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The Future
Rex: Back to Tartan, what’s the future going to bring – without tipping your hand?
Tim: We want to take Tartan down into a smaller size. We’d like to get down into the low 30s with Tartan, and we think there’s an opportunity to go to the other end as well.
Rex: From what I see, it looks like people want bigger boats.
Tim: There are a lot of parts of the country where a thirty-foot Tartan would have a lot of appeal. Throughout our history and, really, that of any brand, the ability to bring new people in and move them up through the product range is a very important aspect. 
Right now the 3500 is the entry boat into Tartan. It’s a $200,000 entry.
We aren’t going to get a lot of new entries that way.
The other thing between the two brands is that with C&C we want to go even smaller – under 30 feet.
With that, the intent isn’t to build thousands of them.
The modest goal of 50 a year of each brings a hundred new people to our umbrella. Whether they stay with C&C or, as they mature, they want to cruise and move into Tartan. The concept is to go smaller and bring new people in to let them grow with us.
Rex: Well, it was certainly a pleasure to stand aboard the 4400 and talk to the man who knows more about Tartan Yachts than anyone else on the planet. It's obvious from Tim's candid discussion that Tartan's future as a leader in cruising sailboat design is secure.
In a time when companies are tirelessly trying to re-invent brand names and enter new markets, Tartan surely seems to have a strong foothold. Yet is more than up to the challenge of increasing its range, specifically into the under-30 foot sailboat market. After taking a detailed look at the flagship of the fleet, and getting a tour second-to-none from its mastermind, I can say with confidence that Tartan has found and mastered a solid formula for success. | 
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