Hanse Yacht Reviews
Hanse Yacht Reviews 2012 - Hanse 495 Offshore Yachting Review
As the German built 495 illustrates, production yachts are increasing in size but thanks to electric trimming, thrusters and manageable sail plans they continue their appeal to couples and short-handed sailors.
The Hanse 495 epitomises this approach and is one of the best examples of it.
Naval architects Judel/ Vrolijk’s minimalist styling continues on this latest fifty footer which also is available with the company’s new Smart Mooring System, a joystick controlled swivelling saildrive.
The 495’s elongated and uncluttered cockpit is easily entered thanks to drop-down transom door, allowing plenty of space between the twin wheels and table, which also serves as a binnacle for the Simrad plotter housed in a stylish stainless steel cabinet.
Wide cockpit seating and similarly proportioned coamings reflect the ample beam of the 495.
The helmsman is well taken care of with four substantial Lewmar 54 winches shared between the two lightweight composite wheels. Read the rest of the review here
Hanse Yacht Reviews 2012 - Hanse 385
Hanse has established itself in a relatively short timeframe as a brand that virtually all purchasers of cruising yachts or cruiser/racers must consider.
Hanse’s yachts are well-known now for their excellent value-for-money, ease of handling and good resale values.
The German boatbuilder exploited the concept of a yacht with a self- tacking headsail that was easy to cruise, but also easy to hot-up for club racing with an overlapping headsail and spinnaker gear.
Below decks, clever design made maximum use of space and it’s in this area that the new 385 leads this yacht-length category.
For cruising, main and jib one- speed trim can be done entirely from the starboard helm and for club racing with a crew the winches can be controlled individually as powered two- speeds.
But what if the measure of a good day’s sailing was the sheer fun of it all?
Read the rest of the review here
2012 Hanse Yacht Reviews Hanse 495
You could be forgiven for thinking sailing is all about winning.
For the competitive spirit is alive and well, palpable even, at this time of year.
You can feel it at the startline for the 67th Sydney to Hobart, with a fleet of 80-plus yachts; as the Melbourne to Hobart Eastcoaster and Westcoaster races set sail; as locals look forward to the Festival of Sail (formerly Geelong Race Week), where some 400 yachts will tack the bay from January 26 to 29; and Australia Day regattas right around the country.
But what if the measure of a good day’s sailing was the sheer fun of it all?
No barking orders, calling right of way, dramatic tacks, and mark roundings. Go for the relaxation, lunch aboard, and gad about nowhere much at all.
Least for now. Let me explain once I peel my prawns, enjoy the oysters, and wait for the fickle wind to fill in from picturesque Portuguese Beach on Pittwater.
What a setting! Yacht owner Nick, an anaesthetist, is no stranger to boats... read the rest of the review here
Hanse Yacht Review - New Zealand
"Like any enterprise fighting to survive the global economic meltdown, yacht manufacturers have had to get creative to maintain market share" writes Lawrence Schäffler
"Germany’s Hanse decided to reinvent its line-up in reply to similar moves by many of its competitors, and their work has met with great success.
The new 5-Series range (32’ to 54’) is a terrific make-over for the fleet, with long-time collaborators Judel-Vrolijk & Co again providing the design smarts and aesthetics.
The boats are sleeker, more spacious and, if the 445 is anything to go by, faster and even easier to sail than their predecessors.
Kallisti (Greek for ‘most beautiful’) belongs to Auckland sailor Lindsay Kennedy.
She’s the first of the new series to arrive in New Zealand (a 385 and two 495s arrive early in the new year) and she’s a head-turning debutante.
There are plenty of uber-cool features about the new Hanse (I’ll get to them shortly), but I must begin with what for me is the most uber-cool of them all: Kallisti’s Simrad NSS8 control system.
It’s actually the chartplotter, but it does so many other things you may as well call it a control system.
The NSS8 is part of Simrad’s line-
up of new-generation touch-screen chartplotters.
It’s centrally-mounted on the cockpit console within easy reach of the twin helms, and there’s an identical unit down below at the nav station. In addition to standard navigational duties, it offers functions like built-in AIS and a ‘recreational’ interface.
Controls for an iPod player and radio are presented in crisp".....read the rest of the Hanse 445 review here
2011 Hanse Yacht Reviews
Hanse Yacht Review in Sydney Morning Herald
The Hanse 495 sails with a swift, Phantom-like ease, writes David Lockwood.
Nick, an anaesthetist, is no stranger to boats. For several seasons he owned and operated a 9.5-metre and then 11-metre sport and game fisher.
But his recent switch to sailing has been a real shot in the arm. Not only is he having more fun, the servicing costs are considerably less and wind is free.
At the same time, yachts are becoming easier to sail, thanks to push-button winches, self-tacking headsails and in-boom or in-mast furling.
Then come thrusters or joy- stick docking, which make berthing a breeze.
More temptation comes from cruiser-like comforts down below... read the full review here
Baby Yacht Reviews - Allan Whiting tests the Hanse 325 and 355 for TradeaBoat
Not everyone wants or can afford a large yacht.
That's why I reckon there'll always be a place for smaller yachts with good performance and quality inclusions: to suit those with restricted budgets and those who don't need the physical constraints of a big boat.
Hanse agrees.
The 2011-year 325 and 355 are like peas from the same pod, but one's a bit bigger than the other.
Being Hanses, the new 325 and 355 were ridiculously easy to sail, thanks to self-tacking headsails.
Here's the full Trade a Boat Review
Allan Whiting takes the Hanse 445 for a test sail for TradeaBoat
When you descend the companionway of the new Hanse 445 the impression is chic-apartment rather than boat. A choice of
In a market where the boys might look mainly at the deck and the bits above it, while the girls are more influenced by what happens below, the new 445 kicks some feminine goals, for sure.
But the 445 isn't just a floating house: the sailing package is true dual-purpose.
Want to read the full Hanse 445 yacht review?... head here for the full TradeaBoat article
Crosbie Lorimer's Yacht Review of the Hanse 545 for Club Marine
As might be expected from the much-respected Hanse Group, attention to detail is evident throughout the boat from the moment you step aboard.
The Hanse 545 offers style with pragmatic simplicity and a lineage that owes more than a nod in the direction of luxurious superyachts such as the Wally range.
The 545's decks have clean, uncluttered lines; hatches are flush-mounted, seating and sunbaking areas are extensive and comfortable, teak is ubiquitous (even on the coachroof).
For those along for the joyride, the cockpit is both ample and comfortable, with angled seat cushions and a central table against which you can brace yourself as the boat heels. The flat and very open deck provides excellent all-round viewing for everyone.
Comparing the Hanse with its competition is probably about as productive (and pointless) as comparing the merits of Sydney or Melbourne.
Each has its own virtues and values that appeal to very different interests.
But if style, space, ease of handling and a sense of luxury more commonly associated with larger yachts is your thing, then the Hanse 545 will be a rewarding choice.
As to the final arbiter of any purchase, namely value for money, the 545 certainly boxes well above its weight.
head here for the full Club Marine article
Tim Murphy Reviews the Hanse 375 for Cruising World - April 2011
'Like other Hanses the 375 is defined by a long watering and low wetted surface, ample sections aft and a relatively high-aspect keel and rudder.
In short the 375 spins on a dime.
The sail plan is mainsail driven with a fractional headsail set up on a curved track for self-tacking.
It's a feature we'd seen on other boats but none so successfully as this.
"The self-tacking jib actually set", said BOTY judge and long-distance voyager Beth Leonard.'
Read the full Cruising World article here
2010 Hanse Yacht Reviews
Yacht master, yacht owner and ABC reporter Michael Troy reviews the Hanse 545 for Trade A Boat
'Of course, Hanses are designed and built for a self-tacking headsail and it works like a dream on all their yachts.
The big 545 is no exception - you can throw in tack after tack with no effort from the crew.
The vision, too, for the helmsman is the best I have ever experienced on a yacht - you can see everything around you - and special stand-alone padded helm seats and pushpit seats were also comfortable additions.
Below decks the first thing you notice is, well, you don't feel like you are below deck.
Two pairs of large vertical windows illuminate the main settee area and bring the view inside.
They're also fantastic for watching the water blast past when she's powered up.'
Read the full Trade a Boat review here
Rebecca Hayter Reviews the Hanse 400 for Boating New Zealand
We had 14-21 knots on a typical Waitemata day of gusts and lulls.
We reached up the harbour, sitting on around eight knots.
The the helm remained pleasantly light and smooth through the gusts.
Tacking was a breeze with the self-tacking headsail so that the crew were more like passengers as they didn't have to do anything.
Coming home on the wind ,with more than 20 knots apparent, the yacht remained obedient to the helm thanks to its generous size rudder.
There were no surprises, even in pretty meaty gusts under full sail and we were comfortably making 7-7.5 knots.
Down below the galley to starboard is nicely set up with a sturdy handrail, double sink, deep bin for rubbish and a fridge/freezer which is accessible from above, where it is fridge temperature, or from below, offset, where it is colder.
This is a great idea: one chamber, two points of access.
Read the full Boating New Zealand review here