The Tarquin story is an odyssey through the evolution of the modern motor yacht; a history driven by innovative design and customer satisfaction.
 

The early days were marked by a number of unique partnerships
between Tarquin and young designers that now lead the industry, Bernard Olesinski and Terence Disdale. Together they created a number of the most distinctive and revolutionary motor yachts of the 1970s.
 

Commercially, it was the partnership between Tarquin and Azimut that brought new standards of design and performance to the UK market with the 43’ and 46’ aft cabin.

  With both companies co-operating over designs that were built under close supervision in Italy, more than 50 of these models were delivered throughout the world and the successful 60 Solar was also developed.
At the same time, Tarquin continued to push the boundaries of custom boat building with top designers. The Tarquin Gulf 50 was a truly beautiful motor yacht that still looks contemporary twenty five years on. Similarly, the Buggy Carrier, one of the most remarkable craft ever made, was commissioned by a Sheikh to carry, and land, his Porsche engineered beach buggy.
The start of a new decade also brought a new direction for Tarquin – a new image
and a new brand. After ten years of boating in England and the Med in his own and other peoples boats, Tony Chappell started daydreaming (and sketching) about another kind of boat – One that would let him travel further and in more comfort with more fuel and more spacious accommodation; one that Mrs. Chappell would enjoy being at sea on as the hull would not slam in rough weather; and one that his young family could safely enjoy too
And so the Trader was born…drawn up in Wimborne, Dorset in Great Britain before Tony Chappell went globe trotting to find the right factory in which to create his new masterpiece.
The Trader 41 was designed for a new style of boating; one which put comfort and safety ahead of out and out speed. The single innovation that made the distinctive Trader designs possible was the development of a unique semi-displacement hull form that gave a soft, dry ride as well as being capable of speeds of over twenty knots.
To match the long range cruising abilities of the Trader hull, the interior was designed to give maximum comfort and a ‘homely’ feel. Hence the flexible aft cabin layout and deep.
saloon windows. A modern interior with Teak trim and a traditional atmosphere completed the Trader style by combining
practicality with the luxury of handmade craftsmanship.

And it worked – more than 500 Traders have been delivered since, in all the major boating areas of the world. Of those, more than 170 are that original 41 foot model (mostly the more versatile +2 version), and nearly all of them are still being enjoyed at sea today.

Of course, success breeds success and customers demanded bigger and bigger boats. The Trader 50 Sundeck was introduced in 1984, and is the distant ancestor of today’s
535 Signature and 575 Sunliner with her galley & master aft, guest cabins forward configuration. This craft offered great sea-keeping and the kind of usable accommodation that enabled up to 6 adults to contemplate really extended cruises.

As if to prove the point, one intrepid owner sailed his, called Sorcerer, to Trinidad from Great Britain by sea. It took a long time (on alternate single engines), but was cheaper than sea freight he claimed.
By the late 1980s, the Twindecks were well established – the ancestors of today’s Superyacht Series. Available in lengths from 60 to 75 feet, these mighty boats offered truly spectacular accommodation which really felt like homes from home.
These, like all Traders offered high quality with remarkable customisation. Not that we could mention all the remarkable requests we have dealt with over the years, including as they do décor, sports equipment, TV systems – just about everything you could think of.
But we thought we couldn’t ignore the remarkable
Kali, a 47 Sport that packs 1,600hp giving an awesome
36 knots, and title of fastest ever Trader!
Not that ocean going values were ever out of mind, and we
proved our credentials in this field in 1999, when the 85 Superyacht Far Horizons made her Transatlantic crossing in just 17 days
from Great Britain to Florida, via the Azores and Bermuda.

Over the years, the traditional Trader has evolved, maintaining contemporary excellence in engineering, design and style. And now, with the next generation of Trader Motor Yachts arriving, that tradition is in wonderful health.
Click on images
for a larger view