Overview
The Tartan 41 is a Sparkman & Stephens design (#2095) built by Tartan Marine in Ohio from 1972 to 1976, commissioned to compete with the Swan 40 as a racer-cruiser for a small crew. Two of them, Aurora and Family Affair, raced to Bermuda in 2006 and 2008, and Aurora won her class in 2008.
Design and Construction
The underbody is a fin keel with a skeg-hung rudder. Ballast is 9,200 lb on a 17,850 lb displacement, a high ratio, and Good Old Boat gives a 124-degree limit of positive stability. Early boats had undersized rudders that caused steering trouble in gusts, and many were later fitted with deeper lead-bulb keels that improved pointing.
Under Sail
The masthead sloop carries about 725 sq ft, and a tall-rig option was offered. Early boats were described as slightly tender.
Buyers Notes
Check which rudder and keel a given boat has. Neal notes modest quality and tankage on earlier Tartans, and that older boats are a good choice if they have been refitted and repowered.
