BoatsHallberg-Rassy 46

Hallberg-Rassy 46

Masthead Sloop · Fin w/rudder On Partial Skeg · 1995–2005

A German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser built for stability and comfort with a high ballast ratio and skeg-hung rudder

Designed by German Frers.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/rudder On Partial Skeg

See her sail

The Hallberg-Rassy 46, on the water

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

Footage from Leon Schulz, Reginasailing

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 39 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 39
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.73
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 273
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 14.9
TenderStiff

40% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 40%

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

  • Heavier than ~89% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~79% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1899 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Hallberg-Rassy 46, 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 46 is a 14.8-meter masthead sloop designed by German Frers and built by Hallberg-Rassy between 1995 and 2005, featuring a fin keel with a rudder on a partial skeg. With a displacement of 16,499 kg and a draft of 1.9 meters, the model is known for its robust construction. Aboard *Reginasailing*, the Hallberg-Rassy 46, named *Regina*, serves as a training vessel for RYA sail training, including celestial navigation, coastal seamanship, and offshore passage-making.0:10 Crews aboard *Regina* practice sun sights with sextants, plot estimated positions, and perform docking maneuvers using slip lines.10:14 The vessel is equipped with a Seldén in-mast furling mainsail, and its crew demonstrates manual emergency furling procedures using a custom extended handle or a drill adapter when the electric motor fails.0:06 The boat is sailed in diverse conditions, from tidal waters in Brittany to Atlantic passages, where crews calculate compass deviation, determine safe anchoring depths, and plan passages using tidal almanacs.1:18

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

The channels sailing this model, and where they were last seen.

Leon Schulz, ReginasailingRYA Yachtmaster Ocean Instructor Leon Schulz provides expert technical guidance on navigation, boat maintenance, and offshore sailing aboard his Hallberg-Rassy 46, Regina Laska.

Seen 29 times across 3 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Hallberg-Rassy 46 on video

Engine Room SafetyA Hallberg-Rassy 46 coded for Category 1 offshore sailing demonstrates engine room fire, flooding, and vibration controls.Leon Schulz, ReginasailingStuck Trudesign Valves during MCA Inspection and solutionA seized Trudesign toilet through-hull on a Hallberg-Rassy 46 freed with a rubber mallet during an MCA inspection.Leon Schulz, ReginasailingIMRAY or Reeds Almanac?Reeds vs. Imray Cruising Almanac compared passage-planning Raz de Sein to Audierne, with tidal coefficients and chart clarity tested.Leon Schulz, Reginasailing15 years RYA Sail Training with ReginasailingLeon Schulz's Reginasailing marks 15 years of RYA training, from dockside slip lines to Atlantic sun sights.Leon Schulz, ReginasailingRYA sailing training in GermanyLeon Schulz explains the RYA Yachtmaster pathway and how it differs from Germany's SKS system.Leon Schulz, ReginasailingSeldén Furling Mainsail Part 4 (4): Manual Emergency FurlingA Seldén in-mast furling mainsail can be hand-cranked or drill-driven when the electric motor fails.Leon Schulz, ReginasailingSeldén Furling Mainsail Part 3 (4): Furling the Main SailSeldén in-mast furling on a Hallberg-Rassy 46: outhaul, battens, and boom control step by step.Leon Schulz, ReginasailingSeldén Furling Mainsail Part 2 (4): Unfurling the mainsailLeon Schulz demonstrates the manual synchronization of electric furling and outhaul winches on a Hallberg-Rassy 46.Leon Schulz, ReginasailingOutlook for RYA theory courses, webinars and boat show gatherings winter 2025/6Leon Schulz announces RYA theory courses in Malta and Yachtmaster Ocean examining duties for winter 2025/26.Leon Schulz, ReginasailingSeldén Furling Mainsail Part 1 (4): The principlesMaintain a straight mast and a boom angle slightly under 90 degrees for reliable in-mast furling operation.Leon Schulz, ReginasailingSailing through an Atlantic Cold Front from the Azores to GaliciaLeon Schulz tracks a cold front from the Azores to Galicia using PredictWind and Starlink satellite data.Leon Schulz, ReginasailingHallberg-Rassy 43 and 46 sailing side by sideThe video contains no substantive information regarding the Hallberg-Rassy 43 or 46.Leon Schulz, Reginasailing

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Hallberg-Rassy 46 may be fitted out entirely differently.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
40.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.9
Displacement / length
272.9
Comfort ratio
39.0
Capsize screening
1.73
Hull speed
8.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1991
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/rudder on partial skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1995–2005
Units built
134
Designer
German Frers
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.

Swan 48 - S&S14.60 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA versatile Sparkman & Stephens design available in sloop or ketch configurations with an optional tall rig
Sparkman & Stephens 48 Bluewater Cruiser Tour | Centre Cockpit Offshore Sailing Yacht Reviewfrom Practical Sailor
Hallberg-Rassy 4914.96 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA versatile staysail ketch or sloop offering a high comfort ratio and a stable fin keel with skeg-hung rudder
Beware of ORCAS! Part 2: Sailing SOUTH through Orca Territory to Portugal | Ep 2760:21from Distant Shores TV
Oyster Marine 47514.81 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Holman & Pye designed masthead sloop evolved from the 46, offering a high comfort ratio for blue water cruising
Boat Show - 5 Reasons To Attend a Boat Show (For Aspiring Sailing Cruisers)from SailingBritican
Oyster Marine 48514.78 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA robust cutter-rigged blue water cruiser developed from the 461, featuring a skeg-hung rudder for offshore security
This sailing technique saved my butt (Why does nobody teach this?)16:22from Be The Captain
Swan 47 S&S14.58 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Sparkman & Stephens design #2201 featuring a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stability
The Azores Explorer 2023 | Saga47swan Sailing | A Viking Sagafrom Saga47swan Sailing
Hallberg-Rassy 4814.99 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser featuring a stiff 42% ballast ratio and a stable, comfortable motion at-sea motion
Hallberg-Rassy 48 - A Yacht Delivery from Bremen to Ellos. Wonderful trip on a fabulous boat!from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Hallberg-Rassy 45A heavy-displacement masthead sloop with a 40% ballast ratio, engineered for offshore stability and long-range comfortHallberg-Rassy 48A German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser featuring a stiff 42% ballast ratio and a stable, comfortable motion at-sea motionHallberg-Rassy 53A German Frers-designed blue water cruiser balancing a heavy, stable displacement with a powerful masthead rigHallberg-Rassy 40A German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for offshore stability with a high comfort ratio and a partial skeg rudderHallberg-Rassy 54A German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser built for serious offshore passage-making with a stiff, stable hull formHallberg-Rassy 43 MKIA masthead-rigged blue water cruiser featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a stable, heavy-displacement hull

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