Tanton 43

Description

The Tanton 43 (also known as the Offshore 43 or Tanton 43 Cat-Ketch) is a distinctive bluewater cruising sailboat designed by Yves-Marie Tanton (Yves-Marie de Tanton), the French naval architect who founded Tanton Yacht Design in 1974. It's one of his most produced designs in this size range, with around 48 hulls built—primarily in the late 1970s to early 1980s by Ta Chiao Shipyard in Taiwan (the same yard behind CT Yachts and some CT-44 models, sharing a similar hull form). These were often sold in the US through Offshore Yachts and marketed as sturdy, economical offshore cruisers with innovative features for the era. The standout feature is its cat-ketch rig (unstayed, free-standing masts) with twin carbon-fiber masts (forward and main) and aluminum wishbone booms—no headsails, no standing rigging to fuss with. This setup makes it exceptionally easy to handle short-handed or single-handed: you reef or drop sails from the cockpit, and the balanced rig reduces weather helm. It's praised for excellent tracking, seakeeping in heavy weather, and simplicity, though some sailors note it's not the fastest upwind compared to sloop-rigged boats. The hull has a fin keel with skeg-hung rudder, rounded stern (somewhat reminiscent of Valiant 40 lines but distinct), and often Airex-cored topsides for strength and insulation.