Hanse 342
By John Kerr
Having reviewed and sailed Hanse boats in the past, we’ve decided that this manufacturer has found a niche for itself in designing vessels that combine refined details in every aspect. Hanse craft are both sporty and luxurious. They seem to have accomplished this noble goal by pairing traditional values with the highest degree of function and engineering quality.
This boat, the Hanse 342, is one more success story, a boat that offers a great racing feel and one worthy of a solid cruising pedigree. As soon as we step aboard this seaworthy vessel we understand why the British magazine, Yachting Monthly, rated it the top boat in the 30-35-foot length at the recent Southampton boat show.
The European attention to detail translates to space usage that is an ergonomic delight, sumptuous interiors, and ease of handling in the water. Their 9/10 rigging with its full-batten mainsail and self-tacking jib lets you achieve surprising speeds in even the lightest winds. The admirable design team of Judel and Vrolijk seem to remember that these boats are meant to be sailed and have poured the sum of their own sailing experiences lovingly into these great boats.
We at Canadian Yachting got a chance to check out the new 342 in October in Annapolis and, with its formal launch to Canada this year, we wanted to give you a sneak peek. At $150,000 landed it’s a solid contender for anyone in the market for a great 30 foot something cruising boat.
While a lot of pundits expected the 342 to be little more than a revamped 341, Hanse invested in new molds and incorporated many new features in this boat to give it its own unique style. One of the neatest features is the new bow design. It’s steeper than other Hanse boats, adding to waterline length, which results in greater speed and height upwind.
When you preview a new boat at a show the first thing you notice is the cockpit. This one did not disappoint. It has a more modern look and feel. It looks bigger and allows for an optional cockpit traveller. They’ve also reconfigured the stern to make the hull shape sportier, and the hull-deck connection has been formed differently. An integrated swim platform is also featured. We also liked the innovative new toe rail.
Below deck, the 342 boasts a comfortable saloon height of 1.92 meters. It is bright and spacious and comes with two different design versions; the “Classic New England Style,” a well-known and very popular and a newer look called, appropriately, “Modern Mahogany Style.”
No doubt about, these Hanse guys are on to something big. Give them a good look at your next boat show.
And bring your chequebook. Because there’s a good chance that, once you see the Hanse 342, you’ll going home as a proud new owner.
Originally published in Canadian Yachting’s February 2005 issue.
Specifications:
LOA 10.35 m /34’
LWL 9.20 m /30’2’’
Beam 3.40 m /11’.1’’
Displacement approx 5.100 kg / 11.243 lb
Draft standard keel 1.85 m / 6’1’’
Draft shoal keel 1.58 m / 5’2’’ (option)
Centre board 1,05 m/ 3’4’’ (option)
Mainsail approx. 33.50 m² / 361 sq.ft.
Self tacking jib approx. 21.00 m² / 226 sq.ft.
Genoa 140% approx. 36.00 m² / 388 sq.ft. (Option)
Engine 15.3 kW/ 21 hp
Design Judel/Vrolijk & Co Engineering GmbH
Interior HANSE Yachts, Birgit Schnaase, Hamburg
Price: 150.000 CDN FOB Toronto (standard, 2005)
For further information please contact:
Champion Yachts of Toronto Inc.
Authorized Dealer for Hanse Yachts of Germany
1 Port Street East
Mississauga ON
L4Y 4E1
Canada
phone: +1 (905) 891 – 0999
fax: +1 (905) 891 – 8199
email: sales@championyachts.com
www.championyachts.com
Photo Captions:
Photo 1 – Hanse 342 profile.
Photo 2 – Hanse 342 transom.
Photo 3 – Hanse 342 cockpit.
