Masthead Sloop · Fin w/rudder On Partial Skeg · 1992–2006
A German Frers-designed blue water cruiser balancing a heavy, stable displacement with a powerful masthead rig
Designed by German Frers.
See her sail
The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.
Footage from Be The Captain
Is it for you?
Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.
At 1.65 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.
269 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.
15.3 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.
39% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.
Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.
What the fleet has seen
Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.
The Hallberg-Rassy 53 is a masthead sloop designed by German Frers and built by Hallberg-Rassy from 1992 to 2006. This model features a fin keel with a rudder on a partial skeg, a beam of 4.6 meters, a draft of 2.3 meters, and a displacement of 22,999 kg. Its total sail area with a Genoa is 148 square meters.
The living fleet
Where the fleet has filmed this boat.
Seen once across one channel of the fleet.
The record
The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.
The family
The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.
Keep asking
Search what's been said about the Hallberg-Rassy 53, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.
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