The abbreviation HH is still an unknown quantity in the European yacht market. Hardly anyone has ever seen one of the catamarans from China on the water in local waters. The brand also lacks a dealer network in large parts of the old continent. But the boat in question here could change everything. Because the HH 44 - let's get this straight from the start - is without doubt one of the best sailing boats in the world on two hulls.
And although it is sinfully expensive at around 1.6 million euros, its sales figures leave many models of the same size from simpler series production in its wake. There are already 40 orders for the sleekly designed performance cruiser, which can also pass for a luxury cruiser because it hardly demands any compromises in terms of ride comfort. One cannot help but use the currently over-inflated term "game changer" to describe the cat designed by CEO Paul Hakes and constructed by his son James. Because that is indeed what it is, in more ways than one.
The HH 44 is built like a regatta yacht: extremely elaborate, therefore light and strong at the same time
The hull and deck are made of carbon, E-glass and epoxy resin with a high-strength foam core, tempered in an autoclave that heats the entire hull to 70 degrees for 48 hours to ensure homogeneous molecular bonding of resin and fibres.
The front longitudinal spar including the bowsprit and the C-shaped centreboards are even laminated from pre-impregnated carbon fibre fabrics. Rudders including quadrants are also full carbon fibre constructions; they are infused in a single pass and then heated for hardening. There is no better, stiffer, more durable way to build production boats. In the composite sector, HH Catamarans fulfils or exceeds even superyacht standards with ease.
The 44, which will be followed this year by a similarly designed 52, also boasts other unique selling points. It has an extremely clever parallel hybrid drive that does not require a generator because the electric motors are located directly on the shaft of the two three-cylinder diesels and produce up to five kilowatts of charging power each under sail and engine power. HH calls the multi-redundant system EcoDrive, and the name does justice to the drive. It is coupled with a solar roof above the superstructure, which generates 3.2 kilowatt peak and is part of the extensive standard equipment. It is these and many other highly practical, unfortunately rare details that have earned the 2023 catamaran the nomination for European Yacht of the Year. It didn't take much for the HH 44 to win, but more on that later.
Before that, a word about the shipyard and its founders, who created this piece of boatbuilding art
Firstly, there is Paul Hakes, 58, a New Zealander who has been operating at the top end of the industry for decades, for a long time mainly in the regatta segment (including "Playstation" for Steve Fossett and the "Oystercatcher XXX" designed by Judel/Vrolijk). And then there is Hudson Wang, 67, a Taiwanese entrepreneur who has achieved some success and a considerable fortune in China by manufacturing baseball bats for the US market.
Since 2012, the two have formed a congenial team, one as the mastermind behind the HH brand, the other as a logistician and financier. On a reclaimed piece of land on the shore in Xiamen on the South China Sea, they have literally built a model company from scratch: more than 30,000 square metres of hall space with trolleys on the ceiling, huge multi-axis milling machines, CNC cutters and robots as well as their own small harbour.
It is a complex that can compete with the top shipyards in Europe - and not the only production facility: the Hudson Yacht Group recently opened an equally well-established branch in Cebu in the Philippines with 300 employees. The HH 44 is already being built there from a second set of moulds, as is the HH 52.
Forward-looking corporate culture
Although he should have long been used to the dynamism of his business partner, Paul Hakes is still amazed today: "When I tell Hudson what we need, he simply doubles it." As a result, the Kiwi acquired an 18 metre long five-axis milling machine early on, before he had even dared to talk about such an investment. Plans are currently maturing for a machine twice as large. So far, Wang has invested a total of 50 million US dollars in yacht construction. "It's a completely different way of thinking here," enthuses Hakes.
The forward-looking corporate culture enables the shipyard to continuously expand both its expertise and vertical integration. HH has its own electronics specialists, its own joinery, its own paint shop, cuts carbon and E-glass mats and foam cores to the millimetre on its own CNC machines and tests the carbon fibre daggerboards to twice their working load on a test rig developed in-house. All of this, coupled with Paul Hakes' experience and his high quality standards, is reflected in the class, breed and maturity of the HH 44.
There is no twisting, no crackling, no creaking below deck, even in rough seas
The fact that it is not an off-the-peg cat is evident from the dock. And that doesn't just mean the carbon mast from Marstrom, which is visible from afar and is braced by a single pair of spreaders, which is standard. Its special status is also emphasised by the transom.
In contrast to all other modern multihulls, the cockpit of the HH 44 can be completely closed aft. The stern view appears almost clumsy in contrast to the otherwise dynamic lines, but the design offers tangible advantages: it gives the crew a sense of security and allows the helm stations to be positioned far aft and on the outside without exposing the helmsman. At anchor or in the harbour, the transoms can be lowered to form two spacious bathing platforms. This temporarily transforms the 44-foot cat into a 47-foot boat.
Optional doors in the hull sides allow easy access to the gangway when travelling fore and aft. They are among the highly recommended extras, as the cockpit coamings protrude almost waist-high aft. This is a blessing, as it allows you to lean against the side of the boat when standing with the steering column tilted outwards. Comfortable seats can also be folded out of the coaming as an option. They were positioned a little too low on the first two boats, but the shipyard has since adjusted the height so that even smaller helmsmen can look forward without having to contort themselves over the deck or through the cabin superstructure.
The view through the windows is not optimal. Even if you fold up the aft windows, the front windows made of dark tinted and tempered glass restrict the view due to reflections. When there is a lot of traffic near the harbour, the only option is to switch sides from time to time in order to have a direct view.
The HH 44 is the laser turned ship, where others feel like a blunt axe
The HH 44 makes up for this with excellent sailing performance. Even in light to medium winds, it is very fast in absolute and relative terms and impresses on the cross with its fine balance and remarkable agility. Only the feedback from the rudders could be a little more pronounced; it takes concentration to stay on course, especially on the beam reach in waves, because the cat responds so immediately to even the smallest steering impulses.
Everything about it conveys precision. Due to the enormous strength of its structure, it does not turn gusts into twisting or resistance, but into speed. The five metre long centreboards improve both the turning angle and the performance with increasing speed. At a speed of 15 knots, they generate 1,000 decanewtons of lift, thus lightening the boat by around a tenth.
The HH 44 is a laser turned into a ship, where others feel like a blunt axe. You can feel it everywhere - in the way it reacts to the rudder, the way it parries waves. And you can even hear it. Nothing stirs below deck when the boat passes through a good metre and a half of old sea: rattling, groaning, squeaking from the bracing - nothing. The cat from China only nods noticeably with its bows, which run sharply towards the front.
The HH 44 is not only a force to be reckoned with in terms of speed, but also when it comes to safety
Nobody needs to worry about seaworthiness here. The hulls are designed as a crash box up to the front crossbeam and are still watertight under the sail load. The same applies to the aft sections in which the rudders are stored; they too can fill up in the event of an accident without compromising the boat's buoyancy.
Apart from the forward cabin on the starboard side, which is clearly too narrow for two people, the HH 44 offers high to very high cruising comfort throughout. The cockpit is spacious, the upholstery of the seats and sunbathing areas is first-class, and the saloon, the U-pantry and the boat office-compatible navigation with a view ahead are also impressive. The forward-opening saloon windows make air conditioning almost obsolete. And then there's the quiet, almost completely self-sufficient EcoDrive and the rainwater collector in the cabin roof, which round off the overall package.
For all those who can afford it and can overlook the few shortcomings, the HH 44 is definitely a must-see, actually even more: a must-have. It came second in the European Yacht of the Year competition mainly because of its high price. However, this is by no means exaggerated due to the elaborate construction, but fully justified.
The measured values for testing the HH 44
The HH 44 in detail
Technical data of the HH 44
- Designer: James Hakes
- CE design category: A
- Torso length: 13,41 m
- Total length: 15,15 m
- Waterline length: 13,28 m
- Width: 7,15 m
- Depth: 1,10-3 ,00 m
- Mast height above WL: 20,95 m
- Theoretical torso speed: 8.9 kn
- Weight (empty): 9,4 t
- Mainsail: 74,2 m2
- Furling genoa (106 %): 51,1 m2
- Self-tacking jib: 26,7 m2
- machine (2x Beta 3030): 30 HP
- E-drive (2x ): 10 kW
- Battery capacity (48 V): 43 kWh
- Fuel tank: 2x 275 litres
- Fresh water tank: 400
Construction method
Hull and deck made of E-glass and carbon fibre, with high-strength foam as core material, laminated with epoxy resin under vacuum and tempered. Bulkheads and stringers made of carbon fibre, glued and laminated. Centreboards made of prepreg carbon fibre, rudder shafts made of full carbon. Mast, boom and bowsprit as well as fore and aft spars are also carbon fibre constructions
Engine
The Sport Cruising version (SC) of the HH 44 has a parallel hybrid drive as standard. The diesel engines are coupled with two electric drives, which can also function as generators under sail
Equipment, price and shipyard
Equipment
The cat is one of the most expensive in its class, but impresses with its unusually complete and extremely high-quality equipment
Prices
- Base price ex shipyard: 1.532.300 €
- Price ready to sail: 1.564.400 €
- Comfort price: 1.609.400 €
As of 03/2024, how the prices shown are defined can be found here!
Shipyard
Hudson Yacht Group, Xiamen/ China. www.hhcatamarans.com
YACHT rating of the HH 44
Paul Hakes and Hudson Wang, the two "H" from HH Catamarans, have already created some outstanding yachts. The HH 44 tops them all. It is currently practically unrivalled
Design and concept
- + Very high-quality construction
- + Most innovative cat on the market
- + High degree of self-sufficiency
- + Harmonious lines
Sailing performance and trim
- + Top performance
- + Very variable sail plan
- - Low rudder feedback
- - Winches/stoppers too high
Living and finishing quality
- + Successful cabin layout
- + High strength in rough seas
- - Narrow forward berth on starboard side.
- - Reflective surface-mounted windows
Equipment and technology
- + Top components throughout
- + Very clean installations
- + Practical details
- + Folding bathing platforms
