Hallberg-Rassy 40 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Frers, who has shaped every Hallberg-Rassy since 1988, gave the 40 a seamanlike profile anchored by the yard’s trademark fixed windshield with integrated folding dodger, a feature the builder introduced to the world in 1984. The hull is hand-laid with isophthalic polyester gelcoat and resin, and a well-engineered grid system is laminated in to spread keel and mast-step loads grid system laminated into the hull. Above the waterline the hull and the deck both use a Divinycell PVC foam core, with deck reinforcements at hardware mounts, and hull and deck are glassed together before tanks or machinery go in. Teak decks, coamings, and caprails are standard, and the show jury called her a highest-quality long-distance cruiser reflecting the yard’s deep boatbuilding experience, later refined into a discrete elegance.

Rig and Handling

The 40 is a masthead sloop with a deck-stepped double-spreader mast backed by oversized standing rigging and double lower shrouds to chainplates on glassed-in bulkheads. Standard sail area with working jib is 869 square feet, rising to 1,006 with genoa; in-mast roller furling was offered as an option, and the genoa-track cars adjust from the cockpit. Lewmar 50 self-tailing sheet winches sit within reach, halyards run to mast-mounted winches, and the boom-end mainsheet carries only a 2:1 purchase to Lewmar 30s outboard of the helm. Cruising World’s Boat of the Year team found that her fin-keeled underbody ensured smart maneuvering through the wind in six to eight knots with only the mainsail hoisted. In a Swedish gale test, the 40 showed minimal leeway and good speed, proving superior to five other 40-footers that day.

Accommodations

Below, varnished mahogany with crafted curved laminations sets the tone, and the carpeted teak-and-holly sole protects the cabin top. The saloon pairs an L-shaped starboard settee and table with either a settee berth or the famed Hallberg-Rassy armchairs to port, though traditional settees were also available. Storage is generous, and the walk-through to the aft cabin gains headroom from the cockpit coaming. The aft cabin itself takes twin full mattresses or an island queen with dual access, while a conventional V-berth lies forward. A single large head aft of the chart table holds a stall shower with teak grating plus a separate plexiglass-door shower in the compartment; all shower water is pumped straight overboard, never into the bilge, and the stainless holding tank gravity-drains. Ten opening ports and Lewmar hatches give excellent locker and cabin ventilation.

Engine and Systems Access

A Volvo Penta D2-55 of 55 horsepower with hydraulic gearbox sits in a huge engine room reached by starboard inspection doors, plus forward and cockpit-locker floor access, and the bolted cockpit floor lets the engine be lifted out as it went in. The room also houses genset, pumps, filters, charger, inverter, and a spare propeller. Electrical reserves include a 115-amp alternator on the main engine, a standard Webasto diesel heater, halogen lighting, and twelve-volt refrigeration with optional freezer. The galley’s two-burner propane stove wears a stainless guard, and the chart table opposite allows for electronics installations.

Known Issues

One practical shortfall noted in the review was that better access to the forward engine would ease belt changes, the only documented ergonomic criticism of an otherwise praised mechanical space.

The Verdict

The Hallberg-Rassy 40 is a thoughtfully engineered ocean passagemaker that test crews described as safe, solidly built, fast, and elegant, exceeding the yard’s own high bar. Her foam-cored hull above the waterline, glassed-in grid, and CE-A rating suit serious cruising, while the armchair saloon and walk-through aft cabin make long stays aboard easy. Shallow-draft and furling options broaden her appeal, though engine-bay forward access could be better.

Pros