The Hanse 400 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Hanse 400, a fractional sloop, was designed by Judel/Vrolijk & Co and built in Germany by Hanse Yachts.

A Hanse 400 sailboat at anchor in Five Islands Bay, Antigua in the West Indies

Note the club-footed jib and foredeck-mounted sheet track on this Hanse 400.

Published Specification for the Hanse 400

Underwater Profile: Bulb fin keel and spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP

Length Overall: 40'2" (12.2m)

Waterline Length: 35'5" (10.8m)

Beam: 13'3" (4.0m)

Draft: 6'6" (2.0m)

Rig Type: Fractional sloop

Displacement: 18,739lb (8,500kg)

Designer: Judel/Vrolijk

Builder: Hanse Yachts (Germany)

Year First Built: 2006

Owners Association: Hanse Owners Club

Published Design Ratios for the Hanse 400

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 20.4

Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 34.3

Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 188

Under 100: Ultralight
100 to 200: Light
200 to 275: Moderate
275 to 350: Heavy
Over 350: Ultraheavy

4. Comfort Ratio: 25.2

Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 2.0

Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Hanse 400

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 20.4 suggests that, in the right hands, the Hanse 400 will have enough performance to leave many other sailboats of similar waterline length well astern.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 34.3 would usually mean that the Hanse 400 would have a tendency to heel excessively in a gust, and need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

However, as she has much of her ballast concentrated in a bulb at the foot of the keel, she's likely to be considerably stiffer than her published Ballast/Displacement Ratio might suggest.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 188, tells us the Hanse 400 is clearly a light displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer dramatically.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 25.2 suggests that crew comfort of a Hanse 400 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 2.0 is on the cusp of suitability for an ocean passage, so venture offshore with caution.