ShowBoats International - May 2004

By Mark Masciarotte
Photos by Scott Pearson

A Well Organized production process and a generous list of possiblities give Westport's clients the best of both worlds - a customzied yacht with a stock boat's ease of ownership.

Tied securely to her berth in Paradise Village, moving ever so slightly to the remnants of swell from the Bahia de Banderas, Corrie Lynn is the most impressive yacht in this plush west coast Mexican harbor. Viewed from the floating dock, she appears much larger than her 130 feet (40 meters), dwarfing the assemblage of sailboats and motorboats tied across the walkway. It is this pleasing first impression, the result of Greg Marshall's styling, that has contributed to the popularity of Westport Shipyard's 130-foot series. But the most important part is the way the boats are built.

Because these are production boats, the construction schedule allows customers to take delivery relatively quickly and with almost none of the often monumental investment of personal time that is associated with a custom build. The 130's knockout punch comes in the form of speed, the ability to cruise easily at better than 20 knots, thanks to an efficient hull by noted naval architect William Garden and a twin MTU 12V4000 power plant. While some customers might be of the opinion that any yacht this size should be custom built, the success of Westport's business model cannot be faulted. Since the first 130 was launched in September of 2000, the company has delivered seven units, five of which were sold before completion.