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offshorefractional-rig

Hallberg-Rassy 34

Hallberg-Rassy · 1990–2005 · Sloop rig

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Hallberg-Rassy 34 profile drawing
LOA33.73'
Beam11.22'
Draft6.07'
Displ.5.8t
Rigsloop
HullFiberglass

Bluewater Evidence · Ocean Proven

76% confidence
Doc.CapableProven

John Neal's Boats to Consider for Ocean Cruising rates the Hallberg-Rassy 34 5 of 5: 'Stiff, strong, fast, comfortable, good tankage and systems integration.' The Best Used Boat Notebook also includes it.

Overview

The Hallberg-Rassy 34 is a Germán Frers design built from 1990 through 2005. It is an aft-cockpit boat with a fractional sloop rig, fin keel, and spade rudder. Published records put production at 484 boats. Hallberg-Rassy’s 2005 newsletter described the model as one of the yard’s best sellers when the 342 replaced it.

Construction and layout

The factory specification describes a hand-laid hull, sandwich deck and cockpit, strong floor structure, and a bolt-on lead keel secured by ten stainless steel keel bolts. The rudder uses roller bearings. Early boats have a different shaft arrangement from later production.

The interior has an aft double cabin, saloon settees, galley, navigation table, enclosed head, and a forward double. The fixed windscreen and cockpit protection are central to how the boat is used in colder climates.

Under sail

The fractional rig uses double spreaders and does not require running backstays. Halyards and reefing controls lead aft. At about 11,700 pounds with 592 square feet of working sail, the design is lighter and more performance-oriented than older Hallberg-Rassy center-cockpit cruisers.

Buyers notes

Use the hull number to identify production changes. The first rudder shafts require separate builder guidance. Inspect keel bolts and the keel joint, rudder bearings and seals, sandwich deck areas, and any teak-deck fastening history. The factory’s improvement log helps confirm what equipment was original in a given year.

The builder still hosts technical documents and supplies model-specific parts. That support is a practical advantage when evaluating an older boat.

Passage records

Antares2002

ARC (2002)

Finished.

Source: World Cruising Club: ARC 2002 results

Seahorse IV2022

ARC Portugal, Plymouth to Bayona (2022)

Finished.

Source: World Cruising Club: ARC Portugal 2022 results

Known Issues

Early rudder shaftseriousBuilder account, unconfirmedApproximately hulls 1 through 15

Hallberg-Rassy's parts guidance says very early boats used a 75 mm aluminum rudder shaft. Later boats use a 50 mm stainless steel shaft.

Inspection: Identify the shaft version by hull number and inspection, then follow the builder's service guidance for bearings and seals.

Source: Hallberg-Rassy parts, HR34 rudder details

Sandwich deck and cockpitmoderatePassageBoats editorial

The factory specification identifies sandwich construction in the deck, coachroof, and cockpit.

Inspection: Inspect for moisture or crushing around fittings, teak fasteners, stanchions, hatches, and deck hardware.

Source: Hallberg-Rassy 34 standard specification

Recommended In

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What sailing channels say about the Hallberg-Rassy 34, quoted from video transcripts with a link to the exact moment. Opinions belong to the speakers; the written review above stays independent of them.

discusses

The broker shows a year 2000 Hallberg-Rassy 34, one owner from new, with the shallow fin keel drawing about 1.5 m. He notes tiller steering and a large cockpit for the class, slab reefing, a furling genoa, lines led aft and self-tailing winches.

discusses

The broker points out that on these Hallberg-Rasseys the settee seats lift to give extra-wide berths out to the hull side. He also notes a good head height throughout, a fridge under a locker and a two-burner cooker with a grill.

warns⚙ standing rigging⚙ engine

The broker says the one thing a buyer should expect to do is replace the original standing rigging. The engine is a Volvo 2030 of 27 horsepower with a saildrive leg. The owners have used the boat each year for the last 25 years, taking about three months a year cruising the Baltic, with trips to France and the Channel Islands.

  1. [1]SpecificationsHallberg-Rassy 34 standard specification- Factory construction, keel attachment, rig, systems, and accommodation specification.
  2. [2]MagazineHallberg-Rassy 34 test report- Contemporary test hosted by the builder, with principal dimensions and sailing observations.
  3. [3]SpecificationsHallberg-Rassy 34 and 342 factory comparison- Factory dimensional comparison prepared when the 342 replaced the 34.
  4. [4]SpecificationsSailboatData, Hallberg-Rassy 34- Production years, count, and principal-dimension cross-check.
  5. [5]BookThe Best Used Boat Notebook- Evidence that the model appears in the copyrighted book. Readers need the book for its full review.
  6. [6]EditorialMahina Offshore Services - Boats to Consider for Ocean Cruising (John Neal, v4.26)- Rated 5/5 by offshore consultant John Neal, updated April 2026. Rates the yard highly across the range: stiff, fast, well-built, with strong parts support.
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