Reporting from the 2022 Southampton Boat Show, Alex Smith takes us on a full tour of the Protector 380 Targa, which was making its UK debut…
Having equipped the New Zealand coastguard with commercial work boats at all 64 of its stations, Protector is justly famous for its tough offshore RIBs.
It’s no surprise then that everything on board the new Protector 380 Targa, from the storage units to the wheelhouse bulkheads, feels massively well built.
While this UK debut model is rigged with a pair of Mercury 450R outboards for speeds in the region of 41 knots, the 380’s extraordinary strength enables you to double that power with twin or even triple 600hp outboards.
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It also features an unusual lower deck layout that puts the day heads in the forepeak to help maximise headroom at the central fore-and-aft benches. But here, as elsewhere, heavyweight simplicity is very much the guiding imperative.
At £640,000, the price is certainly high by the standards of the sector but, given the level of customer retention among its existing client base, this boat could yet go down a storm in the wilder reaches of the UK.
Protector 380 Targa specifications
LOA: 40ft 4in (12.30m)
Beam: 12ft 9in (3.90m)
Engines: Twin/triple outboards up to 1,800hp
Top speed: 50+ knots
Starting price: £640,000 (inc. VAT)
