ENHANSED PERFORMANCE IN CLYDE ZEPHYRS
OF THE emerging production cruiser brands it is arguably Hanse who are making waves. With a growing reputation for no nonsense, no frills value for money production boats their philosophies are simply to give buyers what they want: well thought out, innovative, good looking, easily sailed boats at a price they are willing to pay, writes racing editor Andi Robertson. Hanse’s modern day history only goes back to 1993 when Michael Schmidt bought up the tooling and the design to the Swedish designed and built Aphrodite 291. He sought a project to bring work for a German yard in Greifswald that he had invested in. Introducing it as an unbeatably priced package he sold 30 boats at its first exhibition which launched the current success story of Hanse. The company now have a new, massive, highly secretive moulding shop which has streamlined the production of the standard GRP yachts. In total they are now building close to 750 boats a year. But from that original platform - building almost forgettable boats to a price which proved popular with consumers - part of their recent success, both on the water and in commercial terms, has been getting the components right. New developments are dreamed up and managed to fruition by Karl Dehler, of that ilk, and designs are from Rolf Vrolijk head designer at Alinghi. Over the last three years they have built an enviable reputation for good looking, modern boats which sail well and still sell at a competitive price. Having recently sailed three of the newest and best selling Hanse yachts, the new 315, 370 and 400, it is easy to admit to having previously overlooked the marque. While they all show immediate evidence of being built to a price, they all surprised with their sailing qualities while below decks some of the current rule books have been re-written. The 370 and 400 are the ‘e’ models, which signify they are built using epoxy resins, in Poland, using a vacuum technique which significantly reduces the weight of the hull and deck, and epoxy is much less prone to osmosis. We took an early August opportunity to review the three models out of Largs, enjoying a brief sail on all three boats in light breezes. If there is one feature common to all three and which is probably the key to the Hanses, it is simplicity. They keep everything as easy to handle as possible but still maintain an acceptable sailing performance, and suddenly sailing becomes a sociable pastime again for all on board and not simply a team building exercise, or a giant solo effort while everyone else sits around enjoying the ride. All of the boats feature a clever self tacking jib system. While this is not unusual, and was indeed a popular feature in many of the Dehler boats, as well as the Hunters in this country, quite often this leaves the boats lacking in power and feel. However overall impressions were favourable. All three boats were a pleasure to sail. Where they score is that they all have good all-round hull shapes which are designed for performance, not accommodation requirements. They are all good looking boats with a clearly defined identity and sympathetic lines, which could not be said for their German high volume, mass production, old style counterparts. Ease of use on all three boats is facilitated by the fully battened mains, stacking storage system with lazyjacks, easy reefing and the self tacking jibs. Below decks as well, the emphasis is more on creating a feeling of space rather than simply cramming as much as possible into the boat. The 400 and 370 are similar in design and concept, sharing the same deck line and hull form. The 400 is recognisable by the extra window forward and larger foredeck. Size is not everything, but the 400 was an instant favourite. It felt comfortable and easy to sail. Fingertip control on the helm does not always mean good tracking, but the 400 offered both, and it slipped along cleanly and efficiently in the gentle breeze. Upwind with the non-overlapping jib it was close winded and tracked well, seemingly finding an easy groove even in the lightest of light going. The cockpit is big and safe with good ergonomics, a drop down walk through transom gate (which would be better controlled on a little block and tackle system since it’s not light, but solid). Deck layout is good, but we are still not fans of the mainsheet track forward of the hatch garage and single mainsheet to the clutch battery, but that is a personal choice. That said there is an interesting feature on the Hanse which is that the sheets can be guided from the clutch back to the main primary winches by a little cut-out in the aft edge of the coachroof. This means that the jib and mainsheets can be led back to the sheet winches without them impinging significantly on cockpit space. Sails are by North setting on a 7/8ths rig with tapered top. Up front there is an offset bow roller which secures the stowed anchor accompanied by a large chain locker. Teak decks are an extra £4,000 but are worth it and the epoxy hull is about the same again over the standard polyester, and both are well worth the extra money as is the choice of a different hull colour. Truth is that there is little that discriminates between the 370 and the 400 other than budget and space requirements. The 370 comes in at a respectable £88,500 inc VAT while the 400 is £105,500. Both boats felt manoeuvrable and would do well as club cruiser-racers at the likes of West Highland Week. And while other crews are working their proverbials off you’d be tacking single-handed on a Euro-cent. These boats are well set up for short-handed sailing, in every department. Down below decks there is a myriad of options. It’s a truly modular approach which maximises choice, but keeps prices down. On the 400 the owner’s cabin is in the bow, with a big double to port which leaves plenty of living space. It feels rather sparse in a minimalist, modernistic sense, which runs through the whole boat, but that equates to space rather than spartan in my book. You can have a flat screen entertainment centre housed in the locker. There are basically four layout options. Centreline double forward one heads aft, one double cabin aft to port or an identical layout with a continuous berth/seat to port in the saloon as opposed to the two single seats split by the nav table to port. Then there is a three, double cabin version with two heads, three double cabins one heads, or three double cabins, one heads and a continuous single berth seat opposite the saloon table which makes a total of seven berths. And there are two keel options - shallow draft at 5ft 4in (1.65m) or deep draft 6ft 5in (1.98m). With the white bulkheads and square sided saloon, the interior can feel boxy and different, but it does maximise space. A cautionary note is to choose upholstery coverings which are sympathetic to the square shapes. Dark colours, such as the burgundy on the test boat, enhance these and that is not always good. The 370 is remarkably similar. Down below there is slightly less space. The light wood facings make for an airy interior, but for some tastes equate to a cheaper finish. It is sad, but deep mahogany facings and highly varnished surfaces somehow add value to the interior, when in truth a lot of the time they are a cosmetic disguise for what lies beneath. That said there are a variety of wood finishes which can be chosen, just as there are different hull colours. But the overall feel could be described as ‘Ikea’, light, simple and built to a price, however there are plenty of clever ideas. The 370 is big on home comforts. The interior options follow the lead of the 400, but there is only one heads. And the 315 is a lovely smaller sister, with everything you might expect from a punchy little sibling. It is a quick boat, easily sailed and with plenty of space below decks. The 315 has wheel steering as optional. The cockpit is not big, but is perfectly adequate and feels deep and safe. The mainsheet is led to a single point in the bottom of the cockpit, which we like and there are twin winch platforms moulded into the cockpit coamings allowing the boat to be well set up for short handed or fully crewed sailing. Under sail the 315 proved slippery and nimble in the light breeze. It happened that the wind filled to 12 knots when we were getting acquainted with the 315 and it bubbled downwind and reached happily back to the marina, feeling quick, light and well balanced. The 315’s appeal lies as much in what is below. It has a good, big airy saloon which belies its size. There are two layout options, one with an offset single forward, or the simple two double cabins one forward and one aft. All the boats offer a high quality specification for hardware throughout. Our time with the boats was limited, but it did completely change our perception of the brand and the models, which had been largely slipping under the radar up until now. All three Hanses proved worthy of a second sail and offer good sailing performance for not a lot of money and in not a lot of wind. Winners all round, we reckon and that is before you look at the bigger boats. The new 630 looks a cracker. Full details at Hanse Scotland based in Largs Yacht Haven.