After the Presentation of the new Hanse 458 The new Hanse 508 is the successor to the Hanse 505 (tested in YACHT 22/2013) in the programme of the yacht builders from Greifswald, but has been completely rebuilt from scratch by the designers at Judel/Vrolijk & Co and the Hanseyachts design team, including the hull and deck.
Visually, the Hanse 508 is very similar to the next largest model, the Hanse 548 (test in YACHT 19/2017). The only really noticeable difference is that although the new ship has fewer hull windows overall, they are larger. The concept for the deck layout also adopts many exciting details from its bigger sister. For example, the cockpit design with the two separate tables, which can be lowered electrically and thus enlarge the dents into large sun loungers. The fold-down bathing platform with the very robust, side-mounted bathing ladder is also transferred from the 548 to the 508. Another attractive feature is the option of a large, central pantry module at the stern, a so-called wet bar, with a barbecue station and an additional outdoor sink.
The sheets, halyards and all trim lines run under the deck and coaming except for the two winches directly in front of the steering wheels, which can also be easily operated by the helmsman. Two additional winches are provided for operation with a larger and overlapping genoa, a reacher on the stay or with a furling code zero. The customer can choose from a wide range of additional sails for light winds and for room and downwind courses. As usual with Hanse, the self-tacking jib is standard.
The buyer is offered a large number of different options for the interior fittings. A particularly spacious owner's cabin with its own bathroom and shower area is provided for the foredeck as standard. Alternatively, two smaller double cabins can be ordered at the front, each with its own but smaller bathroom. Variety is also offered at the back of the ship, where the large washroom with separate shower can also be converted into a double cabin with two bunk berths. Various versions of the Hanse 508 are therefore possible, as an owner's yacht with three cabins and three bathrooms, as a four-cabin yacht for charter with four bathrooms or even as a five-cabin yacht with three heads. Another exciting feature is the layout of the galley, which is now built into the side of the saloon as a long row on the 508. This makes the 508 the only ship in Hanse's current programme to feature a longitudinal galley.
And another innovation: Hanse is fitting the new 458 and 508 models with an extremely solid main bulkhead made of carbon fibre composite, which the shipyard intends to use to create a rigid and direct mast-keel connection. This means that the new boats can manage below deck without the often disruptive and space-consuming support, even though the rig is on deck.
The new Hanse 508 is now under construction and will be presented to the public for the first time at the trade fair in Cannes in September 2018 - together with the Hanse 458, by the way. The shipyard has already named a price: the new boat will cost 327,130 euros ex shipyard in the standard version.
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Michael Good
Editor Test & Technology
