boat report

Motor Boat & Yachting
December 2011

BOTNIATarga32
WATCH

THE VIDEO!
mby.com/bt32

For those who want to go anywhere and do anything – thisFinnish powerhouse is a meticulous homage to craftsmanship
Text: Jack Haines Photos: Lester McCarthy

BOAT REPORTAt September’s PSP
Southampton Boat
Show the latest variantof the Botnia Targa
range hit the water, theTarga 32. It replaces
two models, the 31 andthe 33, with headline
highlights being improved space in theaccommodation and, with the optional twin
IPS400 engines, the potential to be the fastest
Targa ever created. A fearless, hard-as-nails,
46-knot bruiser of a boat and one that MBY
couldn’t wait to have a tussle with.
Herds of marine journalists have tested thecountless versions of the Targa, but with only
the entry-level 23.1 under my belt this seemed
the perfect opportunity to test the 32 as a boat
in its own right. Seeing past all that has gone
before and the reputation that precedes it, howdoes the 32 stack up as an individual boat? Andare the traditional charms of everyone’s
favourite high-speed potting shed still as
relevant now to a 30-35ft market which is
pumped full of choice and innovation?

PRACTICAL DELIGHTS
The first thing you have to do is get past thelooks – if you don’t like the styling then you’reunlikely to get much further than that. If you
look closely at the rearmost windows on the 32
you will spot a small diagonal kick in thebottom corner. There was plenty of deliberation
about this radical (for Botnia) stylistic quirk at
the factory and it nearly didn’t make it. Someclear evidence if ever there was any of how
proud the yard are of their no-nonsense design.
However, there’s much to be said for clean
rugged styling and with this boat you open
yourself up to a whole host of practical benefits.
The decks are deep and safe and there areabove-waist-height guardrails all the way
round, and the ones aft are topped with teak.
There isn’t a sunpad in sight but you have got
two separate seating areas fore and aft. The
front area is best suited to dining with its
U-shaped seating and the head of the tableperched on the raised moulding thattransforms the forward cabin. The teak table,
which at first seems far too lovely to be used toeat off, folds neatly into a locker in the bow.
The aft deck is left completely open and istherefore extremely versatile – it can be used asa dive platform, a watersports changing area,
fishing spot or just somewhere to unfold a pairof deckchairs. The twin transom gates are safe
and their large opening creates a realconnection with the water when the boat is atanchor and an inviting pathway down to thelarge bathing platform. The bathing platform,
incidentally, sets the tone for a whole host ofpractical features, which, in all honesty, make
DECEMBER2011 55

The double navigator’s seat to port now has ahinged backrest so that with a mere push it’s
reversed and joins up with the dinette

the Targa 32 what it is. There’s a thick rubbing
strake around its perimeter which thencontinues around the rest of the boat, andBotnia have had the foresight to install an
inspection hatch in the middle of the platform
for unrestricted access to the sterndrives. How
useful is that if something gets caught aroundthe prop or a leg is playing up at sea?
Deck storage is superb as well: every seat,
both fore and aft, has a locker beneath it andthe lids are held shut with chunky latches.
Fenders are dealt with in fiddled slots beneaththe flybridge helm seats and they’re held downwith a nice, reliable length of cord. The boat ispeppered with details like this – the boat hook
is locked in place by clips and a bungee cord
inside an upright coaming in front of thehelmsman’s sliding side door. On the insidethere are catches on every drawer, cupboard
and cubby, no matter how small, and crockery
and glassware is held in snug-fitting fiddles.
Handholds protrude from anywhere that they
can be squeezed onto, even the wheelhouse,
despite the towering bulwarks.

STEP INSIDE
The theme of practicality continues when you
enter the saloon via one of two sliding doors.
There’s more wood in here than in a sauna
factory and it’s all of the very highest quality,with every drawer snapping shut with anengineered ‘clack’. The main change over theprevious models is one of the simplest
alterations but it works brilliantly. The doublenavigator’s seat to port now has a hinged
backrest so that with a mere push it’s reversed
and joins up perfectly with the dinette. The
optional KAB helm seat on our test boat also
swivelled so it could join the party, meaningthat six people can sit in comfort for dinner.
The table does the usual Targa party trick of
sliding upwards and out of the way via the poleon which it’s mounted. This is such a greatfeature because the table has boundless scopefor adjustment, for example it can be raised
high enough to be used as a second chart tablethat you can stand next to on passage.
The other news is in the cabins, which arelocated at either end of the boat. The forwardcabin, accessed by double doors and a hatch
which hisses open on twin gas struts, now has
standing headroom at the bottom of thecompanionway stairs so you can get changed
without developing a kink in your spine. It’s
still pretty cosy but the berths are plenty longenough if a little narrow. Storage is in the formof two cave lockers at the head of the berths(designed for sleeping bags apparently), someshelving on either side of the cabin and somehooks. Okay for T-shirts, shorts and hanging awaterproof but leave the Armani suit at home.

Guests will have to make it across the saloon
to go to the loo in the night, which is a bit of apain, but at least when they get there it has fullstanding headroom, another improvement on
the 32. It’s a very good heads, actually, withlight from a big port, three separate storage
areas and a pull-out shower head plus hooks tohang wet waterproofs. The aft cabin has threeberths all together, one big double, which iscompromised a touch by its proximity to thesaloon floor, and a coffin-like single berthbehind the ladder that leads down into thecabin. This won’t be anyone’s first choice but
it’s great to have the option and is ideally suited
for a child. Storage is much better here with a
big hanging locker and two deep drawers in thesame unit as well as more hooks.

OUT ON THE WATER
Having got over the initial disappointment of
our test boat not being equipped with themighty 400hp Volvos (this is a Scandinavianspecced boat and they go for all the creature
comforts and the smallest engines to keep an
eye on the environment, according to WessexMarine), I pulled myself together and realisedthat actually, the twin D4 260hp lumps would
give the 32 enough grunt to make the sportiestof sportcruisers shudder. We managed awhisker under 36 knots on test and, crucially,
the transition from displacement to planing ispretty much unrecognisable with a responsive
burst of urgency accompanying every forward
nudge of the throttles.
The sea was flat calm on our test day but thewake churned up by our Targa 44 chase boat
was more than enough to learn that the Targa
32 positively relishes the challenges of a chop.
Even crossing the wake flat out leading withthe chine the boat refused to slam, shudder,wobble or even seem the least bit perturbed bythis onslaught of unsavoury driving. This is aboat you will take on a 120-mile round trip forlunch even if the weather is a bit iffy.
The only dampener on what is an excellent
driving experience is the shape of the seats at
the raised helm. For a boat with this much grip
and agility the flat seats don’t cut the mustard– the optional bucket seats are an absolutemust in my opinion. Some fore and aftadjustment for the helm seat would be awelcome addition too, and the tachometers up
here would be much easier to read if they wereon the flat section of the dash near the compass
rather than on the angled section where they
currently reside. The outside helm position
does add a valuable extra element to helming
the 32 though, both at speed and when it
comes to berthing, where the helmsman’s viewof the stern is excellent. In contrast, the lower
driving position is right on the money in every

The table can be locked inany position along the pole
upon which it’s mounted
Cockpit has a great
connection to the water
through transom gatesAft cabin has this double
berth, as well as a single bed
behind ladder

BOAT REPORTA CLOSER LOOKWITH JACK HAINESGALLEYThe galley has
fiddles, cubbies anddrawers all over theplace, with the sinkand hob revealing
themselves frombeneath a big slab ofteak. This is ideal forchart work on
passage too.

BOAT HOOK
This doesn’t seem
remarkable but theboat hook, made of
the same wood as
the interior, is stowed
snuggly in a recess
just forward of thehelmsman’s sliding
door so it’s withineasy reach.
The helm seat andnavigator’s bench can bothbe made to face the table
The bulge in front of thewheelhouse is perfect forguests to perch on

WIRINGIn the engineroom it’s
all very chunky andwill withstand hoursof punishment. The
wires are clipped towithin an inch of
their life and tidily
threaded around theengineroom’sperimeter.

THE ENGINEROOM
Having two separate opening hatches means you caninspect the engines individually and leave one hatch down
so you can still navigate the cockpit safely. The installation isflawless with decent access to both sides of the engines andan immaculately smooth finish on the floor. Even with thelargest engines fitted you’ll be able to swing a cat about inhere with the greatest of ease.

Welcome standing headroom
in the ensuite heads aft

The forward cabin now gets aspot of full standing headroom

DECEMBER2011 57

Not used muchin the UK but thespotlights look so cooland suit the boat down
to the ground

Smallish hatch,but there is scope
to fit a larger one oreven multiple hatches
for ventilation and light

Teak-capped rails
not only look great
but bolster the feelingof safety so much as
you walk around

Large scuppers in
the topsides meanthat any water taken on
deck is cleared within amatter of seconds

THE DATALENGTH OVERALL 35ft 5in (10.78m)

FUEL CAPACITY
176 imp gal (800 litres)
WATER CAPACITY
26 imp gal (120 litres)
DRAUGHT3ft 6in (1.10m)
RCD CATEGORY
B (for 10 people)
DESIGNERSOy Botnia Marin Ab, 2011DISPLACEMENT
6.2 tonnes (light)

BEAM
11ft 1in(3.37m)

The heads unit has standing
headroom, neat storage
solutions and hooks for wet gear

Not for those who suffer fromclaustrophobia but this extra berth in
the aft cabin is useful to have

It may only be a small area but it’s
great to be able to stand up and getchanged in the forward cabin

BOAT REPORTWe did a whisker under 36 knots
and even crossing the wake flat out it
refused to slam, shudder or even wobble
Wherever there’sa gap, there’s ahandhold on the 32.
Even at the base of thewindscreen!

way. The dials and plotter couldn’t be clearer,
the KAB helm seat is fully adjustable and hassuspension to deaden any (unlikely) nasty
bumps. As with all Targas, the panel with thewheel and throttles on it can be adjusted forstanding or sitting. Unless it’s really roughthough, I would always drive seated because
you can sit back comfortably and reach all themajor controls with ease. It’s great to be able toslide the side door open to get the breeze inyour face too, but in the wheelhouse with thedoors shut and the engines’ grunts sealed awayin the cockpit you can cruise at 25-30 knots
and it’s very civilised indeed.

VERDICTA UK-spec Targa 32 is likely to cost around£285,000 and that is a hell of a lot of money fora boat of this size. However, people who buy aboat like this buy it because nothing else will
do. Get past the humdrum looks and it doesn’ttake long to see where the money is being
spent: materials, detailing and rock-solid
construction. Yes, you have a lot of choice forthis sort of money but spend time in a roughsea on the 32 and you’ll soon be brandishinga biro and looking for the dotted line.
Contact Wessex Marine.
Tel: +44 (0)1202 700702 Web: www.targa.fl

THE HELM VIEW

This flat area toport of the helm isjust what you need forchart work when theboat is moving

This is a great
spot for the dials,
clear and very easy
to readThe VHF is a bitof a reach here
– it might be better
alongside the dials
above the helmThis part of thehelm station
tilts, moving both thethrottles and the wheel
in unison – a great idea

PERFORMANCETHE COSTS & OPTIONSRIVALSTEST ENGINES: Twin Volvo Penta D4 260.
260hp @ 3,400rpm. 4-cylinder 3.7 litre diesels

Price from
£184,200(Single Volvo Penta D6 400hp)
Price as tested£299,622
Bow thruster (7hp)£5,590
Teak-capped rails in cockpit£520
Teak bathing platform/inspection hatch £2,340
LED rope lights on wheelhouse£610
Wheelhouse spotlights£1,580Snap davits£990
Bimini top£1,770Webasto diesel heating£2,980Non-standard hull colour£3,240= Options on test boat

NIMBUS 31 NOVA S
Price from approx £209,684
Stepped hull and 33-knot
performance from a single D6.
MBY tested November 2011

MBY TEST FIGURES
ECO
RPM
2,000 2,200 2,400 2600
Speed 12.4 15.4 21.1
24.5
LPH
35444955
GPH
7.6
9.7
10.8 12.0
MPG
1.63 1.59 1.95 2.04
Range 229 223 275
287

FASTMAX
2,800 3,000 3,200 3,400
26.9 29.3 34.0 35.9
617080102
13.4 15.4 17.6
22.0
2.00 1.90 1.93 1.60
282 267272225SOUND LEVELS dB(A)Helm717073Cockpit 84
8686Saloon 76
757875877974887875
9080788980

778985PARAGON 31
Price from £248,463
A fantastic deep-vee hull andoutstanding build quality.
Buy the test: mby.com/p31

Speed in knots. GPH & MPG figures use imperial gallons. Range in nautical miles and allows for 20% reserve. Calculated figures based on readings from on-board fuel gauge; your figures may vary considerably. All prices include UKVAT. 57% fuel, 100% water, 3 crew + safety stores (no liferaft), 27ºC air temp, flat seas, F1 for speed trials

DECEMBER2011 59