Torqeedo Travel 1103 as an option for the new Caraluna 245, Tartan is also evaluating electric options for the larger boats in its range.
With the constant and growing technological innovation, both the batteries and the autonomy itself are destined to increase, thus leading more and more cruising sailors to make the big leap towards electric power. And it is precisely for this reason that Tartan is sailing with Torqeedo, looking for solutions to be applied to larger boats.