The 7.50 metre Skippi 750 PC gives experienced sailors plenty of speed with an extendable Gennaker boom and a maximum sail area of 80 square metres, at a price starting at just under 30,000 euros. The classy Finngulf 43 (length 13.10 metres) can take a 162 square metre Spinnaker alongside the standard sail area of 113 square metres, and costs around 470,000 euros. HanseYachts, Germany’s second largest yacht builder, offers lower cost entry to the performance cruiser class, with the Hanse 320 available from around 70,000 euros.
Alongside the wide range of new performance cruisers, hanseboot 2008 has a large and varied selection of boats and yachts from all sailing categories, from inexpensive entry-level boats, to series-built cruisers of all sizes, up to luxury cruiser-racers, and classic yachts. There are also plenty of offers for visitors looking for large cruisers capable of reduced draft sailing. For example, the 16.80 metre Feeling 55 will be on show in the hanseboot harbour – its draft can be reduced from 3.70 to 1.20 metres, enabling it to call at shallow anchoring bays.
A new trend emerging at this year’s hanseboot is the change in the product range from builders. It is becoming more varied, to meet the wishes of different sailors and to capture market share. Builders who in the past concentrated on straight cruisers are now also building fast high-performance cruisers or cruiser-racers.
A typical example of this new diversity is the Slovenian builder Elan, who are not only building their proven cruiser type Elan Impression, but also sporting yachts of almost the same size. The new presentations at hanseboot include for example the 11.34 metre Elan 380 and the Elan 340 in the ten-metre class. The French builders Dufour are now likewise seeking their customers both in the cruiser segment and the cruiser-racer segment. Alongside the new cruisers 325 and 425 Grand Large, the fast Dufour 45 will be on show for the first time.
The big French builders Bénéteau and Jeanneau have for many years been pursuing the aim of gaining the custom not only of cruise enthusiasts, but also racing crews. Bénéteau are showcasing the high-speed First series, and Jeanneau are highlighting their Sun-Fast series yachts. Both of these yards are displaying a wide product range at hanseboot, in particular yachts from their cruiser lines. Bénéteau have as many as four hanseboot firsts lined up, with the Oceanis 31, 34 and 43 and the new First 21.7 S. Jeanneau are premiering the new 13.41 metre ocean yacht Sun-Odyssey 44i. That is a good example of the added speed potential of thoroughbred sailing yachts compared with just a few years ago.
More speed is also available from Germany’s largest builder is Bavaria Yachtbau GmbH, based in Giebelstadt near Würzburg, with experience from building 3500 yachts. They are making first presentations of four new cruisers: Bavaria 34, 38, 43 and 47. Compared with their predecessors, they have more sail area and keel weight, for further improvement of sailing characteristics. Prices have been kept low thanks to the methods of modern industrial production. The lowest price yacht from Bavaria Yachtbau GmbH is the 9.76 metre Bavaria 31 Cruiser, which costs around 63,000 euros.
Timeless classic lines, a real joy for sailors, are presented by the Hamburg-based builder Lütje with their retro-classic Lütje 47. It comes from the drawing boards of Judel/Vrolijk & Co, and is a modern short-keel vessel below the waterline, with potential for stunning sailing characteristics. That is also helped by the use of sandwich construction technique with epoxy resins, and by the lightweight carbon rigging. The fittings are luxurious, like the whole of the design. One-off boats of this kind are naturally more expensive. The Lütje 47, which enables the owner to have many features individually customised in planning and building, costs around 850,000 euros.
hanseboot 2008 is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00, with extended opening to 19:00 on Wednesday, at the Hamburg Fair site and in the hanseboot harbour. The day ticket has developed in 2008 into the “Comeback ticket”, which costs 13 euros (concessions 11 euros). The ticket permits re-entry from 15:00 on any other day of the Fair. Another new features is the online ticket shop at www.hanseboot.de <http://www.hanseboot.de> . That means you can book, pay for and print your own admission tickets from the comfort of your own home. The Comeback ticket costs only 11 euros online, rather than 13 euros at the entrance. Payment is exclusively by credit card. Further information is available at www.hanseboot.de <http://www.hanseboot.de/>
