{"id":45231,"date":"2019-12-09T16:00:05","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T21:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=45231"},"modified":"2023-05-06T17:56:35","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T21:56:35","slug":"hallberg-rassy-44-best-midsize-cruiser-under-45-feet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/story\/sailboats\/hallberg-rassy-44-best-midsize-cruiser-under-45-feet\/","title":{"rendered":"Hallberg-Rassy 44: Best Midsize Cruiser Under 45 Feet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Hallberg-Rassy <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The Hallberg-Rassy 44 boasts multiple features, such as its signature windshield, that are carried through the entire line.<\/span>\n Jon Whittle <\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

The battle for supremacy in the Midsize Cruiser class came down to a clash between builders from two nations: France and Sweden. The French were represented by two boats from longtime builder Dufour\u2014the 390 and the 430\u2014and the Swedes by the latest offering from the renowned Hallberg-Rassy yard: a 44-footer. Unfortunately, due to extreme conditions in the Chesapeake (see \u201cA Little Bit of Everything,\u201d page 67), the smaller of the two Dufours was unable to make its appointment for sea trials. The 430 performed admirably, though, with judge Ed Sherman especially impressed by how quiet it was under power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Calendar year 2020 is going to be a very interesting one for Dufour. The company is now in the stable of the growing boatbuilding conglomerate Fountaine Pajot, and it\u2019s making a fresh commitment to the brand, with new\u2014and bigger\u2014Dufours soon to be introduced. It promises to be intriguing. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Dufour <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n It\u2019s difficult to tell the two new Dufours apart once they are on the water; the lines, profiles and hull treatments of both the 390 (above) and the 430 are very similar. Both boats come from the board of naval architect Umberto Felci, longtime Dufour designer.<\/span>\n Jon Whittle<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

However, for the 2020 BOTY contest, nobody was going to deny the all-around oceangoing excellence of the sweet Hallberg-Rassy 44<\/b>, which was unanimously named the Best Midsize Cruiser Under 45 Feet<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no question that the Hallberg-Rassy benefited from a test sail conducted in truly sporty conditions, with gusts in the 20-knot range and a substantive seaway running, which the yacht purposefully muscled through. The 44 is built to Nordic standards for North Sea conditions, and it showed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Dufour <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Both the 390 and the 430 (above) boats come from the board of naval architect Umberto Felci, longtime Dufour designer.<\/span>\n Jon Whittle <\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a solidly built boat,\u201d Sherman said. \u201cWe had the pleasure of sailing it in a pretty strong breeze, and it just went through the water with no effort. It was just doing its thing and loving it. All the equipment they use is Grade A. My only gripe is that if I were to buy the boat, I would spec out a steering wheel that was about 4 inches smaller in diameter so that I could get around it a bit more easily in what is a fairly tight cockpit. Plus, it\u2019s so easy to steer, I don\u2019t believe you need the leverage of a larger wheel. That was my only complaint.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Judge Ralph Naranjo concurred with his colleague\u2019s assessment. \u201cExternally she\u2019s a sound, ruggedly constructed vessel,\u201d he said. \u201cBut more to the point, there\u2019s integrity to how the systems are installed. Looking over how the autopilot goes in, for example, the bracketing can be as important as the selection of the autopilot itself. It\u2019s very well-situated because the bracket is secured to both a transverse and longitudinal member. There\u2019s no shoehorn effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\u201cWe had the pleasure of testing the HR 44 in a strong breeze, and it performed well.\u201d\n\n<\/p>\n<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn fact,\u201d he continued, \u201cyou lift up the aft bunk and look at all the other equipment installed in that space. It\u2019s almost as if there were laboratory testing going on there, and you have access to all of it. The entire boat is like that. Everything from the bow thruster to the anchor windlass showed that same attention to detail. And to me, the integrity of the builder showed through in the quality of the product.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, the quality construction was mainly what got my vote,\u201d judge Dan Spurr said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t find any real shortcoming. Everything seemed well-done. The joiner work was tight. The woodwork inside was beautifully done. It sailed well. And I like the Hallberg-Rassy windshield. The vast majority of sailboats have a canvas dodger with vinyl windows. Eventually, the canvas wears out and the vinyl gets cloudy. The supposed virtue is that you can put them down, but nobody ever does, it seems. With the windshield, you can add a canvas top, but it offers protection in a more permanent way. I appreciate that utility. The little things added up here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

And the finished product was a winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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See All Winners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

2020 Boats of the Year<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Other Winners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n