Christoph Rassy passes away

Boatbuilder Christoph Rassy passed away on 8th November, aged 87.

In a statement on the Hallberg-Rassy website, the company praised the founder: ‘No other person has meant so much to the Swedish sailing yacht industry as he did. Hallberg-Rassy is today a cruising sailing icon worldwide.’

Christoph Rassy received the very honourable Lifetime Achievement Award at Boat Builder Awards 2020.

Christoph Rassy was born in Germany 1934. He spent his time building life-size and model boats. He wanted to learn more about the craft and became an apprentice at a small yard for wooden boats in southern Germany.

Rassy wanted to build and sail larger and finer boats, so he decided to move to Sweden. After writing to many boatyards, he was offered a job and, in 1960, Rassy arrived in the country with nothing but his bicycle.

Five years later, Rassy started his own business, purchasing the yard that was owned by his then rival, Harry Hallberg.

When Hallberg retired in 1972, Rassy purchased his yard. As the Hallberg brand was more well-known with its four designs, and with the Rassy yard only having one, the new company was named Hallberg-Rassy.

Hallberg-Rassy is a family owned boatyard and has been managed by one of Chrisoph’s sons, Magnus Rassy, for almost 19 years.