A New American Classic

Back in October, after the Annapolis sailboat show, I got a chance to go out sailing on the brand new Tartan 395 that had been introduced at the show. The wind was so light, we almost didn’t head out onto the bay. But, in the end we did and we’re pleased we made the effort as the wind did come up a little. In the six to eight knots of breeze, the new Tim Jackett design, with the Tartan’s Cruise Control Rig (Solent and genoa), slipped through the water very sweetly. Tartan has been building high quality cruising boats (and racing boats) in Ohio since the early Sixties. I have to say I have a soft spot for the company as since my father bought a Tartan 27 way back then when I was 14 and with my two older brothers we cruised and raced (MORC) all over southern New England. That was the first boat I sailed offshore on a two-day passage across the Gulf of Maine. Tartan is an iconic company, truly an American treasure, so it is wonderful to see it bringing out new designs and steadily filing orders for new boats from 34 to 53 feet.  We had a very pleasant morning on the Bay and I can vouch for both the 395’s sailing qualities and the wonderful quality built into the boat. The photo above was taken by the one-and-only marine photographer Billy Black.