Its lineage began with the original Hanseat, launched in 1963. After three years of construction, that boat helped trigger what one German magazine called the plastic revolution in European yachtbuilding. The 70 series proved even more successful: more than 200 boats were built, and the design was further developed between 1970 and 1981.
Design and Construction
Willy Asmus set new standards in boatbuilding with the Hanseat's glass-fibre-reinforced plastic construction. The yard's methods went beyond simple mat or spray construction.
According to an account recorded by an owner, the Asmus shipyard used roving fabric for the Hanseaten. This textile-reinforced material consists of parallel fibre bundles that can absorb loads particularly effectively. Everything was rolled, compacted and finally annealed by hand, producing a very strong, optimally dimensioned structure.
The solid-fiberglass hull has a fin keel and spade rudder. Displacement is 12,125 pounds, including 5,291 pounds of lead ballast, and beam is 10.5 feet.
The round-the-world Hanseat 70 Gegenwind gave a striking demonstration of that robust construction when it hit a reef. The boat lost a full ten centimetres from the keel heel and suffered a few scratches to the hull, but it didn’t leak or sustain total damage.
Across the series, one of the most noticeable changes concerned the skeg. Early boats had a particularly solid iron skeg, while subsequent models dispensed with it entirely.
Rig, Performance and Handling
The Hanseat 70 is a masthead sloop with a reported sail area of 444 square feet and a hull speed of 7.2 knots. Period observers described the boats as easy to handle and functionally equipped. The number of halyards and outhauls is manageable, and Hanseats in original condition can still be operated at the mast.
Older Hanseat models sail very steadily but respond sensitively to rudder movements. Although some have called the boat a “tank,” Gegenwind sailed well and quickly even in light winds. The builder also claimed that the earlier Hanseat shot out of the regatta field like a rocket in a good six-strong breeze at Kieler Woche and was almost unstoppable under spinnaker.
The design has a substantial offshore record. In 1978, Günter Milowsky crossed the North Atlantic single-handed in just 22 days aboard his Hanseat 70 Pommern. Helge Aßmann and Asha Reich spent ten years circumnavigating in their 70.
Cockpit and Accommodation
Below decks, the Hanseat 70 offers 6.23 feet of headroom. Tankage comprises 66 gallons of water and 32 gallons of diesel.
The cockpit has a thoughtful division between helm and crew. The helmsman sits slightly higher and is spatially separated from the crew by a wide, solid traveller rail.
The characteristic superstructure of the first Hanseat models gave the boats a striking appearance and earned them a nickname among sailors. The Hanseat 70 itself can be recognised by its wooden foot rail.
Alongside the base 70, the range included the 70B, 70 MKIII and 70 BII.
Variants and Training Use
The 70 series continued to evolve throughout production. The 70B derivative later found an unusual second life with the German Navy. Six Hanseatic Type 70Bs remain in intensive use there, and cadets have spent almost 40 years learning seamanship aboard them for around 100 days each year.
Frigate Captain Michael Hufnagel notes that these boats remain in good condition after decades of hard use. Compared with the more responsive earlier models, however, the moderate long-keeler 70B sails rather sluggishly and as if on rails.
Known Issues
The reef collision involving Gegenwind showed that this particular hull could survive a severe grounding without leaking. However, the loss of ten centimetres from the keel heel also underscores the finite structure of the fin.
Another significant change within the 70 series was the deletion of the early solid-iron skeg on later boats.
The Verdict
The Hanseat 70 is a solidly built, genuinely seaworthy fiberglass cruiser with a record that includes a single-handed Atlantic crossing and a decade-long circumnavigation. Its manageable rig and steady handling suit short-handed sailing or training use, although later 70-series variants traded some responsiveness for development changes.
Pros
- Hand-rolled, roving-fabric construction with demonstrated collision survival
- Manageable masthead rig that can be operated at the mast in original form
- Proven offshore record, including a single-handed North Atlantic passage
- Lead-ballasted fin-keel and spade-rudder hull with a 7.2-knot hull speed
Cons
- Later 70-series boats lost the early models’ solid-iron skeg protection
- The moderate long-keel 70B sails sluggishly compared with earlier hulls
