Tartan emerged on the auxiliary
sailing yacht scene in 1960, with Charlie Britton
at the helm. As a result of a collaboration with Olin Stephens,
Tartan developed the companies first model, the
Tartan 27. The Tartan 27 constituted
a departure from the existing norms of wooden construction to begin
a new generation of quality-crafted fiberglass hulls. Establishing
themselves at the forefront of the boat building world, Tartan
charged forward with new designs, such as the 34 and the "Blackwatch"
37 and opened a second plant in Hamlet, North Carolina.
Continuing this evolution into to the seventies, Tartan
developed ten new models. Each a success in its own right, yet most
notable were the Tartan 37, Tartan
41 and the Tartan Ten. As the company entered the
1980's, a strong market following was established in New England,
Long Island Sound, Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes as a result
of Tartan's increasing popularity. By maintaining
the traditional quality-crafted designs and sailing performance
as the top priority, this decade also saw six new models developed
and produced in the time-proven Tartan manner.
The market growth experienced in the sailboat segment of the marine
industry came to an abrupt halt in 1989. The entire marine industry
suffered a significant and precipitous decline in demand for its
products. Tartan was not unaffected by these market
changes. However, the brand prospered by re-establishing their focus
on quality and redefining their production capabilities.
As the industry experienced a recovery in the early
90's, Tartan continued as a leader by substantially
investing in tools and designs for four new models. This investment
in the future has reaped the benefits of increased volume and revenue.
In 1996, to accommodate this increased demand for products, Tartan
established a new facility in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, which doubled
manufacturing space and incorporated all current production technologies
and methods.
