Release Boatworks and the 43 Gameboat: A Modern Take on Classic Sportfish

When Jim Turner was growing up learning the ropes at his family’s busy Ritz Bakery in Manasquan on the Jersey Shore, he watched the region’s rich tradition of sportfish boatbuilding from nearby. South Jersey was long a center for builders who set the standard for classic sportfish styling and craftsmanship. That heritage left a lasting impression on Turner and helped shape his later career in boatbuilding.

“In my mind, the three hotbeds for builders of sportfish boats are South Florida, the Carolinas and New Jersey,” Turner says. He credits South Florida’s influence to builders like Rybovich and Merritt, while emphasizing that New Jersey brought exceptional skill to the trade. South Jersey produced notable yards such as Pacemaker and Egg Harbor, and remains home to long-established builders like Viking and Henriques. Turner’s own Release Boatworks has operated in South Jersey for several years, contributing to that concentrated expertise.

Release Boatworks now occupies one of the old Ocean Yachts buildings, a space once used as overflow by the renowned yard. Turner purchased the property after it had not been used for boat construction for some time. The location sits within a community dense with boatbuilding experience—an advantage Turner cites as invaluable. Having access to a local workforce steeped in traditional boatbuilding methods has allowed Release Boatworks to quickly scale production while keeping craftsmanship front and center.

Turner’s path to building production sportfish began with his passion for billfishing and restoring classic boats. While operating Casa Vieja Lodge in Guatemala, he collected and maintained classic Merritts and Ryboviches from the 1950s and 1960s. Restoring those boats sharpened Turner’s appreciation for proportion, detail and timeless design. A friend eventually suggested he stop restoring and start building new boats that carried forward those classic lines. That nudge led to the founding of Release Boatworks in 2009.

Release Boatworks started in Guatemala, transitioned to Miami, and then moved to Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, once the company outgrew its Florida facility. The yard now aims to produce roughly a dozen boats per year and, at the time of reporting, had about ten hulls in varying stages of construction. Release offers a range of models—flybridge, walkaround and express—in lengths of 34, 43, 46 and 55 feet. The 46-foot model has been the most popular, but Turner is especially proud of the flybridge 43, known as the 43 Gameboat.

The 43 Gameboat is the design Turner says he always wanted to build: a compact sportfish with classic styling atop a contemporary hull. Hull No. 1, christened Riser, has already been delivered to her owner in Florida. The design was originally sketched early in Release’s history and even displayed at the Miami International Boat Show when Turner was promoting his fishing lodge. Although the first order came through for a walkaround 46, the 43 lingered in Turner’s mind, refined over time until he was ready to build it the way he had imagined.

Turner describes the 43 Gameboat as intentionally simple in both concept and execution—a trait that is deceptively difficult to achieve. The boat’s lines are a deliberate nod to midcentury tuna boats, with an open bulkhead and classic proportions that evoke the boats Turner admired while restoring. He wanted Riser to look as if she could have been built in 1960, while offering the practical benefits and reliability of modern systems and engineering.

Performance-wise, the 43 Gameboat is capable and well matched to its intended use. With twin 550-hp Cummins QSB6.7 diesels, the boat can reach speeds up to about 35 knots. Buyers can also opt for more powerful Cummins or Volvo Penta packages. Available options include an Omni sonar, a Seakeeper 6 stabilizer and a selection of towers, all paired with a 140-square-foot cockpit designed for serious fishing. These choices allow owners to tailor the boat for tournament use, offshore cruising or weekend angling expeditions.

Beyond performance and equipment, Turner takes great pride in the 43 Gameboat’s aesthetic. The open bulkhead and classic profile capture the essence of the sportfishing heritage he admires, while the modern hull and systems ensure the boat performs reliably in real-world conditions. Turner hopes the 43 will remain a timeless design that owners will appreciate long into the future.

Turner’s journey from a family bakery to the heart of New Jersey boatbuilding reflects a deep respect for craftsmanship and tradition. By combining classic design cues with modern engineering, Release Boatworks aims to produce vessels that honor the past while meeting contemporary expectations for performance and comfort. For a builder who once restored revered classics, the 43 Gameboat stands as a personal and professional milestone—an elegant, capable sportfish that brings classic lines back to the water in a relevant, modern package.

This article was originally published in the May 2024 issue.