The Hallberg-Rassy 49 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Hallberg-Rassy 49, a moderate displacement staysail ketch, was designed by Olle Enderlein and built in Sweden by Hallberg-Rassy.

Several interior layout versions were produced to suit private owners and charterers alike.

Published Specification for the Hallberg-Rassy 49

Underwater Profile: Fin keel & skeg-hung rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 49'0" (14.9m)

Waterline Length: 41'0" (12.5m)

Beam: 14'6" (4.4m)

Draft: 7'3" (2.2m)

Rig Type: Staysail ketch*

Displacement: 38,700lb (17,554kg)

Designer: Olle Enderlein

Builder: Hallberg-Rassy (Sweden)

Year First Built: 1982

Year Last Built: 1997

Number Built: 89

* Also produced with a sloop rig

Published Design Ratios for the Hallberg-Rassy 49

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 17.5

Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 46.3

Displacement/Length Ratio: 251

Comfort Ratio: 39.2

Capsize Screening Formula: 1.7

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Hallberg-Rassy 49

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 17.5 suggests that the Hallberg-Rassy 49 will, in the right conditions, approach her maximum hull speed readily and satisfy the sailing performance expectations of most cruising sailors.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 46.3 means that the Hallberg-Rassy 49 will stand up well to her canvas in a blow, helping her to power through the waves.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 251, tells us the Hallberg-Rassy 49 is a moderate displacement cruiser, which means she'll carry all your cruising gear without it having a dramatic effect on her performance. Most of today's sailboats intended for offshore cruising fall into this displacement category.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 39.2 suggests that crew comfort of a Hallberg-Rassy 49 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a moderate offshore cruising boat - a predictable and acceptable motion for most seasoned sailors.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.7 indicates that a Hallberg-Rassy 49 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.

More about the Hallberg-Rassy 49...

The Hallberg-Rassy 49 was originally built as a ketch, but later on, almost only sloop rigs were ordered. The sail area with jib is 116 square meters (1,249 square feet) for the sloop rig, and 131 square meters (1,410 square feet) for the ketch rig. The mast is keel-stepped.

HR49 Accommodation Layout

The Hallberg-Rassy 49 has a single wheel steering system in an aft cockpit protected by a windscreen and a sprayhood. The cockpit has comfortable seats and a large table for outdoor dining. The boat has a transom-hung rudder with a skeg.

The Hallberg-Rassy 49 has a powerful diesel engine, either a Volvo Penta TMD 41 with 105 hp (143 hp at the crank shaft), or a TMD 40 or MD 40 with 90 hp (122 hp at the crank shaft). The engine is located under the cockpit floor and has good access from all sides. The fuel tank capacity is 765 liters (202 US gallons).

Accommodation

The Hallberg-Rassy 49 has a spacious and comfortable interior layout that can accommodate up to eight people in four separate cabins. The interior is made of mahogany wood with teak and holly floorboards. The headroom is about 6.6 feet (2m) throughout the boat.

The standard layout has two double cabins aft, one on each side of the companionway stairs. Each cabin has a large berth, a hanging locker, storage space, and an opening portlight. There is also a shared head compartment with a shower between the two cabins.

The saloon is located amidships and has an L-shaped settee to port and a straight settee to starboard. There is a large drop-leaf table in the center with bottle storage inside. There are also lockers and shelves above the settees for more storage space. The saloon has four opening deck hatches and four fixed windows that provide plenty of natural light and ventilation.

The galley is located to port of the saloon and has a U-shaped configuration. It has a double stainless steel sink with hot and cold water, a three-burner stove with oven, a top-loading refrigerator and freezer, and ample counter space and storage cabinets.
The navigation station is located to starboard of the saloon and has a large chart table with drawers underneath, an instrument panel, an electrical switchboard, and a comfortable seat.

The forward cabin has two single berths in V-shape that can be converted into a double berth with an infill cushion. There is also a hanging locker, storage space, and an opening deck hatch.

The forward head compartment is located to port of the forward cabin and has a marine toilet, a washbasin, and a shower.

There are some variations of the interior layout available, such as:

An owners' version with one large aft cabin instead of two smaller ones;
A charter version with three double cabins aft;
A charter version with two double cabins forward;
A version with easy chairs in the saloon instead of a straight settee.

The above text was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; we believe it to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.