Pushing the tradition

Hallberg-Rassy used to be all about sedate cruising. Whisper it, but its new generation of yachts has some rather racy touches. Sam Jefferson tested the new 57

- Sam Jefferson

Magnus Rassy is the CEO of Hallberg- Rassy and a hugely successful man. While other Swedish manufacturers fell by the wayside following the financial meltdown of 2008, Rassy showed both wisdom and ruthlessness as he retrenched and streamlined, ensuring the company emerged from the crisis as the number one purveyor of bluewater yachts.

Yet, for all that success, I don’t think Magnus Rassy would mind if I described him as just a touch eccentric. By way of an example, I’ll cite the day on which I tested the new Hallberg-Rassy 57 out in Orust, Sweden, where Hallberg- Rassy has its yard. The test was an absolute joy, on a crystal-clear day with the wind blowing a good 20kt and the yacht simply champing at the bit to race off across the North Sea and out into the open Atlantic.

“Let me know when you have a new boat to test,” I said as I departed. “Ah yes, we should have a new model early next year,” he replied. “Let’s see – you could test it on April 24 next year. We can meet here at 11 am?”

I was rather wrong-footed. This was nine months’ notice on a boat test! Generally, manufacturers launching new models are deliberately vague about when the boat will be ready, factoring in finetuning and inevitable hiccups. This was a different approach, but one entirely in keeping with the manner in which Hallberg-Rassy yachts are developed – with pin-sharp accuracy and the sort of attention to detail at which a Swiss watchmaker would nod sagely if he observed.