European boats exported to the United States are generally of above-average quality, simply because the associated costs of marketing and shipping are more easily absorbed in higher cost products. Examples include the Trintella from the Netherlands, Bavaria from Germany, and Hallberg Rassy from Sweden. These last are exclusively cruising boats—expensive, but considered by most to be well-made.

History

Hallberg Rassy is the result of two yards and two men who were never partners. Harry Hallberg, born in 1914, opened his first yard in Kungsviken, Sweden, in the 1940s. Largely self-taught, his first boats were built of wood. His first series-built design was the Folkboat. Hallberg began using fiberglass in 1963. He died…