2020 Hanse 458 review

Step aboard this German built beauty and you'll find how nice and easy these yachts are to sail with mod-cons such as electric furler sail controls, and bow and stern thrusters.

Years ago a sailing couple would hesitate about buying a yacht this big but now they can thanks to efficient manufacturing bringing down price and the designs being so much easier to sail. This is a big 46-footer yet one you can sail yourself with the optional autopilot.

The owner of our test boat is a "stink-boater" who was won over to sailing when he saw the Hanse 458.

He says the adventure and challenge of sailing makes the journey more interesting and quite a bit less expensive for fuel.

At the time of writing he was regularly sailing his new steed to build skills before setting off to the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef.

The owners of this boat plan to cruise extensively, so it has more options than most owners are likely to include.

That runs to air-conditioning, a large-screen TV, generator set, an upgrade to an 80hp turbo-diesel saildrive, refrigerated cockpit table and mast furling mainsail.

Our Hanse 458 also has the B&G navigation pack featuring a VHF radio; Zeus3 9.0-inch chartplotter; an autopilot; and multifunction displays at each of the two helm pods.

Custom items fitted in Australia by Windcraft include a stainless steel frame incorporating rear sun bimini, dinghy davit, and a barbecue.

There's also a solid stern rail from stern to the stanchion gates, and a water maker. All up, the sail-away price of our test boat is around $750,000.

The default sail-away package starts at $515,000 ex-Sydney including anti-fouling and battened Elvstrom mainsail and headsail, teak cockpit seat tops and triple twin-berth layout.

Some obvious items such as electric winches and a retractable bow thruster aren't included so I expect most owners will end up spending around $600,00–$650,000.

Like all the Hanse models the new 458 provides plenty of comfort under sail and luxury below.

This boat is based on the previous popular Hanse 455 that accounted for more than 360 worldwide.

Not surprisingly, the Hanse 458's German builders have changed very little and essentially refreshed the package. One change is an anchor bowsprit that lets you fly a gennaker or code zero for added off-wind speed.

The Hanse 485 continues the same purposeful design theme repeated across previous models. That's a cropped-ended hull with high sides made somewhat easier on the eye by the low aerodynamic cabin top and tall sail plan.

I like the way Hanse has resisted the current fashion for a hard-chine hull and kept to the classic rounded hull sections. And thanks to the wide stern tapering into a vee at the waterline there's less water drag and she goes well in light airs.

The lines are by the famous offshore racer design team of Judel/Vrolijk and that's evident in the sophisticated deep keel and large elliptical rudder which ensure good control at all times.

Another appealing feature of the Hanse 458 are raised gunwales that add to safety and look very smart with their synthetic teak decking.

The Hanse 458's wide stern bream ensures there's plenty of cockpit space for sailing or entertaining. There are tailor-made cushions to add comfort when you not sailing.

Meanwhile, twin steering wheels free up space and provide walk-through access to the transom swim platform.

The latter folds up against the transom when not in use and is a practical solution for either swimming or ship-to-shore dinghy transfers.

The foredeck includes a huge locker that's perfect for stowing a small inflatable dinghy.

The Hanse 458 also is reassuringly well-built. The keel is directly secured into the powerful floor structure with large stainless steel bolts and the hull has a multi-layer skin with GRP laminates either side of a balsa core, protected by a vinylester layer to guard against osmosis.

The interior has been smartened up with some new timber panelling and more light below with the large hull windows providing water views from inside the saloon.

Stepping aboard the Hanse 458 before Xmas I was immediately blown away by the sheer cabin space and the user-friendly decks. What's so appealing to any guest is the way all rope lines are led under the deck so there's nothing to trip over. Sail controls all lead back to winches at the helm for convenient sail control.

However, the really good bit is the brilliant self-tacking headsail system. This makes a huge difference because there's no pulling on ropes and grind winches on every tack. The overall sailing experience is so much easier and allows you to cruise or race with less stress or strain.

A great social addition to the new Hanse is the helm seats atop fixed box units that house an integrated barbecue and washbasin so you can cook on deck and enjoy meals al fresco.

The stern swim platform has a fold-out ladder, and there's a cockpit shower to wash the salt off after a swim.

Our test boat was also equipped with optional canvas sun bimini and a dodger over the companionway. The latter is not a something you see in the European brochures but a sensible feature in Australia.

Going below you notice two great features of the Hanse 458. One is the two-part glass stormboards sliding vertically into the doorframe, and the other is the wide cabin stairway providing a gentle 50-degree gradient for easy access below.

Downstairs, the cabin is spacious and very stylish with a light French oak panelling contrasting against dark Acacia floor panels.

There is also attractive timber panelling on the hull liner and upper lockers to provide a sleek city apartment look. There are quite a few other timber trim options as well as upholstery options so you can mix and match to suit your tastes.

The layout is quite traditional with a galley with three-burner stove and fridge, and big L-shaped lounge/dinette area where up to eight people can sit comfortably.

There's a separate lounge to port plus a dedicated navigation station that can double as great onboard office.

Aft, there are two good-sized guest double berth cabins, and a large guest bathroom to port with separate wash basin shower and toilet.

The guest cabins have their own hanging lockers, overhead hatches and a single hull window providing natural light.

A massive master cabin fills the space forward of the main bulkhead. It has plenty of floor space and a generous-size island berth flanked by outboard shelving.

The mater cabin's ensuite is split into two compartments with a roomy shower stall to one side, and a toilet/wash basin the other.

An alternative layout provides two cabins in the bow sharing the same bathroom, however that's motre suited to charter boat operators.

The Hanse 458's overall finish is slick and a testimony to the German manufacturer, which also builds top brands including Dehler and Moody yachts, and Sealine motor cruisers.

An extra powerful, 20.6 metre-tall tall rig ensures the Hanse 458 has enough power in the mainsail to compensate for the smaller headsail. It allows her to sail well enough to take on twilight and club races - and do well!

The Hanse 458 can go much further afield too. As I write a husnand and wife are sailing one of the new 458s to Australia via the Caribbean and Pacific. Sounds like a great adventure, but more importantly it underscores just how well these Hanse production models adapt to the traditional long-range cruiser role.

We stepped aboard the Hanse 458 at Windcraft's Pittwater base. At first sight she comes across as a substantial yacht with a quality that goes beyond the shiny fibreglass gelcoat.

Once in the main channel, setting the mainsail was a simple press of a button, and then watching it unfurl from the boom.  The headsail comes out even more effortlessly and in about 12 minutes the Hanse 458 is under full sail.

The jib is controlled via a single sheet leading to the starboard helm winch, while the mainsail is adjusted by winches on either quarter. Having the mainsheet run to both sides a good idea just in case an unexpected strong gust hits the boat.

With a light sea breeze filling about 6.0 to 10 knots we soon had good pace on as we headed towards the entrance of Pittwater.

Once the boat heels, you realise there's quite a bit of weight in the sails and you do need the power of the winches to trim the sails above a zephyr of wind.

It is good to see a mechanical adjustable backstay, mainsail outhaul and vang conveniently located in a bank of rope clutches near the helm. To keep everything tidy there's also a drop locker behind each winch for all the rope tails.

Under way, the Hanse 458 is a delight to sail from the windward helm position and the sailing numbers are surprisingly good for such a heavy yacht.

We achieved consistent upwind speed in the 6.0-7.0 knot range and hit 8.0 knots with sheets just cracked on the 11.3 knot gust-of-the-day!

One of the most interesting features of our Hanse test boat is the in-mast furling mainsail with vertical battens. I haven't seen this before and it certainly improves the set of the mainsail plus add some useful sail area.

My guess is the normal mainsail with leech battens will still beat it around the race course, however, you're then up for the extra work hoisting and lower the sail into its boom bag and lazy jacks.

A good tip on furler sails from Ric, our sailing master from Windcraft, is to ease off halyard pressure when the sails are furled away. This is a very sensible advice but I wonder if a lot of people owning this sort of rig actually bother.

The Hanse 458 motors well too – at 1500rpm we were hitting 6.0 knots, at 2000rpm 7.5 knots, and at 2500rpm 8.5 knots.

That's plenty of grunt for offshore trips, however, I'm sure the standard 57hp turbo-diesel saildrive will do a pretty good job too on an offshore run.

Hanse has done a top job refreshing this popular model in the range. I especially admire the attention to detail such as adjustable reading lights on all sleeping berths, and USB slots for smartphones and other devices.

Hanse also get top marks for the neat slide-away shades on the overhead skylights and blinds on all windows.

The Hanse 458 is a nice size for coastal or longer range cruises without being too large for the smaller marinas up the coast.

Water and fuel tankage is good for coastal cruising, and a shoal draft keel is available if you yearn to explore out-of-the-way bits of Australia's coastline.

Specifications
Model: Hanse 458
Length overall: 14.04m
Hull length: 13.55m
Waterline length: 12.20m
Beam: 4.38m
Draft: 1.87m (shallow)/2.23m (deep)
Displacement: 11,700kg
Saildrive: 57hp
Fuel: 210L, diesel
Water: 450L
Holding tank: 70L
Mainsail: 60.0m2
Jib: 43.0m2 (self-tacking)
Gennaker: 93.0m2

Priced from: $515,800 including 2.23m L-keel; standing and running rigging with two reefs; full-battened Dacron mainsail and jib; twin leather-wrapped stainless steel wheels with emergency tiller; handrails on coachroof; manual halyard winches; life raft storage; 3-burner gas stove with oven; waste bin; 130L fridge; double stainless steel sink with mixer tap; 20L water heater; manual flush toilet; teak in cockpit and on swim deck; LED navigation lights; 50A battery charger; 57hp saildrive with three-blade fixed prop

Price as tested: $750,000 (est) including 80hp engine upgrade with three-blade folding prop; B&G navigation pack including VHF V60 with wireless remote handset and VHF preparation with antenna and splitter for FM and AIS, B&G Zeus³ 9.0-inch chartplotter, autopilot with Triton² control unit and Precision 9 compass, twin helm instrument pods, twin Triton² multifunction displays in cockpit including transducer (wind/depth/speed/temperature); air-conditioning; TV; genset; refrigerated cockpit table; furling mainsail; upgraded genset; custom stainless steel frame incorporating rear sun bimini, dinghy davit and barbecue

Supplied by: Windcraft Yachts