Hallberg-Rassy 64 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Frers gave the 64 an extra seven feet of waterline over the 62 she replaced, a gain that period reviewers noted would lift her performance a level while the deck grew only three feet. The hull windows themselves are a Hallberg-Rassy signature, a feature the yard introduced back in 1976, and the 64 carries six of them plus thirty-one portlights and skylights in all, with flush-mounted skylights and hatches throughout. The deck is clean and uncluttered, the anchor winch concealed under deck level, and the washboard lowers elegantly into hidden storage. Eight mooring cleats sit atop the toe rail, the spring cleats doubled on each side. The cockpit is shielded by the marque's typical soft-top or hard-top windscreen; a solid windscreen provides a massive barrier against spray and waves when seas turn angry, and very high coamings add security in rough water. A sun deck is integrated into the aft cabin roof, and the yard joins hull to deck by heavy internal glassing without bolts or adhesives for primary structure.

Rig and Handling

All essential sailing controls are handled from the cockpit by a single sailor through push-button hydraulics as standard, with options for an under-deck cutterstay furler and under-deck genoa furler. A hydraulic cutter stay and even a hydraulic code zero or furling gennaker were available, furling from the cockpit at the push of buttons. Primary winches are size 80 on the hydraulic system and secondary size 55 winches are electric. The mainsheet is a single line to a deck mount with all roping hidden inside the boom. Sail area runs 173 square meters with jib and battenless main, 232 with genoa and furling main, and 248 with code zero and vertical-batten furling main; the mast stands 27.4 meters over the water. The builder's speed diagram predicts 9.2 knots at 10 knots true wind and 75 degrees, and 11.5 knots under main and traditional foresail in 25 knots at 110 degrees, while polars cited by no-frills-sailing.com predict double-digit speeds in anything over 10 knots of wind.

Accommodations

Below deck the living areas are bright, with the saloon's near-deck-saloon windows giving a 280-degree round view. The interior was offered in twelve choices across five sections for layouts suited to all tastes, and a review counted no fewer than 72 possible layouts by dividing the interior into optional sections. The master cabin has an island bed with memory-foam mattresses and stainless rings above for studding sails in violent motion, plus a starboard-side working place. A fore cabin holds a large V-shaped island bed. The galley occupies the port passage to the aft grand cabin, open to the saloon, with Ceran stove, proper oven, dishwashing machine, fridges and freezers, massive benches, and handrails for safe cooking when heeled. A nav station sits behind the seat with a bulkhead full of chart stowage, and the saloon has Captain's chairs that flap up to reveal stowage plus a leg-rest extricated from the middle bench. Oak is the principal interior material.

Power and Systems

The engine is a six-cylinder Volvo Penta D6-300 of 300 horsepower on a shaft prop, with a walk-in engine room of near standing height and several meters in length and depth, well sound-insulated for easy maintenance. In calm water with a clean bottom she burns one liter per nautical mile at 7 knots and 1600 RPM, giving around 1,800 nautical miles of range from 1,800 liters of diesel. A 20-horsepower bow thruster aids close-quarters handling, and the standard equipment included an 8 kW generator, 120-amp charger, and 4,000-watt inverter; one reviewed boat also carried a Cummins generator of 17.5 kW, Mastervolt lithium-ion service batteries totaling 24 V 1,080 Ah, and a separate 24 V 180 Ah battery for thrusters. Two completely separated fresh water systems run from tanks to piping, and a second propeller was carried on board as backup.

Deck and Cockpit Detail

The cockpit measures 3.10 meters long, 55 centimeters longer than on the 62, with a large fixed teak table and very high coamings. Deck storage totals 10.1 cubic meters including cockpit and anchor lockers, and the 8.6 cubic meters of aft lockers can stow a RIB. A large hydraulic fold-out bathing platform is fitted, with an optional retractable gangway folding into the lazarette. The blue stripe and solid windscreen mark the profile, and the CE category A rating certifies unlimited ocean voyages.

The Verdict

The Hallberg-Rassy 64 is a serious ocean passagemaker that wraps formidable systems redundancy and push-button sail handling around a Frers hull with unusual volume and light. She is a boat built for two modes at once: solitary short-handed control and full-family liveaboard luxury, with layout flexibility few series yachts approach.

Pros