Tested: Hanse 460

Hanse Up

We live in unusual times and the fact that over 150 Hanse 460s were sold before anyone was able to look at one, makes it a hit. Is it any good though? Sam Jefferson finds out

Testing a Hanse boat was always relatively simple. The German manufacturer worked for many years with the design team of

Judel/Vrolijk and the result was a line of yachts that all looked and performed pretty similarly. They all had striking lines with a plumb bow, rounded transom, decent freeboard and a low coachroof that made them look rather modern, sleek and stylish. The steering was always inexplicably better than almost all rivals; finger light and sensitive.

They were all clearly built to cost and this was reflected both in a very competitive price and the quality of the fit out. You could also count on them to have a big main with a self-tacking jib. End of story. It was a successful formula and, to be fair, one that Hanse stuck with for a good long time. Up until now in fact.

The new Hanse 460 is a definitive break with this formula as the new boat is designed by the French team of Berret/Racoupeau. This is a design house that has worked a great deal with French rivals

Jeanneau and Beneteau and has a very distinctive style all of its own.

This is most definitely reflected in the new Hanse 460, which is a very different boat from its predecessor, the Hanse 458. The new boat is slightly longer at 13.87 compared to 13.85 for the 458, and heavier (12,560 – 11.700kg). The boat has a bit more freeboard but retains a single rudder and an L-Shaped keel.

Yet the really huge change comes in the beam department where the 460 is a full 41cm wider than the old 458. And this is where we get to the nub of things; in recent years Berret/

Racoupeau has been at the heart of a minor design revolution that really kicked off in earnest with the

Beneteau Oceanis 51.1. The idea was to have chines fore and aft to allow the hull to flare out significantly above the waterline. This meant that you could keep wetted surface area relatively low in light airs and give the boat more power when heeled. The other obvious benefit was that this allows for even more internal volume. You only have to look at the hull shape of the new 460 compared to the 458 to see the dramatic difference this makes. At deck level, the entrance lines are relatively blunt compared to the 458, while the beam, already larger, is now carried right aft. All this points to more volume. Styling wise, the boats look quite different too with the new boat featuring a inverted dreadnought bow, longer, thinner, portlights and a slightly less wedge like coachroof. The sail area has been upped somewhat to offset that extra weight presumably. The logic is fair enough, the design has advanced and the forward chine concept was worth adopting to keep up with the competition even though it means losing Hanse’s easily recognisable styling.

ABOVE

The 460 has a versatile rig with the selftacking jib augmented by a big reaching sail

BELOW

The looks are striking and a steep change from its Judel/Vrolijk designed predecessors

Down below there is also a definite shift towards a more upmarket level of fit out. Hanse’s could be, well, perhaps a touch flimsy in the past and this wasn’t something that could be levelled at the 460. Hanse’s brokers in the UK explained the general logic behind all this by saying that in the past, Hanse had been pitching for the charter market – a lucrative money spinner – but were generally gazumped for orders by the big French manufacturers. This is even more understandable now given the Beneteau’s parent company actually bought Dream Yacht Charter – one of the biggest charter companies out there. Having accepted this economic reality, the company was

going for a more quality feel to its boats, which explained the high quality fit out. While this is true it also seemed at odds with going for a design quite similar to French rivals, and also maximising volume and thereby making the boat ideal for the charter market. I guess the flip side is that the boat is slightly cheaper than its rivals while offering the same amount of volume.

On deck

Step aboard and it’s impossible to ignore just how huge the cockpit is. The boat comes with twin cockpit tables with a corridor running between the two. There is the option of having tables that lower down telescopically to provide even more lounging space. The seating is very comfortable and Hanse has long been the master of separating the lounging area forward from the ‘working’ area of the cockpit aft. To this end all the sheets are led in channels under the coamings and emerge via banks of jammers just in front of the two helms, where they are dealt with by two pairs of optionally powered winches. This is a tried and tested method employed on Hanses for a long time now and it works very well. The mainsheet does not have a traveller and is a bridle system anchored on the coachroof with the German mainsheet system meaning it leads back to the helm and can be adjusted from either side. You do end up with an awful lot of string aft, which is stowed in rope bins just forward of the helm. You do need a degree of organisation to make sure you don’t get tangled but the benefits are total control within arms reach of the helm. If you’re using the self-tacker then things really do get very simple indeed. The helm pedestals are well laid out with comfortable perches for the skipper, while aft you have a range of choices from an open transom to barbecue and sink arrangements depending on your taste. There is a dedicated liferaft space in the starboard lazarette and further storage to port.

Up forward the foredeck feels substantially less massive but those fat forward sections mean that there is space for a very generous bow locker with ample storage for fenders and sails. The bow has the option of a second stay on the sprit with a big outer reaching headsail

ABOVE

Clean, uncluttered decks and a simple running rigging set-up make for a boat that is easily to sail singlehandedly

BELOW LEFT

A well-lit, roomy saloon

BELOW RIGHT

The main owner's stateroom is up forward and is absolutely palatial for added power in light winds. This Solent rig makes the boat incredibly versatile particularly when married to the smaller self-tacking inner jib which is ideal for upwind work. The track for the genoa cars for this outer headsail is on the toerail, which keeps things simple and unobtrusive.

Down below

You descend via sympathetically angled companionway steps, into a clean, well lighted place. The light comes from a plethora of portlights and skylights, including an immense square metreage of skylights in the main saloon. The boat has the usual light, modern ‘loft style’ feel that characterised older Hanses but the overall quality of fit out has stepped up a notch or two. The saloon features a longitudinal galley running down the starboard side with a decent sized chart table aft of this. The galley offers really good levels of space for cooking and is very practical. On an ocean passage in a big swell it might be more of a caution although there is a decent bracing point just behind where the chef would stand. These days, chart tables seem to be very

much an optional extra and indeed, this one can be replaced to make an even bigger cooking area or there is also the option of using the space to create a bunk room. To port is the main seating area, which is very comfortable, and the the seating pod in the centre of the boat doubles as a brace for the chef in the galley. There is also a tv screen discreetly tucked within. Aft of the seating area is the day heads and separate shower stall. Aft of this are two decent sized aft cabins with above average levels of light and space. Both have ensuites with the port side heads being somewhat larger.

The forward cabin is really big and is entered by very large double doors which give a good feeling of light and space – not sure what effect this has on the integrity of the bulkhead but I’m sure Hanse have that under control. The cabin itself boasts a double bed you can walk to either side of in order to get in. There is a big wardrobe to starboard and a really spacious ensuite heads to port with separate shower. If you were thinking of putting the boat into the charter market, then this palatial front cabin can be split in two to provide two much more modest doubles but the classic layout will be a big forward cabin with two doubles aft.

ABOVE

The broad aft sections make for a huge cockpit

BELOW

Under sail, the boat proved to be a powerful and impressive performer in a range of conditions

Under sail

Ok so it has got a lot of space and it’s well finished. I was keen to know how it sailed however. I was very fond of the old 458 so I was interested to know if that extra weight and beam would have a negative effect on performance. Conditions could not have been better as the Solent dished up a most peculiar day commencing with sluggish 5kn winds, which were forecast to persist only to be replaced by 20-25kn of breeze, towering cumulus clods, sunshine, torrential showers and a wicked short Solent chop. Setting off into a non-existent breeze, we unfurled the big reaching genoa, hoisted the full mian and steeled ourselves for a light air drift. The boat performed commendably in these conditions, with boatspeed largely matching windspeed. Then everything changed. I noted in midSolent a yacht seemingly achieving the impossible and heeling at a wild angle. This was a strong indicator that there was just a lot of wind about to come our way. As with everyone else, we were somewhat caught out by this and initially were testing the integrity of the rig to its maximum load capacity. It was also a good test of the boat’s ability to handle things while overpressed and I have to say the boat passed this test with flying colours. For starters the boat’s steering remains as precise, light and enjoyable as it had on the previous Judel/Vrolijk models, which made even these heavy conditions a pleasure. In addition, the boat had a remarkable amount of grip considering that this is a big, broad boat with a single rudder. Yet depite definitely being overpressed, the boat had a real sense of power that was reassuring and impressive. After a short while of this pell-mell beam reach, we furled the big reacher, put a reef in the main and switched to the self-tacking headsail. This made for more fun sailing as there was absolutely nothing that was required to be done as we fired through the tacks. The boat was fast and in the conditions, felt rather too large for the Solent – like a racehorse obliged to bound around a rather restricted paddock. We were logging speeds from the mid eights to mind nines and it all felt thoroughly exhilarating. I had wondered if the boat would feel sluggish compared to the lighter, narrower 458 but I can’t say that this was the case. It felt more powerful perhaps. I guess in bigger waves perhaps those fatter sections above the waterline could create more drag but in flattish water, it certainly didn’t feel like there was much holding this boat back.

SAM’S VERDICT

Hanse had a very distinct winning formula for its yachts and I wondered if a change of designer might jinx this but, although the 460 is a di erent boat altogether compared to its predecessors, the basic tenets of easy handling and good internal volume remain, while I was delighted to note that the steering remains as excellent as ever. e quality of the interior t-out feels a touch higher than previous models and, while perhaps visually it is a bit more similar to French rivals than before, that doesn’t stop it from being a good, versatile yacht.

PERFORMANCE: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ BLUE WATER ABILITY: ★ ★ ★★★ LOOKS: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

THE SPEC

LOA: 14.60m (47’11”) LWL: 13.05m (42’10”) Beam: 4.79m (15’9”) Draught: (std) 2.25m (7’5”) Displacement: 12,600kg (27,778lb) Price: ex VAT €270,900 Contact: inspirationmarine.co.uk

460

conventional Sail Plan

www.hanseyachts.com

ALTERNATIVE BOATS

BENETEAU OCEANIS 46.1

Designed by Pascal Conq, the Oceanis 46.1 is considerably lighter than the Hanse and also has less beam. e boat has been around for a couple of years now but boasts similar design features such as the forward chines to boost volume. ancasta.co.uk

JEANNEAU SUN ODYSSEY 490

Designed by Phillipe Briand, the 490 is actually very much in the same size bracket as the 460 being slightly longer on the waterline but with less beam and less displacement. e boat has been around for a few years now but has proven to be a popular yacht. sea-ventures.co.uk

DUFOUR 470

New to the market last year, the Dufour 470 boasts similar beam to the Hanse and is actually heavier. e boat comes in three di erent versions; Performance, Ocean and the base mode, Easy. universalyachting.com