Hanse 411

There's a book in my library entitled Nautical Style, which offers a visual feast for the classic-boat aficionado. There are gorgeous colour plates of handcrafted brightwork, timber trim in wonderful hues and various interior styles on yachts from the early to mid and, in a couple of instances, late-20th century. All of the vessels in some way ooze nautical style.

I'm not saying the German Hanse yachts are in this rarefied league, but they do have more than a thread of the blue blazer about them. On the stunning 411 we tested, the interior was the handiwork of one Birgit Schnaase. It was described as ‘classic New England Style' and is now joined by a new optional Modern Mahogany Style for 2005 as well. But for me, the salty style of the former marries best with this boat.

My researcher (read: web browser) reveals that Schnaase was an interior designer of yachts and cruise liners before founding her own design studio in Hamburg. Among her accomplishments are the interior of a 40m megayacht, Xenia, and a Caribbean cruise liner called Columbus.

After we'd sailed the 411 with spray flying off the bow like footage from a cologne ad, we ghosted back down Pittwater, parked at the yacht club and headed down below. The two-pack polyurethane finish over the tinted mahogany joinery was first class, but it was the rattan covers or breathers over the lockers, the tub chairs and blue (manmade Alcantara) suede upholstery that reminded me of a smoking room in an old boy's club - or, as it were, a page from Nautical Style.

KEEPING COMPANY
More than just eye candy, the Hanse range of easily sailed yachts is coveted by serious cruising types in search of strong and fast cruising yachts.

The 411 and its sister ships from 31–53ft have been sailing to Australia at a great rate of knots of late. While they come as deck cargo, at least one owner chose to bring the yacht back from Germany on its own bum.

Aside from the interior, the 411's signature feature is its ability as a shorthanded yacht. The mainsheet and jib are sheeted on two-speed Harken 40 winches, which double as halyard winches, either side of the companionway. All you need is one crew for cruising or even twilight racing. With its self-tacking jib, the supplied autopilot, or the Whitlock wheel, you can tack the boat single-handed and go forward to finetune the sails.

The yacht has No 46 two-speed genoa (140 per cent) winches in the cockpit and adjustable tracks that might come in handy for racing in regattas such as Hammo. Optional spinnaker kits are also available.

The 411 also has a single-line reefing system and, with the furling headsail and lazy jacks, dropping sail is a one-person affair.

 Hanse yachts typically feature a tall-aspect fractional 9/10 rig with a deck-stepped, two-spreader mast set aft for a decent-sized headsail. At least that was the case on the 411. The Judel/Vrolijk-designed hull was slippery and plenty powerful. An adjustable backstay (16:1) and solid vang let you flatten the sails, as we did, for working more efficiently to windward. The 411 pointed quite high, sailing happily at 28–30º.

The 411, and indeed all Hanses sold in Australia, are packaged as genuine sail-away rigs with full electronics, Harken deck hardware, Lewmar hatches, Isotherm 12V fridges, a hot-water service, shorepower, electric anchor-winch and North Sails.

The 411 also sported teak decks and teak cockpit seats; however, the 2005 model has had a minor cockpit modification - the walkthrough transom features cool aft pushpit seats with upholstered rolled backrests. There's also a bigger boarding platform.

Other standard features on local 411s include a folding prop, leather-bound Whitlock wheel, fenders and lines, stainless gas bottle, safety gear and first-aid kit. The boat is bundled with a chartplotter, Simrad wind instruments and Icom VHF radio. But for provisions, it's a sail-away affair.

ON THE MOVE
Australia isn't the only country driving demand for Hanse yachts. When the local agent Peter Hrones imported the first yacht in October 2000, the German boatbuilder was trotting out about 70 boats a year. Today, output is up to about 500 yachts.

Within the last five years, Australia has accounted for 50 Hanse yachts - 10 per cent of production - and this figure is climbing.

I'm told local Hanse buyers hear about the yachts by word of mouth. The boats are also apparently tightly held, with just three changing hands - and the initial owners got their money back, said the agent.

The yachts come with a five-year hull warranty and two years on pretty much everything else.

Germans are, of course, known for their engineering, and the Hanses are no exception. The 411 featured solid fibreglass below the waterline and balsa-cored topsides and deck.

A GRP grid was glassed to the hull for stiffness and, unlike some Euro yachtbuilders, all the bulkheads were 'glassed in. The hull and deck were bolted together, and the Sparcraft stick was deck stepped and well stayed. The deep-draft 1.98m keel with 3160kg lead-composite bulb is standard, with an optional 1.55m shoal draft available.

 Hanse claims to be first production-yacht builder to use the SP Epoxy system, which requires bagging to reduce resin saturation and save weight. At this stage, however, that method is being used on the 46, 53 and the new 63 ‘superyacht' expected in 2006.

Despite its shorthanded cruising appeal, the 411's cockpit was surprisingly commodious and clean thanks to the lines being kept on the cabin top. There were aluminium toerails, moulded seats and a large portside storage locker with room for an outboard and deflated ducky. There's also a cockpit shower and table.

The leather-bound wheel hanging off the Lewmar binnacle was big enough to let you see the telltales. Similarly, the gearshift for the freshwater-cooled 54hp Yanmar motor is available from the helm. Decks are also easy to get around.

INTERNAL BEAUTY
As mentioned, the 411 isn't short on yachtie style. The tinted mahogany joinery was exceptional, with a practical matching mock mahogany and holly floor. White liners and plenty of hatches ensure the interior isn't oppressive like, say, a smoking den.

The 411 comes in two-cabin or optional three-cabin layouts, with one or two heads. As tested in standard guise, it had two very generous cabins and one head, with a large starboard-side storage area. This layout should work beautifully for cruising with two couples or just the owners.

Certainly, the portside aft cabin is accommodating for a couple. It boasts a 2.0m double bed, hatches for cross-flow ventilation, storage shelves and a locker, trendy doorhandles, rattan covers for the cupboards and trick reading lights.

The storage area on the starboard side can be given over to holding various provisions; or add a mattress for a seaberth. There is access to the storage room from the deck, so there's no need to drag toys or the ducky through the companionway.

STAND TALL
Headroom throughout the interior is lofty, ranging from about 1.9m to as much as 2.0m, and the yacht is easy to move around. The starboard L-shaped galley featured a two-burner stove, provision for a microwave oven with invertor, dedicated crockery and glass cupboards, a condiments pantry and cutlery space, and the option of a second fridge or wine fridge.

 The moulded head didn't skimp on space, either. You get a handheld shower, timber-framed mirror, moulded sink, storage, and a manual loo linked to a holding tank. Oh, and more of those nice rattan-covered cupboards.

The portside nav station was located between two swivel tub chairs facing across to the starboard-side dinette and U-shaped settee, which is big enough for four to six people. The layout encouraged social discourse between those seated inside.

The navigation area has lots of storage for books and electronics, as well as Danish stainless reading lights; and I spotted substantial owner's manuals. There were also storage lockers above the lounge, and nicely finished lockers beneath the cushions.

Up front, the 411 had an owner's cabin to mollycoddle the fussiest couple at anchor. There was a two-metre berth and lots of storage for cruising clobber. The big cabin boasts lots of floorspace and even a dresser/quasi home office area with a seat intended as a writing table so you can send a letter back to the grandkids.

OCEAN BOUND
Time being precious, ours was a more fleeting sail. We traversed the wilds of Pittwater. However, I got a real feeling of adventure driving the yacht through a rough Broken Bay and into a stiff sea breeze of over 15kt.

The yacht's high freeboard up front kept the decks dry despite launching over the 1.5m sea and swell. No pounding; just easy sailing, few lines to worry about, and a well-balanced wheel. Speeds ranged from 6.2kt to 8kt during the course of my test sail.

I thought the Hanses with their self-tackers might be underpowered, but that's certainly not the case with the 411. The yacht teams speed with ease of handling, German engineering and interior sophistication. And value. The yacht was more than keenly priced at $329,000 as tested.

HIGHS