BoatsHallberg-Rassy 49

Hallberg-Rassy 49

Staysail Ketch · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1982–1997

A versatile staysail ketch or sloop offering a high comfort ratio and a stable fin keel with skeg-hung rudder

Designed by Olle Enderlein & Christoph Rassy.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Hallberg-Rassy 49, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Distant Shores TV

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 40 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 40
CoastalBluewater

1.70 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.70
LightHeavy

257 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 257
EasygoingPowered-up

13.5 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 13.5
TenderStiff

45% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 45%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Heavier than ~91% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~81% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1845 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Hallberg-Rassy 49, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Hallberg-Rassy 49 is a 15.0-meter cruising sailboat designed by Olle Enderlein and Christoph Rassy, built from 1982 to 1997. Early versions were predominantly ketch-rigged, while later versions were mostly sloops.4:42 It features a fin keel with a skeg-hung rudder and displaces 17,999 kg.3:55 Aboard *Distant Shores TV*, a 49-foot variable-draft sloop crew navigated the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal by staying in waters shallower than 20 meters to deter orcas.3:40 They maintained a close-to-shore route during daylight hours and moved offshore at night, keeping the engine ready for immediate use.3:44 The crew completed a 350-mile transit from La Coruña to Cascais and a 650-mile offshore passage to Lanzarote, experiencing favorable downwind conditions.13:05

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
45.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Staysail Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
13.5
Displacement / length
257.0
Comfort ratio
40.1
Capsize screening
1.70
Hull speed
8.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2124
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1982–1997
Units built
89
Designer
Olle Enderlein, Christoph Rassy
Builder
Hallberg-Rassy

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Hallberg-Rassy 4614.78 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser built for stability and comfort with a high ballast ratio and skeg-hung rudder
Contest Yachts 50CS14.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA George Nissen-designed fractional sloop with a high comfort ratio, built for stable and capable offshore cruising
Hallberg-Rassy 48 MKII14.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 15-metre masthead sloop optimized for long-range passage-making with a high comfort ratio and a 2.35-metre draft
Hallberg-Rassy 4814.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser featuring a stiff 42% ballast ratio and a stable, comfortable motion at-sea motion
Caliber Yachts 47 LRC14.81 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA long-range cruiser with a 52.92-foot overall length and a high comfort ratio for extended offshore passages
Oyster Marine 48514.78 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA robust cutter-rigged blue water cruiser developed from the 461, featuring a skeg-hung rudder for offshore security

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

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The fleet has more to say

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