Hanse 360
With the new 360, Hanse Yachts continues its design partnership with Berret-Racoupeau, extending the line that began with the 460 and 510 (both SAIL Top 10 Best Boats winners in 2023 and 2024, respectively) and now also the new 410. Remarkably, many of the same features you’ll find on this boat’s big sisters are integrated into this 36-footer. What that means is quick, sporty sailing and accommodations that are rather jaw-dropping for a boat of this size.
Keeping in line with the earlier models, the 360 employs a mix of hard and soft chines to bring the beam forward above the waterline but maintain a relatively narrower hull shape below. In profile, the boat’s nearly reverse sheer, plumb bow, and low cabintop give her the same lean, fast look as her big sisters.
The 55-foot rig carries a 366-square-foot standard mainsail (there are three mainsail options, including square top and in-mast furling) and self-tacking jib with a reacher tacked to the short bow sprit. Everything is led aft to the helms, and the backstay is adjustable using a simple block system—a nice option for sailors who enjoy tweaking sail shape.
The cockpit is really large for this size boat, with two helms handling all sail controls and excellent sightlines fore and aft. A central table has lifting wings and an optional fridge; there’s also a wet bar and grill integrated into the aft seat. Storage beneath the helms can hold a liferaft, and a folding step across the full beam of the boat opens as you lower the swim platform. In short, this is a big-boat cockpit in a 36-footer.
That theme is carried below, where the accommodations are voluminous. As with the bigger boats, Hanse puts a premium on air flow, so this boat can have a total of 16 opening hatches and portlights for lots of natural ventilation. Multiple layouts are offered; standard is an owner’s cabin forward with a head opposite the galley, a large aft cabin, and large storage area opposite. Options include an en suite head in the owner’s cabin plus two aft cabins sharing an aft head; and a salon layout that offers a nav station as well.
Though it comes standard with a 29-hp diesel, this boat is also being offered with a fully electric propulsion option.
LOA 37’2” LWL 33’9” Beam 13’1” Draft 5’ 5” (shoal) 6’9” (L-keel, medium) Air Draft 54’11” Displacement 17,659 (shoal) 17,196 (L-keel) Ballast 4,343 lbs (shoal) 3,975 lbs Sail Area 645 sq ft (std mainsail and self-tacking jib) Power Yanmar 29hp (std) electric 25kW (option) Hanse Yachts
J/40
With its new J/40, J/Boats continues the design philosophy and execution that found immediate success with the J/45 (a SAIL Top 10 Best Boats Winner for 2023), a boat that SAIL Cruising Editor Charles Doane says, “superbly balances modern design trends against the builder’s longstanding emphasis on performance and evolutionary moderation.” Optimizable for offshore events like Newport-Bermuda or Chicago-Mac for those who feel the need for speed, the J/40 puts equal emphasis on cruising comfort and fun sailing for the family. Both goals are achievable thanks to a hull shape that tracks easily across wind speeds, a simple but powerful mainsail-driven sail plan on a tapered, fractional spar, dual helms with maximum visibility for all-sized sailors controlling a single, deep rudder, and a cockpit designed to easily accommodate friends and family or a racing crew. Isabelle Racoupeau collaborated with J/Composites on interior design, which features two layouts, a standard three-cabin, one-head arrangement, or two cabins and two heads. J/Composites in France builds this boat, what the company says is “the only 40-footer on the market with a fully infused hull, deck, structural grid, and main bulkhead,” providing “exceptional hull stiffness and optimal strength-to-weight, without sacrificing the comfort of the living spaces.”
LOA 40’10” LWL 37’ Beam 12’8” Draft 7’2” (std) Air Draft 63’ 0” Displacement 16,900 lbs Ballast 6,400 lbs Sail Area 918 sq ft (upwind) Power Volvo 50hp J-boats
Meet the Other 2025 Top 10 Best Boats Nominees
SAIL New Boats & Gear 2025 is here and it’s chock-a-block with new boat reviews by SAIL‘s boat review team, info on the latest models hitting the water, and gear SAIL‘s editors have checked out as well. It’s available on newsstands, so head to your nearest West Marine or Barnes & Noble, or catch us at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis in October to say hi and get your issue.
NBGR 2025
