For bluewater sailors, the Swedish sailboat builder Hallberg-Rassy should be a familiar name. The sailboat building talents—Harry Hallberg and Christoph Rassy—were actually competitors for decades until Hallberg retired in 1972. Rassy bought Hallberg’s yard, and the new name was born: Hallberg-Rassy. The company has been making famous bluewater cruisers for decades, and recently announced the all-new Hallberg-Rassy 40C. The first hull is under construction and the build is set to debut at the 2020 Boot Düsseldorf show.
What can we expect from the 40C?
There’s plenty of Hallberg-Rassy appeal with the well-sheltered center cockpit and aft cabin deck layout, a mainstay from the company and less commonly seen these days. One can also opt for a hardtop option over the cockpit or the standard wind screen with foldable sprayhood. The hardtop could be a wise move for the rainy months of the Pacific Northwest.
Overall, the 40C is about modern design and not nostalgic, with a fin keel, dual rudders, and plenty of custom options.
Buyers will choose between the large vs. enormous galley layouts (the actual names of the options), an aft cabin with two separate berths vs. a large center line berth, and small vs. large foldable swim step. Yes, unlike Hallberg-Rassy sailboats of yore, the 40C does not feature a canoe transom, instead following suit with fellow Euro-cruisers with the deployable swim step to increase access to the water.
When it comes to rigging, the 40C is a modern, uncluttered sloop rig with an emphasis on making sailing easy and pleasurable with features like the no-runner setup and under-deck jib furler. The standard boat has a reported 970 square feet of sail, while an optimized sail package has 1,040 square feet of sail. The Hallberg-Rassy 40C, still under construction, is already rated as a Category A (unlimited ocean voyage) vessel.
Overall, the Hallberg-Rassy 40C has hype around it for a reason. Fans of mid-sized, bluewater cruisers fit for a couple or family may want to keep an eye on this one. For more information and pricing, you can contact local dealer Swiftsure Yachts.
