In the fall of 1960, Charlie Britton commissioned the renowned yacht design firm, Sparkman and Stephens to design the very first Tartan, the 27. The master Tartan 27 patterns and molds were produced during the fall and winter of 1960/61 and hull number one was completed and launched in the spring of 1961. 2020 marks the 60th Anniversary of the inception of the Tartan brand, indeed an exciting milestone. The 60th year began with another important milestone with the acquisition of Tartan and Legacy by Marine Manufacturing Group LLC., a subsidiary of Seattle Northwest Yachts. Subsequent to the transaction and although hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic, much has happened. Perhaps most importantly, the brands have the right team in place for success in Tartan’s 60th year and beyond.
The Tartan and Legacy operation has been relocated to a newer, larger and more efficient production facility located in Painesville, Ohio. First on the agenda is to deliver the boats that were in process in late 2019 and earlier this year, with the mandate to make these some of the best Tartans ever built. Beyond that and into the future, the emphasis is clearly to make quality the centerpiece of the brands. Seattle Northwest Yachts bring a wealth of boat building experience and talent. Peter Whiting, the Managing Member of Seattle Northwest Yachts is excited to be continuing the tradition of boat building in northeast Ohio and he has assigned a couple of his staff to assure the success of the operation. Phil Friedman and Bill Macnab have been intimately involved with the layout of the new facility and establishing build protocols and processes that they have used in their lengthy careers in the marine industry. Add in Tim Jackett’s 43 years of Tartan design experience and the Marine Manufacturing Group’s senior management team boasts well over 120 years combined marine industry experience. You could say that means they’re just a bunch of old guys! But be assured, if they are, they’re old guys with a passion for quality boat building, excellence in design, efficient manufacturing and above all else a passion for the Tartan and Legacy brands.
