HANSE 575 VIDEO REVIEW
Allan Whiting hops aboard the Hanse 575 sailing yachts and sails from shelter into some blustery conditions — 20-28kts, or as Allan puts it, wind strong enough to “blow the oysters off the rocks”.
BIG SAILING YACHT
The Hanse 575 has bow and stern thrusters that during our test allowed it to easily get out of the dock. Despite its size it still has many defining Hanse features. Among them are a self-tacking jib; a boom that’s well off the cockpit (“not much chance of anyone except a basketball player getting hit on the head,” says Allan); and a good fat toe rail. Then there’s a gorgeous teak deck and flush hatches.
SELF-TACKING JIB
One of Hanse’s secrets on this sailing yacht is the self-tacking jib. While there are those who claim they do not perform very well, our test found that a correctly set up self-tacking jib was more than fine. In fact, it would be ideal for short-handed, racing or cruising work. “They go to windward alright but you can enhance it with an overlapper if you want,” adds Allan.
COCKPIT
All of Hanse’s boats come with a cockpit table but the Hanse 575 is big enough to accommodate two. And wait until you see how the table is lowered electronically at the flick of a switch.
THE VERDICT
Allan has been on numerous Hanse Yachts over the years. As stated, this is his biggest one he’s been on yet. A near-60ft boat with up to five cabins, its $1.1 million price tag actually offers a lot of bang for buck.