At just under 36 feet overall with the bowsprit, the 340 combines the marque’s customary enclosed comfort for the helmsman with a sharper, more performance-minded hull than its predecessor. Its design draws directly on the larger Hallberg-Rassy 44, which introduced twin rudders and a bowsprit to the range.
Design and Construction
Frers gave the 340 an upright bow, a contemporary profile, and a long, nearly full-length waterline. The builder describes its rounded underwater body as delivering fine seaworthiness. The boat is heavier than many direct competitors and has a slightly deeper forefoot.
The bulbed lead keel carries 5,070 lbs of ballast within a displacement of 13,145 lbs. Yachting Monthly cited the resulting 38 percent ballast ratio, along with the fractional rig and 48:1 adjustable backstay, as evidence of the boat’s sporty intent.
The hull and deck are Divinycell cored. Yachting Monthly noted that this construction provides stiffness and both sound and thermal insulation without the pitfalls of balsa. The yard uses a well-consolidated layup with woven rovings. A structural grid is laminated into the bottom of the hull, while a substantial ring frame distributes the mast load. The structure also includes a solid stainless steel rudder shaft.
Outside, a rubbing strake, generous teak coaming, and a touch of sheer maintain visual continuity with earlier Rassys. Integral scupper drains help keep the topsides clean.
Rig and Handling
The 340 follows the successful Hallberg-Rassy 44 with twin rudder blades, each mounted on dual self-adjusting bearings for easy steering in all conditions. A tiller is standard, but optional twin steering wheels—offered for the first time by the yard on a boat of this size—have proved far more popular in practice.
The fractional rig carries a slightly overlapping headsail, with a self-tacking sail available as an option. The headstay has an under-deck Furlex TD furler, while the cap shrouds and lowers use separate chainplates. A 1:32 backstay tensioner is standard.
Two winches sit on each coaming. Halyards run through hidden channels to the cockpit, and most lines lead aft to port and starboard halyard winches. The rig’s small triangle means there’s a surprising amount of work behind the headline speeds. Even so, the builder claims that a loaded 340 will make 7.31 knots at a 90-degree true wind angle in just 10 knots of true wind.
Yachting Monthly found the 340 fast and noted that it didn’t slam as some boats of its type might. The twin rudders, however, throw water between the blades rather than over them, delaying immediate steerage from a forward burst.
Cockpit and Deck Gear
At 2.83 m, the cockpit is 42 cm longer than the 342’s and extends aft to the transom. A vast locker to starboard can hold a dinghy, outboard, liferaft, lines, and fenders.
The main controls are grouped near the helm, including the engine start, furler, mainsheet, and a switchboard for the navigation lights. The helm position itself lacks foot blocks, which Yachting Monthly found uncomfortable when the boat was heeled for long periods.
The integrated bowsprit keeps the anchor clear of the topsides, provides a platform for bows-to mooring, and primarily serves for setting a code zero or gennaker. An under-deck furler and a windlass inside the deep chain locker leave the foredeck uncluttered.
A large folding swim platform was another first-time option for a Hallberg-Rassy of this size. The yard’s windscreen converts quickly into a full spray hood. Flush deck hatches and excellent non-slip surfaces on the coachroof complete the deck detailing.
Accommodations
The 340 is larger and has more interior volume than the 342, with its beam carried well aft. Headroom is 6 ft 3 in.
Overhead hatches, coachroof portlights, and hull windows make the saloon bright and airy. The settees are 2.00 m long and work well as sea berths; in port, their seat-backs lift to make the bunks wider. Tanks beneath the seats, however, limit flexibility for stowage.
The aft-facing galley sits beside the companionway. It includes deep double sinks, a large fridge, generous outboard lockers, and a solid Corian work surface as standard, though the galley can be difficult to use under way.
Forward, the master cabin’s vee-berth measures 6 ft 8 in long and 6 ft 6 in across at its widest point. The cabin also has two hanging lockers, vanities, additional lockers, and a deck hatch. A wet locker has a dual-function door that also closes off the cabin.
The head is ventilated by an opening portlight and a deck hatch, and its sink and surround are made from solid composite stone.
The aft cabin contains a generous double berth, large lockers, and five opening portlights. It also provides access to the steering gear and the back of the Volvo Penta D1-30, which is mounted beneath the companionway steps.
Hallberg-Rassy also offers an Edition Two interior, trading the two separate double cabins for one larger one.
Maintenance and Known Issues
The saildrive O-ring seal must be replaced every seven years.
Older 340s built with teak decks should be examined carefully. On later boats, the yard offered Eco deck as an alternative for the cap rail, decks, and cockpit.
The Verdict
The Hallberg-Rassy 340 brings the yard’s emphasis on comfort into a Frers hull that is genuinely quick and spacious without giving up offshore credibility. It earned Cruising World’s 2022 Best Midsize Cruiser Under 40’ award and a nomination for European Yacht of the Year in the family-cruiser category.
This is a modern cruiser that rewards hands-on sailors while retaining the enclosed, practical deck-saloon approach for which the marque is known.
Pros
- Twin-rudder, fine-entry hull with a near-full waterline and a documented loaded light-air speed of 7.31 knots
- Divinycell-cored hull and deck, with a structural grid and ring frame providing stiffness without balsa
- Generous 2.83 m cockpit, vast starboard locker, and controls grouped at the helm
- Bright, roomy interior with 6 ft 3 in headroom and 2.00 m saloon settees
- CE Category A for unlimited ocean voyages
Cons
- Helm lacks foot blocks and can become uncomfortable during long periods of sailing while heeled
- Saildrive O-ring seal has a seven-year replacement interval
- Galley can be difficult to use under way, while tanks beneath the seats limit stowage flexibility
- Twin rudders delay the steerage response from a forward burst
