When buying a new boat, it might be tempting to choose the most up-to-date model you can find within your size and price range. Why not take advantage of the latest in design and styling and, at the same time, give yourself the maximum future-proofing?
That’s not how everyone sees it. There’s a good range of boats in the more traditional or conservative style that most of us would recognise as distinct from the products of the (arguably more fashion-conscious) mainstream production builders. Boats such as Arconas and Rustlers, for example – though hardly comparable with each other in many ways – are from builders who cater for owners with a different set of priorities from those homing in on a Beneteau or a Dufour.
Even within the mainstream builders there are different approaches. While some have embraced chines, twin rudders, ultra-wide sterns and open-plan interiors, others have kept things a tad more traditional.
Take Hanse, for example. The German giant has never been one to stand still and has continually updated its models. I tested the new Hanse 460 in the October 22 issue of Yachting Monthly and there’s no doubt that it’s as up-to-the-minute as a cruising boat designed for popular appeal could possibly be.
Further down the size range, the Hanse 388 is based on a hull that was designed for the 385 back in 2012. The deck, cockpit, keel and accommodation underwent changes when the Hanse 385 became the Hanse 388 a few years ago, but the hull worked so well that it was left alone.
This is the boat that appealed to Tony Dixon when he was looking to move up from the Dufour 325 he had owned for 10 years. ‘I wanted something between the racy racers and the heavy cruisers,’ he explained.
‘I looked at a Hallberg-Rassy and would have loved an Arcona because they sail beautifully, but I don’t do enough serious sailing and couldn’t justify the money for the amount of use I would give it.’
Choosing a compromise
Having sailed since childhood and spent his life as a naval architect working principally on the design of superyachts, Tony knows a thing or two about boats. He’s well aware of the fundamental differences between boats from the smaller, more expensive yards and the ‘general production builders’ and was prepared to accept them. At the same time, he also knew what he was and wasn’t prepared to accept in a boat (‘and this will be my swansong boat’) from one of the latter.
Some sportier alternatives were rejected because they didn’t provide enough living space for his crew, and his choice was further narrowed by the build quality. ‘It was a matter of finding a boat that had good performance combined with the space and the volume downstairs. I like the better quality of the German boats; the joinery and the fittings. All the deck gear is hefty. If you look at some others, it’s much smaller, and so are things like the boom. The Selden rigs are better finished with nicer fittings.’
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Source: Yachting Monthly
