The Hanse 508 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

Published Specification for the Hanse 508

Underwater Profile: L-shaped bulb fin keel & spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 51'0" (15.6m)

Waterline Length: 44'5" (13.5m)

Beam: 15'7" (4.8m)

Draft: 7'10" (2.4m)*

Rig Type: Solent Rig

Displacement: 32,408lb (14,700kg)

Ballast: 8,929lb (4,050kg)

Designer: Judel/Vrolijk & Co

Builder: Hanse Yachts (Germany)

Year First Built: 2018

* Shallow draft version available drawing 6'6" (2.0m)

Published Design Ratios for the Hanse 508

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 20.1

• 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: 27.6

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

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 165

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

4. Comfort Ratio: 27.9

• 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: 1.9

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

read more about these Key Performance Indicators...

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Hanse 508

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 20.1 suggests that, in the right hands, the Hanse 508 will have enough performance to leave most other sailboats of similar waterline length well astern. 

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 27.6 would usually mean that the Hanse 508 would have a tendency to heel uncomfortably 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 her L-shaped keel, she's likely to be considerably stiffer than her published Ballast/Displacement Ratio might suggest.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 165 tells us the Hanse 508 is a light displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer to a degree.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 27.9 suggests that crew comfort of a Hanse 508 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not the best of news for anyone prone to seasickness. 

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.9 indicates that a Hanse 508 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.