Boat test for the 2005 Hampton 540 Sedan including boat specifications, photo galleries, boat videos, boat layout diagrams, boat test numbers, boat test results, and boat speed graphs. Also includes pricing, engine test reviews, ratings, standard features, and gear for the 2005 Hampton 540 Sedan.

Like so many industries these days, yacht building in China has entered a new era. While cheap labor and beneficial exchange rates have kept prices low, quality has improved markedly over the past decade as experienced Taiwanese builders have shifted many of their operations to the mainland. Typical of this trend is Hampton Yachts, established along the outskirts of Shanghai in 1992 and built on a legacy that spans more than 40 years of yacht building in Taiwan. But although Hampton's origins may have followed a familiar path, its philosophy is akin to the road less traveled.

During a recent sea trial of Hampton's 540 Sedan, I got some insight into the thinking that sets this Asian builder apart, courtesy of Capt. Forest Roberts of Anchor Yacht Sales, the East Coast distributor for Hampton Yachts. One of the yacht's most telling features is her optional equipment list—or, I should say, the brevity of that list. Her only options are canvas, a tender and davit, teak trim, a stern thruster, more powerful engines, and electronic controls. Hampton hews to the belief that whatever you might need in a cruising yacht should be included in her standard equipment and pricing. No sticker shock going out the door—just a very attractive price for a well-equipped yacht.

But price is just the beginning of what the 540 has to offer. The yacht made her first favorable impression with me even before I stepped aboard. Forest had arranged to pick me up at Pier 66 marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Despite stiff crosswinds, he sidled the brawny 540 up to the inside fuel dock for a deft touch-and-go boarding, nimble as a ballerina. But a moment later, the dancer morphed into a fullback as the optional 660-hp Cummins diesels spun up and we barreled out of the inlet, ready to put the yacht through her paces offshore.

A stiff northeasterly wind had kicked up seas of three to four feet, punctuated with occasional five- to six-foot rollers. But the 540 took it all in stride, pushing the waves aside with ease. Thanks to her deep forefoot and fine entry, I couldn't make her slam, even in head seas. And her high bulwarks and generous spray knocker kept her decks bone dry. In beam seas, her Wesmar stabilizers all but eliminated roll motion. Even at slow speeds or with the stabilizers turned off, her hard-chine hull exhibited excellent roll behavior.

Thankfully, the standard Stratoglass flying-bridge enclosure offered protection from the wind along with unimpeded visibility. Three overhead vents in the hardtop can bring in fresh air above the helm seat and two flanking companion seats, but since the air temperature on test day was mild, we simply unzipped a forward panel for ventilation. Had the sun been hotter, we might have opted to enjoy the standard dual 16,000-Btu flying-bridge air-conditioning units.

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