Hallberg-Rassy 69: First pictures, first impressions from the test of the flagship
21 metres long, almost six metres wide and weighing no less than 46 tonnes. Even the sober data is pretty impressive: the Hallberg-Rassy 69 is a yacht of absolute superlatives, and not just for the traditional shipyard in Ellös on the "boat builder's island" of Orust.
The YACHT test editorial team has already been able to go on an extended test sail aboard the large Swedish yacht. With her, the yacht builders are sending the Hallberg-Rassy 64 retired as the previous flagship. The detailed report is planned for the trade fair issue 3/2024, but the first pictures and impressions of the test are already available.
The HR69 has a large, well-protected centre cockpit with two control stations. The front section of the construction number 1 is surmounted by a hardtop, which is beautifully cut and therefore does not dominate the appearance too much. There is no strict separation between the working cockpit and the guest area, unlike is usually the case in the XXL luxury class. And that brings us to one of the most distinctive features of this boat: It is designed, if the owners so wish, for operation with a small crew.
All functions for setting and trimming the sails can be operated directly from the steering columns at the touch of a button. This means that whoever is at the helm controls a whole armada of hydraulic winches, furling systems and outhaulers. This works precisely, effectively and effortlessly. If desired, the pull on halyards and stays can be measured and shown on a Raymarine display. The values give an idea of the forces involved. Three tonnes, for example, on the cable of the Code Zero. The membrane sail in front of the forestay, laminated from the finest Epex fabric from Elvström, can be removed in 30 seconds; its furler also works hydraulically.
In conjunction with the retractable bow and stern thrusters, operating this majesty of a yacht is actually remarkably easy. Magnus Rassy, who initially built the HR 69 for himself, will sail her in the coming season without the support of a skipper or paid crew. He turns her on the spot in the harbour with almost childlike enthusiasm - the Sleipner thrusters, powered directly by Mastervolt lithium batteries mounted in the immediate vicinity to keep the cable runs as short as possible - have an easy time with the boat and make it rotate at a speed that makes it clear: even in strong onshore winds, they will have no trouble keeping the boat in position or setting her down from the jetty.
HR 69: A Hallberg-Rassy from bow to stern
Like all of Germán Frers' current designs for the yacht builders in Ellös, the new flagship is also built quite wide aft with a strongly drawn-in waterline. This means that two rudder blades are required, which protrude from the hull at a relatively large angle. At the rear of the lazarette, a highfield dinghy with a fixed floor of 3.40 metres in length can be stored transversely with the engine. A rotating mechanism installed on rails simplifies launching and retrieving.
For the steering, Hallberg-Rassy has installed a high-quality, fully cardanic steering system from Jefa. The steering feel is very good for a yacht of this size and design; however, the HR 69 always produces so much upwind yaw that you can't just leave her to her own devices without having to operate the autopilot. This tendency is less pronounced downwind - the pre-balance of the rudder blades is just right, but it can be tiring on more open courses.
The sailing performance is nothing less than impressive. At 4 to 5 Beaufort and a wave of about one metre in the northern Kattegat, free of the offshore skerries, the Rassy logged between 9 and 9.5 knots at the cross, half winds with Code Zero consistently around 11, at the peak 12.5 knots - and that so playfully that you almost start to distrust the displays on the log and GPS. What is almost more astonishing, however, is how this boat converts light winds into performance. Even at only 6 to 8 knots, the 69 marches upwind at 6.5 knots with tacking angles of 90 degrees. Wow!
You don't notice much of this below deck. There, the Rassy embeds you in the usual Scandinavian cosiness. Even under pressure in the huge saloon, you can only occasionally hear a quiet, barely perceptible crackling from the long lockers and the bolted floorboards - and the well-muffled sound of the water on the hull. The view from the almost two metre long hull windows and the equally impressive superstructure windows is spectacular.
And, no! The fact that we had such a positive experience was not due to the pleasant temperature inside compared to the frosty outside world. The sightlines in the HR 69 are simply stunning, as is the entire boat.
More on this shortly in the test. Here is the only real downer: the new Hallberg-Rassy 69 costs around 57 million Swedish kronor. At the current exchange rate, this corresponds to a price of 5,930,000 euros including 19% VAT. However, with a few extras - as on construction number 1 - you can easily make 7.2 million out of it. No envy and no complaining will help. Isso!
Technical data Hallberg-Rassy 69
- Designer: Germán Frers Naval Architecture
- CE category: A - unlimited ocean sailing
- Torso length:20,96 m/68' 9"
- Maximum length with bowsprit: 22,22 m/72' 11''
- Waterline:19,70 m/64' 8''
- Width excl. skirting board:5,89 m
- Draught, empty standard ship: 2,70 m
- Displacement, empty standard ship: 46.5 tonnes
- Keel weight: 18.1 tonnes
- Keel material:Lead
- Standard sail area:224,4 m²
- Sail area, surface-optimised: 257,4 m²
- Height above water, without Windex or antennas:31,3 m
- Motor:Volvo Penta D6-300
- Power at crankshaft: 221 kW/300 hp
- Reversing gear:Hydraulic with axle
- Number of cylinders: 6
- cubic capacity: 5.5 litres
- Diesel: 2,200 litres
- Fresh water: 1,700 litres
