HALLBERG-RASSY

ADMIRED FOR HER CLEAN FLUSH DECK

The Hallberg-Rassy 42 (E) was built from 1980 until 1991 inf 255 units. She is admired for her clean flush deck and numerous boats have sailed around the globe. Well known Hallberg-Rassy 42E sailors include John Neal from the USA with "Mahina Tiare II", Rollo Gebhardt from Germany with "Solveig IV", Max Winkless from Australia, and Janne and Calle from Sweden with "Albatross". In the beginning, only the ketch rig configuration was offered. Later the sloop version was introduced and in the end almost only sloops rig 42E were built. Mast position was the same, but the sloop had a taller mast and larger genoa sheet winches. The 42 (E) is an Enderlein design and not to be confused with the Frers designed Hallberg-Rassy 42 (F) that was built between 1991 and 2001. Read more about the Hallberg-Rassy 42E in this report.

With the wind at his back in 1980 after a good reception of the 38, followed by the 352 and the 312, Christoph Rassy decided to develop a 42-footer after the same recipe. It meant building a large, strong yacht for the length, with a centre cockpit, a windshield, high freeboards, and hull portlights built into the blue stripe. In addition, the concept was topped with a clean and attractive flush-deck.

A ketch rig combined with the boatyard’s solid bulwark with teak caprail gave the impression of a truly seaworthy boat. A real dream yacht for long-distance sailors. With its 42 feet, the yacht wasn’t too big for two people but also not too small for a comfortable circumnavigation. The volume was observed by boat buyers and yachting magazines’ test crews. The yacht received good test ratings, partially thanks to the layout, which, due to the centre cockpit and a tight collaboration between the builders and the designer, resulted in three separate sections: the saloon, forepeak, and aft cabin. The difference from the smaller Hallberg-Rassy models is considerably more elbow room, nice headroom in the passage to the aft cabin, and a toilet adjacent to the aft cabin and one just forward of the mast.

The galley ended up on the starboard side at an angle, with a sink facing aft, and an oven with a bar longitudinally.

An opening hull portlight provided ventilation and natural light for the one responsible for the food onboard. Whilst off-watch crew could rest in a sea berth with leecloths.

In the aft cabin, the space was divided into a narrower berth on the port side and a double berth on the other side.

The head at the aft cabin is entered via an outward-opening door longitudinally.

One of the points of a centre cockpit is to have an engine room large enough to enter. That was the place for the generator, heaters, and pumps because it is soundproofed. It also means that the engine can easily be serviced on board.

Underneath the motor is the freshwater tank, and the diesel tanks are found under the saloon sole. The width of the iron keel was increased according to the volume of the tanks. And, to protect against corrosion, it was encapsulated in the hull laminate. This method meant that the 42E could be produced surprisingly rationally, in line with the boatyard’s philosophy of wise construction.

The interior is entirely mahogany, without any GRP inner modules or simplifications. This yacht has the same beautiful, carefully selected khaya mahogany that has become the boatyard’s hallmark. It has curved laminated edge mouldings with built-in handles on the structural bulkhead by the chart table and galley, solid wood in the berth fronts, and cabinets, with grain filling varnishing to increase the well-being on board.

The structure of the hull was made of very strong single skin laminate, which was stiffened with powerful stringers from the bow to the aft section.

For a long time, the 42E was built with a ketch rig, but it got a sloop rig option in the end of the production run. It was a masthead rig with straight spreaders, and forward and aft lowers that ensured stability at sea.

As with most Hallberg-Rassy models, the mast is deck-stepped to avoid leakage and cooling effects. It is supported by a massive support by the main structural bulkhead and by the bulkhead as well.

The sailing characteristics have been adapted for long-distance voyages and vary depending on whether the boat was ordered with a deep or shallow draught keel and ketch or sloop rig. The most common choice was a deep keel, which provides fully satisfactory speed and pointing ability and a good turn of speed when reaching.

However, the designation E in 42E came later. The yachts that were built had the model number 42 in the main sail, on the bow, in the stripe by the cockpit, and on the metal sign on the sliding hatch. The appendix E was added to distinguish the model from the successor 42F, which was designed by Frers. To complicate matters further, the model number on the 42F was also shortened to 42.