WHEN Worlds COLLIDE

Old-school craftsmanship and values combine with new-age thinking and innovation in the Hallberg-Rassy 400.

- HERB MCCORMICK

In the ongoing history of production-yacht construction, one of the more astonishing lists covers what seemed like iconic, topnotch sailboat brands-Little Harbor, Alden, Valiant and Tayana, to name a few-that have simply ceased to exist. But then there's the story of shipyards such as Sweden's Hallberg-Rassy, named for the founding boatbuilders' Harry Hallberg and Christoph Rassy. In one iteration or another, it's been knocking out boats for 80 years now. After splashing nearly 10,000 yachts, it shows no signs of slowing.

There are lots of reasons for this longevity, a major one being that once a sailor has owned a Hallberg-Rassy, at some point he or she will likely trade up or down for another one. Quality, after all, begets quality, and it's a testament to the brand that there are so many repeat customers.

Another strong reason is that, with the brilliant Argentine naval architect Germán Frers driving Hallberg-Rassy's design efforts for several decades, the company has continued to evolve.

At no time has this been more evident than with Frers' latest creation: the aft-cockpit, twin-rudder, performance-oriented Hallberg-Rassy 400. (A sistership, the HallbergRassy 40 C, shares the same hull but has the center-cockpit configuration that's synonymous with the company.) As a judge in our 2023 Boat of the Year competition, I was part of the unanimous panel that named the 400 our Import Boat of the Year.