The Hanse 348 promises excellent performance under sail with ease of handling, even single-handed. Peter Poland puts it to the test
After the Berlin Wall crumbled in late 1989, Hanse Yachts’ founder Michael Schmidt was quick off the mark and searched for a boatbuilding property on the former East Germany’s coastline. He realised there’d be manufacturing opportunities for those who got in ahead of the crowds.
Hanse’s first GRP production yacht was launched in 1993. Compared to the start-up dates of other production boatbuilders–Beneteau 1963, Jeanneau 1964, Westerly 1963 and Nicholson 1962 –Hanse was much later on the scene. But after giving its major European competitors a 30 years head start, Hanse is now a market leader. Schmidt later retired to set up YYachts in 2016, specialising in 20-30m carbon fibre yachts.
Schmidt’s eye for a bargain helped him get into yacht production in double quick time. Instead of designing an all-new model and going through the costly process of producing moulds, he purchased the mould tools of an attractive Scandinavian cruiser-racer called the Aphrodite 29. Being a racing man at heart, he went for this pretty and sporty yacht rather than a more sedate cruiser. And thanks to the renamed Hanse 291’s performance, looks and extremely competitive price it sold in large numbers.
The revamped 1995 Hanse 292, with a transverse aft double cabin, six berths and aft heads, continued to sell while Schmidt worked on another set of second-hand moulds. The Finngulf 33 was a sleek Scandinavian and the re-branded Hanse 331 was a logical follow on to the top selling 291/292 models.
Schmidt now took the next step and invested time and money in the first ‘all Hanse’ design. He selected successful
German designers Judel/Vrolijk and in 1999 introduced the all-new Hanse 371. Designs were now wider and boasted broader sterns so the 371 offered spacious accommodation as well as good all-weather performance. It was an elegant yacht and set the ongoing Hanse trend of fitting self-tacking jib systems.
Top sellers
Built in large numbers from 1999 to 2005, a well-maintained Hanse 371 still has much to offer. There are 37ft race-boats that are faster, or slower cruising yachts that pack in more space, but the 371’s combination of easy handling, speed and comfortable accommodation makes it a happy balance for cruising sailors who appreciate the best of both worlds.
When I asked Hanse’s Thorsten Will which were the top sellers, he replied: “In the old days the 370 and
