Hanse 545

Price and equipment

The review boat came with many cruising niceties including generator, inverter and ducts for airconditioning. Along with a host of other fitted options, including teak decking. The sailaway price of the review boat comes to $876,939. For this you get a lavishly fitted bluewater cruising boat that is equally easy to day sail or to voyage much further – one of the earlier versions recently successfully completed the Atlantic Rally. For offshore use, an essential addition would be a dodger to protect the crew in the large open cockpit. The already plentiful seating here is complimented with two transom seats fitted by Windcraft, always a good sign of serious cruising boat. 

Combining aesthetics with function, the area has all sail control lines neatly running to the twin helms with twin electric Lewar 54 winches doing the grunt work on sheets and halyards, leaving a pristine clean cabin top where two blocks control the big mainsail. Attention to detail is superb with, for example, the headsail furling lines running below the bow to give a totally clean pulpit area. Moving forward along the clear decks is easy and up front Hanse has reverted to a conventional single bow roller setup rather than the elaborate swing-out system of the previous 540, with a below-deck horizontal windlass. A large hatch here hides the cavernous sail locker which can easily be transformed into crew bunks. Flush hatches, hidden line gutters and the low-profile cabin top combine to produce an ultra-modern profile that really will make this a standout yacht among the other production boats in its class.

Layout and accommodation

The wood-lined ensuite includes a usable sink and the tall topsides ensure plenty of headroom. Low-profile hatches and unusual vertical hull windows in the saloon ensure plenty of natural light and the American Cherry Wood finish in the review boat shows good machining with matching wood grain and quality Blum fitted cabinetry that features soft-close hinges and brushed alloy trim.

The L-shaped starboard galley has Corian worktops and double sinks with dual access to the main fridge, with another optional fridge to aft as well. Nice touches include a flexible tap nozzle and even a fitted coffee machine. For the cook, a three burner gas stove is fitted, though on the boat this size I’d prefer a four burner, and a microwave completes a functional area. The dinette view is superb thanks to the big hull windows and movable seats give flexibility in a very stylish saloon, again with hidden details that include neat wine racks and appropriate halogen lights.

For the skipper, the portside navigation area includes a vertical chart locker as well as a large table with enough bulkhead space for plotters, AIS units and other electronics. Helping powering all the gear on the review boat is a Fischer Panda generator set, neatly housed atop the 110hp Yanmar engine. Lift- up stairs gives good access to the motor with side access as well and in operation little noise was apparent. Another nice touch is sturdy carpet on the stairs, for sure footing when descending. Below, deep bilges with massive keelboats are revealed after suction pads are used to pull up the laminated floor.

Without one a series of lines would probably have been needed to ‘wind’ us out of the berth, just like the old sailing ships used to do. However none of this was needed as the Swingthruster  prevented the tall slab sides of the 545 to drop off the wind, so we motored gingerly out into a gusty Pittwater. The 110hp Yanmar combined with the folding three-blade propeller to ensure we set a good speed and the clean profile of the hull cut through the chop without much motion as we readied the running rigging. Increasing the power the helm continued to feel neutral before we eased off to make ready for sail. Not that there was much to do, with neat cockpit bags housing the sheets and lines; and the vertically battened main slid out of the mast with ease. Similarly, the self-tacking jib ran easily out, before being tensioned from the cockpit and left to its own devices. Easy.

Shaping the main involved some tensioning of the vang and a tweak of the outhaul and the new North Sails set to their task of pulling us close hauled. The race style carbon steering wheels look and feel comfortable to the touch with the aggressive styling reminiscent of TP52, as there are no binnacle instruments – the Raymarine ST70 readout felt a bit distant from the steerer’s gaze, nestling in a foot level bulkhead. Steering feedback felt positive from the Jeffa setup with the diameter of the wheels just right for sitting out on the coamings to watch the jib tell-tales. Looking forward, the low profile of the deck layout gives the steerer excellent visibility and confidence for those tight start line situations or marina manoeuvres.

Gusty winds of up to 30kts meant easing the main and bearing away to avoid major roundups and over stressing the rig. The 545 took this all in her stride with the deep keel ensuring that tracking was good. But when needed she could be nimble – a series of fast tacks involved little crew work as the self tacker slid from side-to-side and the helmsman walked up hill, flipped out the ergonomically friendly footplate and hunkered down on the high side. User friendliness at its best, was how I’d describe this experience.

In terms of numbers, I managed about 9.3kts while pointing at a very tight 25 degrees when the wind was 23kts. Gybing was equally effortless, thanks to a few dabs on the electric Lewmar 54 winch, located right beside the helm. The bite of the rudder was strong enough to spin the big Judel/Vrolijk hull with real power. So enjoyable was the helming that the comfortable seats, that also house a four-man liferaft each, were hardly used.

Altogether a beautiful yacht that rewards the discerning owner with both clever design, stunning aesthetics; in a package that performs. Like a good blended Scotch; just add water to enjoy. Vorsprung durch Technik , as they say in Deutschland.

Australian distributor:
Windcraft,
Bayview Anchorage Marina, Waterfront Office 2
1714 Pittwater Road, Bayview NSW 2104
Tel  (02) 9979 1709
www.windcraft.com.au