Design and Construction
The outer hull laminate is a balsa-cored fiberglass sandwich in polyester resin, with a vinylester skin for osmosis resistance. Below the waterline, the layup is solid glass. Balsa core also extends through the hull topsides and deck.
High-load areas around the carbon-reinforced chainplates connect to vacuum-bagged composite bulkheads. These are fully tabbed into the hull, deck, and floors to create a light yet stiff structure. The cast-iron keel is available in three variations and bolts to large metal backing plates bedded in epoxy over a robust structural floor grid. The single spade rudder is cored fiberglass built around an aluminum stock and frame.
A high bulwark encloses the flush deck, framing it visually and adding security in rough going. There are no scuppers, so water that comes aboard runs aft rather than draining through the toe rail. A well-placed grabrail follows each side of the coachroof. The flush deck can be ordered in real or synthetic teak, with eight finishes available.
Rig, Sailing Performance, and Power
The 588 carries a triple-spreader Seldén aluminum spar and has no mainsheet traveler. Its German-style mainsheet is double-ended and led aft to winches beside each helm. All control lines run below deck from the mast to clutches and Lewmar winches within reach of both steering stations, supporting the builder’s Easy Sailing concept.
The self-tending jib uses a manually operated Furlex furling unit. The twin-headsail configuration adds a Code 0 genoa on a Reckmann electric furler, and all sails are Elvström composite laminate. Twin Carbonautica wheels operate independent Lewmar steering quadrants.
Test crews found the boat genuinely quick. In 13 knots true, she pinched to 30 degrees off the apparent wind at 7.5 knots. Cracking off to 42 degrees brought her to 9 knots, and she surged to 9.9 knots while close-reaching at 55 degrees. Test crews found the boat genuinely quick. In 13 knots true, she pinched to 30 degrees off the apparent wind at 7.5 knots. Cracking off to 42 degrees brought her to 9 knots, and she surged to 9.9 knots while close-reaching at 55 degrees. Even after the jib was rolled away, she made 6.8 knots under the mainsail alone.
The standard engine is a 110hp Volvo diesel, while a 150hp plant is optional. With a three-blade Flexofold propeller on a shaft drive, the boat held 7.5 knots at 1,920 rpm against 15 knots true and reached 10.2 knots at full throttle. Cruising World noted that she was among the fleet’s quietest boats under power.
Accommodations
The 588 is built around first-class individual space. Depending on the layout, she can have up to five cozy double cabins, plus either a separate crew cabin or a forward sail locker.
The owner’s stateroom forward can be arranged as a large island-berth suite with a soundproofed door. Alternatively, that space can be divided into two smaller staterooms with two heads. In the test layout, mirror-image double cabins aft had en-suite heads and separate showers. The forward berths can also be oriented differently according to the chosen plan.
The saloon is more open than that of the earlier 575, with larger hull portlights and six windows on each side. Central settees sit beside either a U-shaped galley to starboard or an optional walk-through island pantry. A large head at the foot of the companionway can be converted into a workroom or an additional cabin. Twenty deck hatches bring plenty of light into the interior.
Beneath the cockpit is a dinghy garage, widened from the 575’s to accommodate more tenders. It is accessed through a hydraulically lowered transom boarding platform.
Cockpit and Deck Equipment
The cockpit is arranged for short-handed control. High coamings help separate and shield guests while the crew works, and twin tables stand on either side of a central walkway. Retractable Quick bow and stern thrusters were fitted to the test boat.
Its Williams jet-drive tender stowed below the cockpit and deployed over the drop-down swim platform. Hanse states that the hull windows are the largest possible without compromising the structure.
The Verdict
The Hanse 588 is a thoroughly modern 58-footer that provides real sailing performance without giving up volume or owner comfort. Its structural package—balsa-cored topsides, solid glass below the waterline, carbon-reinforced chainplates, and fully tabbed bulkheads—is coherent. With the control lines led below deck and aft, the rig is manageable from the helms.
The lack of scuppers is a deliberate quirk that sends deck water aft, while the twenty hatches require diligence in a squall. Against those drawbacks, the choice of twelve layouts offers exceptional flexibility for a boat of this size.
Pros
- Quick under sail and quiet under power, with a documented 9.9-knot close reach
- Twelve layouts, including a split owner’s stateroom and separate crew quarters
- Carbon-reinforced chainplates and fully tabbed, vacuum-bagged bulkheads
- Easy Sailing rig, with all control lines led aft to both helms
Cons
- No scuppers; all deck water is routed aft
- Twenty deck hatches to secure in bad weather
