Hallberg-Rassy 29 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

At 29 feet 2 inches overall, with a beam of 9 feet 3 inches and a displacement of just under four tonnes, the 29 is slender rather than beamy. Its relatively narrow hull tapers aft, limiting accommodation but helping make the boat steady and stable in big seas. The narrow beam also gives it remarkable stiffness: between 25 and 30 degrees of heel, it sits very stiffly in the water.

The hull is a Lloyds-certified solid GRP lay-up, while the deck and coachroof use foam-sandwich construction to reduce weight and improve insulation. The overlapping hull-to-deck joint is capped with smart teak.

The long, cast-iron fin keel is fully encapsulated, so it cannot fall off or go rusty. A skeg protects the rudder, and the underwater profile resembles a moderate long keel—a configuration already considered conventional when the boat was introduced in 1982. A cutaway forefoot helps it tack more quickly than a full long-keel design.

Rig, Handling, and Performance

The yard’s founder and co-designer chose an unusual 7/8 fractional rig with swept spreaders and no backstays. Few cruising yachts used such a setup at the time. The boat came standard with a fully battened mainsail and a 130-percent genoa on a Furlex 200S furler. Its conservative, easily handled sail plan keeps sail area modest.

Generous ballast makes the 29 stiff and helps keep the rails dry when a sea breeze fills in. In normal conditions, the tiller feels light and positive, although the helm becomes a little heavy when the apparent wind rises sharply.

Off the wind, the boat is somewhat sluggish, as might be expected from its ample displacement and considerable wetted surface. The long keel, however, helps it track well downwind. Once properly trimmed, it can sail itself on a close reach without input from the crew or autopilot.

In 1989, a regular example placed third in the Round Britain Race, only ten minutes behind second. The result shows that the 29 is not a racer, yet can assert itself amazingly well in the right context.

Accommodation

Writing in Yachting Monthly, testers found that the boat exudes a feeling of warmth and quality that makes it downright cosy at anchor, with classic lines outside and warm, perfectly crafted joinery within. Headroom is just under six feet.

The saloon has an L-shaped settee to port, arranged around a two-leaf table. The settee backs lift to widen the berths, which measure 6 feet 7 inches long.

Many boats were built with a quarterberth to starboard, well suited to ocean passages. The 29 was also offered without it; those boats gained an additional cockpit locker instead.

The compact L-shaped galley sits to port and includes a gimballed two-burner cooker with oven, a large cool box, and a deep sink. Opposite, an outboard-facing chart table stands above four drawers. None of the saloon portlights open, so ventilation depends on hatches and mushroom vents.

Engines, Equipment, and Access

Early Hallberg-Rassy 29s used the 18 hp MD7B engine with single-circuit cooling. This installation continued until 1984, when the cockpit coaming was slightly modified and the genoa-sheet angle was optimised. Later boats received the successor Volvo Penta 2002, while the final build numbers, from 1993 onward, had a 29 hp, three-cylinder MD2020. Dual-circuit cooling was initially optional and later became standard.

In practice, the original non-self-tailing winches gave way to the powerful self-tailing Lewmar 40 primaries and plain Lewmar 8 coachroof winches fitted to later-equipped boats.

A removable panel in the cockpit sole provides access to the saildrive, engine seacock, fuel tank, and primary filter.

Known Issues

Play in the lower rudder bearing on the skeg is a typical weak point.

The single-circuit MD7B engines fitted to early boats have often reached the end of their service lives. The gas bottle was originally stowed in the anchor locker, a vulnerable position; many owners have since moved it aft into a container.

The Verdict

The Hallberg-Rassy 29 is an ideal yacht for a couple who want to cruise reasonable distances in comfort and safety. It is a true pocket ocean cruiser with a wonderfully sea-kindly motion, best suited to buyers who value seaworthiness and craftsmanship more than interior volume.

Pros