The name Garlington musters up images of classic lines, rich teak cockpits and the clean, white wake of an efficient hull. Garlington’s newest and largest project may indeed live up to these expectations, but to do so, Garlington-Landeweer is having to sail some uncharted waters.
Because of limited facilities at its home in Stuart, Florida, Peter Garlington spent two years shopping the world’s top boatbuilders looking for a firm that could complete its most auspicious model yet, the brand-new 78. He settled on McMullen & Wing, a New Zealand builder, as his partner, and the first of two new 78s currently under construction is expected to launch by January of 2000.
Designed by Sarasota’s Michael Peters, a naval architect who previously specialized in performance powerboats and megayachts, the 78 will feature a four-stateroom, three-head arrangement with the master stateroom and head fitted in the forward vee. The salon will include a spiral staircase that leads up to the enclosed flybridge, where three custom helm chairs will offer a view over the sleek bow lines. An aft control station with single-lever controls will aid in the fish-fighting chores.
Twin 16-cylinder, 1,850-hp MTU/DDC 2000 series engines, arranged in a V-drive configuration to reduce shaft angle and increase performance, are expected to give the 78 a cruise speed of 30 knots and a top end just over 35 knots. Built using high-tech composites throughout, the 78 will weigh in at a very reasonable 125,000 pounds with a half-load of fuel.
