The 69 won Bluewater Cruiser of the Year at the reader-voted British Yachting Awards 2024, run by Sailing Today. Writing in Yachting World, testers described her as going like a locomotive: wonderfully assured and powerfully clocking off mile after mile.
Design and Construction
The hull and deck use GRP foam-sandwich construction, vacuum-infused with an isophthalic gelcoat and vinyl ester barrier layer, while the hand-laid GRP hull carries a PU-moulded, teak-effect deck. Yachting World called her a sensational cruising machine of formidable build quality, blessed with intoxicating, powerful lines, prize engineering, and rich carpentry.
The deck is unusually clean and completely flush forward of the mast. Frers used this arrangement to give the yacht a sleek, uncluttered appearance while supporting effortless sail handling.
Each yacht takes almost a year and a half to build: five months for the hull and deck, then eleven months for the interior. Hallberg-Rassy’s staff of nearly 200 builds each one at the yard.
Eight hull portlights and saloon windows nearly two metres wide flood the single-level interior, from bow to stern, with natural light. Through the large saloon portlights, a person of normal height can look outside while standing upright.
Rig and Handling
Hallberg-Rassy’s PushButtonSailing system allows a family crew to manage the yacht. Hydraulics operate the winches, furlers, boom vang, and backstay, while hydraulic halyard tension is optional.
The standard three-spreader aluminium Seldén rig carries the largest in-mast furling system Seldén offers. An optional carbon-fibre mast saves 300 kilos without changing the mast height. A hydraulic vang replaces the traveller, while load sensors send trim data to a helm display. Preset thresholds help prevent accidental damage.
During Yachting World’s test, reducing sail was only a push-button away when conditions turned spicy. The yacht maintained a consistent, modest, and manageable heel angle, with the length and weight to devour miles, particularly when reaching. Upwind, she remained pleasantly stiff at around 20 degrees, helped by a 37 per cent ballast ratio and wide form. Testers averaged double-figure speeds with ease.
Accommodations
The standard four-cabin, four-head layout sleeps eight to ten. The forward VIP cabin can have an island berth or vee berth, along with a vanity and double hatch. Aft, the master cabin spans nearly 20 feet of beam.
Interior options include a walk-in closet, a deckhand cabin, VIP guest cabins, or a fifth Pullman berth in place of the wardrobe. These choices give owners some scope to adapt the boat for private crew.
The saloon has two armchairs and a table that is tight for six. Refrigeration is divided among six units. Satin-finished joinerwork, circular latches, blue upholstery, timber lining, and central heating define the interior finish.
A day head with a wet locker sits in the passageway. The engine room is reached directly from the aft passageway; it’s large, well sound-insulated, and arranged for easy servicing.
Performance Under Power and Sail
The six-cylinder, 300 hp Volvo Penta D6-300 produces 790 Newton-metres at 2,100 rpm. It drives a hydraulic shaft and Gori overdrive propeller. At 1,500 rpm, the yacht motors at more than 8 knots; at 2,000 rpm, she makes 9.5 knots. With 2,300 litres of diesel, she can cover a good 1,600 miles without refuelling when travelling at low speed.
Under sail, Yachting World noted the elegance and grace of her motion. She could hold double-digit hull speed day and night when breeze allowed. Testers beat at 9 to 9.5 knots against waves and tacked through less than 90 degrees. The twin rudders provided good feedback, although some windward yaw was noted.
Known Issues
The first construction-number hull showed some play in its twin-rudder steering. On a trial vessel, testers also found a small amount of slack in the long rod steering linkage. A wind transducer froze solid during the same trial.
Below, the starboard cabin berth is too narrow. The layout is also less than ideal for skipper-and-crew use, though a separate forward cabin or midships berth options partly address this. The fresh-water pump was surprisingly loud while priming.
The Verdict
The Hallberg-Rassy 69 distils the yard’s eighty-year evolution into a 50-tonne ocean vessel that a family can handle, yet which can also be fitted out for private crew. Her CE Category A rating, 10.8-knot hull speed, and 250-mile daily ranges make the scale purposeful rather than ostentatious.
Pros
- Largest and greatest yacht Hallberg-Rassy has built; CE A unlimited-ocean capability
- PushButtonSailing, hydraulic rig controls, and load-sensor trim allow family crewing
- Formidable vacuum-infused construction, rich carpentry, and a flush deck
- Walk-in, sound-insulated engine room
- Standard 17.5 kW genset and 454 lt/hr watermaker
Cons
- Starboard berth is too narrow
- Layout is awkward with a hired skipper and crew, and not optimal for charter-style crew operation
- Slight steering play was observed on early hulls
- Fresh-water pump is loud while priming
