british hunter yachts

Hunter Boats

The first Hunter boat was built in 1969 and for over half a century the name has been associated with some of Britain's most succesful production cruising and racing boat designs.

The company was founded in 1968 and the first design produced by the new company was the Squib, an open keelboat designed by Oliver Lee in 1967.

David Thomas Joins

In 1975 David Thomas became the main designer producing the iconic Hunter Sonata and Impala 28 Cruiser Racers which to this day continue to offer competive One-Design racing and have their own National Championships.

Racing Yachts

Throughout the 70s the company produced many racing yachts including the Formula 28 and HB 31 designs by Steven Jones. The HB 31 was the first production boat to use kevlar laminates in its hull construction.

Move to Cruisers

By the 80s the company started building cruising yachts with the Hunter Horizon 26 and 32 Models winning the Best Production Boat of the Year and Best Production Cruiser of the Year awards respectively.

Return to Racing

1995 saw the company build the Hunter 707, a highly succesful sportsboat which went on to win the Yacht of the Year awards the following year.

The present

Hunter Boats was bought out in 2003 by the Select Yachts Group and in 2009 Lauren Marine of Southampton purchased the rights, moulds and tooling for the Hunter range of boats including five designs.

List of Hunter Yachts

Listed below is a summary of boats built by Hunter.

Number Built:

Number in ha:, class association:, links and attachments.

Displacement Fin:

Displacement twin:.

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Hunter Channel 31: A sporty, solidly built cruiser

• David Harding
• February 3, 2022

A solidly built cruiser with a sporty edge and twin-keel option, Hunter’s Channel 31 has been impressing since her launch 22 years ago. David Harding sails one to find out why

One of the few Channel 31s moulded with blue gelcoat, Freya has been given additional vinyl styling at the bow. Credit: David Harding

Product Overview

Hunter channel 31, manufacturer:.

Brand loyalty is often strong among boat owners. If you find a boat you like, there’s a good chance that, when you come to move up or down, you will buy another one from the same builder. In Kevin and Maggie Cullimore’s case, it was moving up to the Hunter Channel 31.

Their first family cruising boat was a Hunter Ranger 245, which they bought in kit form at the London Boat Show in 1998.

Kevin fitted it out in the space of a few months and they sailed it for five years before two growing children dictated that a bigger boat was in order.

They were fortunate enough to find a Hunter Ranger 27 that had hardly been used.

Like Kevin, the owner had built it from a kit. Then he found out that his family actively disliked sailing, so it had to go. Kevin re-built much of the interior and it became his family’s boat for several years.

They cruised extensively, crossing to the Channel Islands on occasions, and were more than happy with their second Hunter.

A self-tacking jib came as standard on the Hunter Channel 31. Credit: David Harding

No matter how settled you think you might be, however, life has a way of making you reconsider – and that’s exactly what happened to Kevin and Maggie.

On a visit to the East Coast one day, they stumbled across a Hunter Channel 31 bearing a ‘for sale’ sign.

‘We hadn’t been planning to buy a bigger boat’, says Kevin. ‘I had always wanted a 31 but didn’t think I could afford one. Still, seeing this one, we decided to have a look anyway.’

As chance would have it, they learned from the broker that the owner of the 31 was looking to move to a smaller Hunter.

So Kevin sent all the photos of his 27 – the fact that he had fitted a TV in the saloon proved to be a major selling point – and the 31’s owner visited Poole to have a look.

A deal was done, the new owner of the 27 sailed it back to the East Coast and Kevin sailed his new 31 from Woodbridge home to Poole.

Kevin Cullimore has equipped Freya for self-sufficient, short-handed cruising. Credit: David Harding

That was in 2013, since when he – usually with Maggie, sometimes solo or with friends – has continued to cruise Freya widely.

France and the Isles of Scilly have been destinations on longer trips, in between which Freya has often been seen in the Solent and the West Country.

It’s all a far cry from Kevin’s early trial-and-error adventures with his Eclipse that he trailed to the Mediterranean and sailed to the Balearics.

Getting Freya to the condition she’s in now has been an ongoing process.

Plusher than on earlier Hunters, the interior provides plenty of stowage, handholds and bracing points. Credit: David Harding

When, like Kevin, you’re of a practical disposition, you know what you want to do to your boat and you get on and do it.

This has involved everything from modifications to deck hardware to building new joinery down below and fitting a stern gantry to support solar panels , aerials and a radar.

The process of fitting out and making changes to his smaller boats is largely what encouraged Kevin to stick with Hunters when the time came to move up.

A stern gantry provides a mounting point for solar panels, aerials and the radar. Credit: David Harding

As he told me: ‘Having had two previous Hunters I was pretty impressed with the way they were built. I’ve drilled through quite a lot of them and found them well made. And no other twin-keeler really compares with them.’

His 245 and 27 were both twin-keelers, as is the Hunter Channel 31.

In places like the Channel Islands and the Isles of Scilly it can open up a lot of options to be able to dry out, and Kevin doesn’t consider it a significant sacrifice in performance terms to sail a twin-keeler.

The difference between the sailing ability of fins and twins is undoubtedly less with the Hunters than with many earlier generations of cruising yachts.

Boarding gates weren’t fitted originally but have made a big difference. Credit: David Harding

David Thomas’s designs earned the designer and builder a reputation for creating boats with twin keels (or twin fins, as they liked to call them) that sailed remarkably well.

The  Hunter Channel 31 and the earlier 32 (which became the 323) were among the larger boats you could buy in twin-keel form, along with some of the Westerlys, Moodys and Sadlers.

The Hunter, however, was distinctly more sporty in nature than most of the alternatives. She was also sportier than most of the earlier Hunters, excepting those conceived as One Designs such as the Impala, Formula One, 707 and Van de Stadt’s HB 31.

David Thomas was conscious that he had probably pushed the performance aspects of the design as far as Hunter would accept, and was half expecting to be asked to reduce the size of the mainsail for the twin-keeler at least.

His design was substantially heavier than many of the Hunter’s Continental competitors: he wanted her to have a good ballast ratio for stiffness, and that in turn called for generous displacement to support the extra weight in the keel(s).

As he told me at the time: ‘You can have the displacement as long as there’s enough sail area to go with it. A cruising boat with a miserable rig is a miserable compromise. So why not have a big rig? It’s what a cruising boat needs. That way you can have good light-weather performance in a heavyish boat.’

In essence it’s the same philosophy that Stephen Jones applied to the Sadler 290 – another powerful twin-keeler that’s heavier than a typical modern cruiser of similar length, yet a good deal faster too.

Originally the mainsheet was taken to a strong-point on the cockpit sole, but Kevin has moved it forward to the coachroof. Credit: David Harding

By the standards of the day (after a year’s delay, she was launched in 2000), the Hunter Channel 31 has a broad stern, which in turn called for a fuller entry than on many of Thomas’s earlier designs.

It all added up to a boat with a potent performance potential, as I learned on speaking to Thomas about the design and sailing with him on a breezy day in the spring of 2000.

‘It’s right down the middle between a club racer/One Design and a cruiser you can sail anywhere,’ he said. ‘It’s an offshore cruising yacht that will look after the crew.’

Choosing the right compromise

With the standard self-tacking jib, the option of twin keels and a few other concessions towards cruising, the 31 proved popular as a fast cruiser.

Nonetheless, with its slippery shape and relatively narrow waterline, the hull offered potential that Hunter had planned to make the most of with the introduction of a souped-up derivative to be known as the 303.

It was due to have a taller, double-spreader rig with inboard rigging to allow an overlapping genoa, balanced by a deeper fin keel in lead. In the event, the 303 was never developed and few 31s have been raced seriously enough to show what they’re capable of.

The boat I tested back in 2000 was a fin-keeler although, rather incongruously, it was fitted with a fixed two-bladed propeller that caused turbulence over the rudder and would have knocked a good deal off our speed.

The cockpit is narrow enough for leg-bracing between the seats, leaving comfortable coamings and a wide side deck. Credit: David Harding

On the whole I was impressed by the performance in a gusty 15-25 knots of breeze: under full main (with just the flattening reef pulled in) and self-tacker we clocked 5.5 knots upwind with the boat proving to be nicely balanced.

She stiffened up markedly at around 15° of heel, spun on a sixpence when asked to and exhibited few vices. Downwind we clocked 8.5 knots in a squall, provided I could keep her going in a straight line.

Most Hunter Channel 31s have the self-tacking jib that came as standard, but a minimal-overlap headsail can be used. Credit: David Harding

I couldn’t do that all the time because the rudder would lose grip unless we were almost dead downwind.

As soon as the wind came on to the quarter, she rounded up: the large mainsail combined with the generous sweep-back on the spreaders generated more power from the leech than the rudder was able to cope with: it was a choice of run or round up.

Hunter used the rudder from the HB 31 on both the 32/323 and the 31. I had already sailed the 323 in breezy conditions and found no issues.

Perhaps because of the broader stern and the more powerful mainsail, the rudder – to my mind at least – didn’t work as well on the Hunter Channel 31.

Unlike the demonstrator I sailed, with its fin keel and fixed prop, Kevin’s boat has twin keels and a Brunton Autoprop.

He had an Autoprop on the 27 and, amongst other things, likes the extra knot or knot-and-a-half it provides even on tick-over when he’s motor-sailing. It was one of the first additions he made to the 31.

We also had much less wind than on my earlier sail: a gentle 8-10 knots most of the time.

Since we had to cope with a few late-season whiskers below the waterline, we were never going to break any speed records but the whiskers were at least partially offset by Kevin’s new sails.

For downwind sailing he uses a cruising chute, and two years ago added the cruising equivalent of a Code 0.

He finds this particularly useful, as do many owners of boats with self-tacking jibs. On one memorable occasion, he flew it all the way from Guernsey to Dartmouth.

The Hunter Channel 31 is among the relatively small number of performance cruisers in this size range available with twin keels. Credit: David Harding

‘We had one of the most beautiful sails with the Code 0. We put it up and didn’t touch it all day, making 5.5 to 6 knots on a flat sea, in glorious sunshine and surrounded by dolphins.’

On the day of our sail, it nudged us along at up to 6.8 knots with the wind on the beam.

Even in these lighter conditions I was reminded why I had reservations about the rudder, the blade needing a little more balance to my mind and stalling occasionally if asked to do too much out of the ordinary.

That said, a rudder’s feel is a very subjective issue, and one on which I had lengthy conversations with David Thomas.

Verdict on the Hunter Channel 31

It’s easy to see why the Hunter Channel 31 hits the spot for many cruising sailors who enjoy sailing a boat that looks after them and really does sail.

She combines performance and robustness with a much more stylish arrangement below decks than found on earlier Hunters.

That’s because Ken Freivokh was commissioned to design the interiors on the later models.

He transformed them from basic and functional to still-functional yet infinitely more appealing.

Freya demonstrating the benefits of twin keels, dried out on Bryher in the Isles of Scilly. Credit: Kevin Cullimore

Structurally, Hunter kept things simple with solid laminates and a single interior moulding forming the companionway, the engine tray and bearers, the heads and the base of the galley – ‘all the messy bits’, as Hunter put it.

Everything else was in timber and bonded to the outer hull.

On Kevin’s boat, the joinery is in cherry but there’s much more of it than on a standard boat.

A wet locker lives abaft the heads, the inside of the door providing handy tool stowage. Credit: David Harding

Kevin has added lockers each side in the saloon above the back-rests where originally there were simply fiddled shelves.

He has blended them in so well that you would have no idea they weren’t original, and has done the same in the aft cabin.

He has even fitted several small drawers and made sure that not a cubic inch is wasted.

The time involved for a yard to do something like this would make it prohibitively expensive, but Kevin’s work shows what you can achieve if you have the skill and are prepared to devote the time to it.

‘I like messing around with woodwork’, he says.

Since he’s also more than adept with electrics, he has fitted three solar panels on the stern gantry – a total of 200 watts that will generate 67 amps on a sunny day.

Having owned Freya since 2013, Kevin has spent nearly 10 years refining her to create the cruising boat he has always wanted.

‘I don’t think we will ever change boats now,’ he says. ‘I’ve got this up to where it’s got to be, and if I bought another one I would have to start all over again. I’ve been through all that before.’

When you have a capable and well-sorted boat like this that will take you anywhere quickly and comfortably, dry out upright when you get there and look after you whatever the weather, why would you want to change?

Expert Opinion on the Hunter Channel 31

Nick Vass B,Sc B,Ed HND FRINA MCMS DipMarSur YS, marine surveyor www.omega-yachtservices.co.uk

The first thing that I notice when surveying British Hunter yachts is the spacious and airy interiors and the Channel 31 is the best of the lot, having been designed by Ken Freivokh, who was responsible for the stylish later Westerly Regatta interiors.

The 31 has a particularly large aft cabin. These are underrated yachts that suffered a kit boat stigma let down by some poor home finishing.

With the tiller mounted well aft and the mainsheet moved to the coachroof, there’s plenty of clear space in the cockpit. Credit: David Harding

If you do buy a home-completed version, interior trim can easily be put straight, and the factory finished boats were well made and so easily comparable to the Sadler 290, Westerly Regatta 310 and Moody 31MkII.

A joy to survey, and to maintain, as access to critical items such as seacocks, stern gland, tanks and keel bolts is so easy.

Keel bolts are substantial and don’t tend to give trouble and Hunters don’t tend to get osmosis.

Hunter rudders were of a strange resin construction over a steel frame without a GRP shell. I have found several where the steelwork rusts but this has not led to failure and at least they don’t blister or come apart.

The Hunter Channel 31 was introduced in 1999 as a replacement for the 32 which had replaced the Horizon 32.

However, the 31 was designed as a lighter faster cruiser/racer and came as a One Design racing version called the 303 which had a deep lead fin keel.

The Hunter Channel 31 was offered with fin or twin keels. Yanmar 2GM20 engines are reliable and there are plenty around.

Ben Sutcliffe-Davies, marine surveyor and full member of the Yacht Brokers Designers & Surveyors Association (YDSA) www.bensutcliffemarine.co.uk

Like all of David Thomas’s Hunter boats, the design of the Hunter Channel 31 concentrated on structure and build; the use of woven rovings over normal chop strand hold testament to the longevity and strength of these craft, which do hold their value well.

At the time of build, Hunters were certainly not the cheapest boats available for their size.

A common issue I’ve had when surveying these vessels is the moulding arrangement for the tiller area. It can suffer from wear and some light stress.

Some of the moulding returns have air voids in them from build, as woven rovings are not as easy to tuck into tight corners.

Outboard rigging leaves the side decks clear. A moulded upstand along the gunwale takes the place of an aluminium toerail. Credit: David Harding

I have seen issues where owners have added extra batteries but have not thought through the right location for them.

Engine maintenance is also sometimes lacking due to the tight access. Many have the deep sea shaft seal so be aware of their age.

They usually need replacing after seven years so make sure you check them and the service record.

The decks are normally a foam core so don’t tend to suffer in the same way as yachts with a balsa core, but still be aware of deck fittings and stanchion points; check for overloading which can be common.

The Hunter Channel 31 has ring beams and yard staff can struggle to identify the correct points to locate cradle supports.

I have seen a few boats with small areas of delamination where the boat was incorrectly supported ashore.

Alternatives to the Hunter Channel 31 to consider

This exceptionally roomy and powerful twin-keeler is shorter than the Hunter but extraordinarily spacious and a remarkable performer too.

Her twin keels are cast in lead and bolted through moulded spacers to ensure a particularly low centre of gravity.

This enables her to carry a generous rig for good performance in light airs despite her relatively heavy displacement, while the slim profile of the keels contributes to a degree of hydrodynamic efficiency rarely seen in the twin-keeled world.

The Sadler 290 performs well in both light and heavy airs. Credit: David Harding

It’s also rare for boats under 9m (30ft) to achieve RCD Category A status, the Sadler’s AVS (angle of vanishing stability) of 140° being a major factor.

She was designed by Stephen Jones and launched three years after the Hunter by a Sadler company unrelated to earlier incarnations of Sadlers.

Jones gave her an exceptionally fine entry, with reserves of buoyancy forward being ensured by the high freeboard.

Her stern is even broader than the Hunter’s and her twin keels mounted further down the hull. This almost eliminates the banging and thudding that can afflict twin-keelers upwind in heavy weather, while minimising the additional drag caused by a root breaking the surface.

The large rig is of high-fractional configuration with an overlapping genoa to maintain drive in light airs.

A broad stern for powerful downwind performance. Credit: David Harding

On deck, the fine bow limits foredeck space but the wide sidedecks run all the way to the transom. The long cranked tiller is the dominant feature in the cockpit.

The layout below decks is unusual for a modern design in placing the heads between the saloon and forecabin, harking back to the arrangement widely seen in the 1970s and early 1980s.

That allows the galley to be moved well aft, alongside the companionway steps, where it’s right out of the way and not in any thoroughfares.

It’s probably one of the most practical and secure galleys on any boat under 40ft.

The detailing varies according to where the boats were fitted out: various yards were involved at different times.

Westerly Tempest

Westerly’s smaller sister to the Storm 33 was launched in 1987, overlapping with the popular and long-running Fulmar. All were designed by Ed Dubois.

Both the Storm and Fulmar had been conceived as cruiser-racers but, since few Storms were ever raced, Westerly realised that a change of emphasis was needed for the Tempest and aimed her firmly at the cruising market.

A fin keel was standard, though some owners reckoned it needed to be heavier and that the twin-keelers were stiffer.

The Westerly Tempest is slightly quirky but a good performer. Credit: David Harding

Either way, the Tempest is no slouch. She has a gentle, easy motion combined with a respectable turn of speed for a relatively heavy boat.

Handling qualities are widely praised and the long cockpit, combined with a companionway that extends well forward, means you can almost reach the mast without having to go on deck.

The accommodation is unconventional and not for everyone. Westerly used the broad stern to fit-in twin double aft cabins, moving the heads to the bow abaft a large sail locker that opens into the heads via a door and to the deck via a hatch.

Continues below…

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With this locker in the bow and the aft cabins being well forward of the transom, the total cabin space is relatively short and the saloon too small for some tastes.

Cockpit stowage is also restricted by the stern cabins. A few boats were later built with a conventional forecabin.

From 1993, the Tempest evolved into the Regatta 310 with a re-styled interior designed by Ken Freivokh, but very few were sold.

Newer, lighter, sportier and more expensive than the British twin-keelers, the French-built RM is a boat that does things differently.

Plywood is used for the hull because of its strength, light weight and durability among other qualities.

The deck and coachroof are moulded, largely because plywood would give a very angular finish.

The RM 890 is light and fast with a plywood hull. Credit: David Harding

Everything about the RM 890 is geared around ruggedness, sailing ability and functionality.

She comes with a choice of bulbed, high aspect-ratio twin keels paired with a single rudder, or a deep T-bulb fin with twin rudders.

The keels are bolted through a steel frame inside the hull. Rigging arrangements can be varied, but the 890 typically carries a staysail set on a forestay secured to the anchor well bulkhead.

A genoa on a stemhead-mounted outer forestay can simply be rolled away rather than reefed when the wind picks up.

Like Westerly’s Tempest, the RM has a mainsheet traveller across the stern.

The tiller places the helmsman forward and close to the headsail winches for easy singlehanded sailing . Below decks the finish is painted plywood.

Privacy isn’t a priority – a few curtains are the order of the day – but the RM’s famous utility room to starboard, where many boats would fit another aft cabin, tells you exactly where the priorities lie.

A large forward-facing window gives an excellent view out. Just mind your footing on deck.

Sailing performance is hard to fault and the handling crisp and responsive.

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The Hunter Association

The Hunter Association aims to share technical support and experiences and encourage Hunter Owners to get together for fun sailing and social events.

The Hunter Association is open to anyone who owns, sails or is interested in Hunter Boats

The Hunter Association was established to support the many classes of British Hunter boats which do not have their own class association.

Through our website, magazine and our members we can provide valuable support in owning a Hunter boat, wherever members are based.

Since 2015 the Hunter Association has been affiliated with the

Inside the association

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Other items for sale, brand new unused harken genoa furler system, hunter association burgee, tiller pilot, medina #1 genoa wanted - any condition, reasons to join.

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I find the opportunities to join in at rallies and get togethers really encouraging, no one is pushing but the opportunities are there if you want them. Phlip Blanchfield Channel 245 "Blueberry Hill"

• Boats for Sale

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History of Hunter

Founded in 1973, Hunter Marine Corporation has firmly established its name in the world of recreational watercrafts. The company was started by a skilled mariner named Warren Luhrs in Alachua, Florida, USA. Luhrs was already vested in the nautical industry, being part of a family that owned and operated a successful yacht-building company. With Hunter Marine, his ambition was to produce affordable sailing yachts that maintained high levels of quality and performance. The company quickly grew in the first few years of operation, gaining a reputation for its innovative designs and utilization of robust materials.

Hunter Marine made a significant stride in 1978, the launch of the Cherubini-designed Hunter 30. This vessel played a crucial role in steering the company's trajectory, epitomising the quality, value, and performance that would come to define the Hunter sailing experience. As the years progressed, Hunter Marine continued to build and improve upon its designs, introducing the likes of the Hunter Vision with free-standing rigs and the Hunter Passage series aimed at distance cruising.

Fast forward to the present day, the brand name Hunter is now under the banner of Marlow Hunter LLC. Marlow Yachts acquired the assets of Hunter Marine in 2012 and continued the legacy of Hunter's craftmanship, based in the same location in Alachua. Marlow Hunter carries on making robust, high-quality, performance-oriented boats that embody the legacy of the Hunter brand. The modern Hunter yachts continue to reflect the company's commitment to innovation, affordability, and most importantly, a passion for the sea.

Which models do Hunter produce?

Hunter produce a range of boats including the Hunter Landau 20 , Hunter Legend 35.5 , Hunter Legend 405 , Hunter Ranger 245 and Hunter 37 . For the full list of Hunter models currently listed on TheYachtMarket.com, see the model list in the search options on this page.

What types of boats do Hunter build?

Hunter manufactures a range of different types of boats. The ones listed on TheYachtMarket include Sloop , Cruiser , Day boat , Racing boat and Cruiser .

How much does a boat from Hunter cost?

Used boats from Hunter on TheYachtMarket.com range in price from £2,000 GBP to £217,000 GBP with an average price of £52,600 GBP . A wide range of factors can affect the price of used boats from Hunter, for example the model, age and condition.

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These Hunters were quite expensive boats when new - costing over 40% more than a comparable sized Beneteau First or Bavaria 31. British Hunters construction was always solid, and with the Channel 31 the Ken Freivokh designed interior finish is much better finished than many of Hunter's earlier models.

UK Sailboat Brands: The Top 21 Sailing Yachts and Brands of Britain

Published by sail on february 8, 2023 february 8, 2023.

The UK has a long history of excellence in shipbuilding and sailing, producing some of the most cutting-edge and stunning sailing ships in the world. There are several UK Sailboat Brands, each with a distinct specialty and set of talents. You can locate a firm in the UK that can match your needs whether you’re searching for a traditional wooden yacht, a contemporary GRP sailboat, or a custom-built power catamaran. The UK is a fantastic destination to find your next boat because of its rich nautical history, reputation for excellence, and commitment to innovation.

In this post, we’ll examine the top UK Sailboat Brands, each of which has distinctive characteristics and features.

One of Oyster Yachts’ flagship models, this magnificent yacht provides a roomy and opulent sailing experience. For discriminating sailors who appreciate comfort, style, and performance, the Oyster 885 is the ideal option thanks to its elegant lines, cutting-edge technology, and contemporary design.

A gorgeous sailing boa t from Spirit Yachts, the Spirit 100 offers a high-performance sailing experience with a dash of grace and beauty. This 100-foot yacht is perfect for sailing, racing, or just lounging on the water thanks to its lovely carbon-fiber hull and roomy deck.

Gunfleet 74

For individuals who desire the utmost in performance and luxury, Gunfleet Marine has created the exquisite Gunfleet 74 sailing yacht. The Gunfleet 74 is a top pick for sailors who desire the best of both worlds because of her svelte carbon-fiber hull, cutting-edge technology, and roomy living quarters.

A traditional sailing yacht by Rustler Yachts, the 44-foot Rustler provides a safe, pleasant, and traditional sailing experience. This 44-foot yacht has a stunning wooden hull, traditional lines, and cutting-edge technology, making it a great option for individuals who value sailing’s timeless beauty.

Discovery 67

A beautiful sailing yacht from Discovery Yachts, the Discovery 67 provides a roomy and comfortable sailing experience with a dash of innovation and ingenuity. This 67-foot sailing boat is the ideal option for individuals looking for a sailing yacht that stands out from the crowd thanks to its distinctive and inventive design, state-of-the-art technology, and roomy interior.

Arbor Yachts

The Arbor 26 is the company’s signature product, and Arbor Boats is a maker of wooden yachts. Another boat manufacturer in the UK is Blaxton Boats, which offers dayboats and yachts with sail and engine options. Modern GRP yachts between 35 and 48 feet in length are the focus of Bowman Yachts. The Parker 235 GRP daysailer, available from BP Sailboats, is ideal for individuals seeking a high-performance boat for day outings.

Bristol Classic Boat

Your boat will be distinctive and long-lasting thanks to the custom wooden boats and restoration services offered by Bristol Classic Boat Co. The 20-31 foot modern GRP yachts produced by British Hunter are well renowned for fusing traditional design with cutting-edge technology. Sailing and power catamarans are the company’s specialties, and they offer adaptable and sturdy boats for a variety of boating activities. Butler & Co. is a wooden boat builder that upholds the enduring beauty of wooden boats by providing traditional boatbuilding services.

If you want to have more details about UK sailboat brands then here you can find a comprehensive range of sailboat data for over 10000+ boats.

Cape Cutter

The CC19 traditional daysailer, a small and capable sailboat ideal for day voyages, is the focus of Cape Cutter, a UK Sailboat Brands boat manufacturer headquartered in the UK. Unique wooden yachts are created by Cockwells to the greatest standards and according to the requirements of their owners. A selection of GRP pilot-cutters and traditional-style GRP yachts, ranging in length from 17 to 43 feet, are available from Cornish Crabbers/Mystery. Wooden boats of the highest caliber that are both attractive and useful are made by David Moss.

Demon Yachts

Smaller yachts and keelboats are Demon Yachts’ specialty, and they are built to order to meet the individual requirements of their clients. Drascombe constructs traditional GRP yawls, offering vessels that fuse traditional design with contemporary engineering. Custom yacht builders Farrow & Chambers produce high-quality, long-lasting boats out of wood and epoxy. A variety of dinghies, dayboats, and kayaks are available from Fyne Boat Kits, making them ideal for individuals wishing to construct their own boats.

Gaffers & Luggers

The classic wooden working boats offered by Gaffers & Luggers range in length from 23 to 28 feet. The 43-foot modern GRP cruiser from Gunfleet Marine is ideal for individuals looking for a high-performance boat for longer voyages. With a focus on traditional GRP dayboats, Honnor Marine combines traditional design with cutting-edge engineering. Traditional wooden boat builder Ian B. Richardson upholds the enduring beauty of wooden boats.

British Hunter

The UK-based company British Hunter produces contemporary GRP yachts. Their boats, which range in length from 20 to 31 feet, are built for both comfort and efficiency. The newest materials and technology are used in the construction of British Hunter yachts to provide you with a comfortable and safe sailing experience. They are the ideal choice for individuals who want a boat that is simple to manage and that gives an exceptional sailing performance.

BroadBlue is also one of the UK Sailboat Brands. They offer catamarans for sailing and propulsion are their areas of expertise. In order to give you a safe and enjoyable sailing experience, their boats are made with the most up-to-date materials and technology and are designed to deliver exceptional performance and handling. Broadblue provides the ideal boat for your needs, whether you’re searching for a powerful and roomy power catamaran or a quick and maneuverable sailing catamaran.

Butler & Co

This specialized in making old-fashioned wooden boats. Their boats are created to the greatest levels of quality and craftsmanship, and they provide a variety of services, including new builds, restorations, and repairs. Butler & Co. can assist you in finding the ideal boat for your requirements, whether you’re looking for a historic boat that has been refurbished or a classic sailing yacht.

Blaxton Boats

A company called Blaxton Boats sells a variety of sail- and power-powered dayboats and yachts. You may be sure to discover a boat that meets your requirements and aesthetic preferences because they come in a range of sizes and types. In order to give you a safe and enjoyable sailing experience, their boats are made with the most up-to-date materials and technology and are designed to deliver exceptional performance and handling.

Bowman Yachts

Modern GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) boats are the focus of the UK-based company Bowman Yachts. Their boats, which range in length from 35 to 48 feet, are built for both comfort and efficiency. For individuals looking for a boat that combines historic style with contemporary technology and materials, Bowman Yachts are ideal, and their boats are constructed to the highest standards.

BP Sailboats

GRP daysailer boats are the company’s area of expertise. The Parker 235, a sleek and fashionable yacht ideal for day outings and weekend sailing excursions, is their most popular model. The Parker 235 is developed with the most up-to-date materials and technology to give you a pleasant and joyful sailing experience. It is designed to deliver exceptional performance and handling.

Stirling & Son

A UK-based business called Stirling & Son specializes in creating unique wooden ships. The company is dedicated to providing custom boats that satisfy each client’s particular demands and requirements, with a concentration on traditional designs and construction methods. They assist clients to realize their ideas by providing a full design and build service. One of the top wooden boat builders in the UK, Stirling & Son is renowned for its attention to detail and high-caliber craftsmanship.

Swallow Boats

This business specializes in the creation of Bay Cruisers. These boats include contemporary amenities and technologies while maintaining a timeless and traditional design. They are ideal for exploring the shoreline, inland waterways, or estuaries because they are built to be both functional and fashionable. Swallow Boats offers a variety of models, each with a distinctive style and set of characteristics, and can also build custom boats to satisfy certain needs.

Swallowtail Boatyard

There is yet another business that specialised in classic Norfolk Broads boats. They provide a variety of services, such as boat construction, maintenance, and rental. Because Swallowtail Boatyard is dedicated to upholding the history and customs of the Norfolk Broads, their boats are made in a manner that reflects this. Their boats are renowned for their fine craftsmanship and attention to detail, and they employ traditional methods and materials.

T. Nielsen & Company

This business specializes in the construction and repair of tall ships. They provide the whole spectrum of services, from the initial concept to the final building and launch. With years of expertise in building and renovating tall ships, T. Nielsen & Company’s team of talented craftsmen and engineers guarantees that every job is executed to the highest standards. They are dedicated to conserving the UK’s maritime legacy and have worked on a variety of projects, from major commercial vessels to tiny traditional sailing ships.

Voyaging Yachts

Custom sailing yacht design and construction are the focus of the UK-based business Voyaging Yachts. They provide a wide variety of services, including design, construction, and refitting, and their team of professionals can assist clients in realizing their ideas. With years of experience producing high-quality sailing yachts, Voyaging Yachts is dedicated to providing clients with custom boats that are tailored to their individual requirements. They are renowned for their attention to detail, superior craftsmanship, and creative designs, and sailors from all over the world like their yachts.

In conclusion, these UK Sailboat Brands are just a fraction of the amazing sailing ships built by Britain’s skilled shipbuilders. You’re sure to discover the ideal yacht among these high-caliber ships, whether you’re searching for performance, luxury, or just a gorgeous sailing experience. Why then wait? Start your next sailing journey right away to experience the finest Britain has to offer.

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British Hunter Boats For Sale

 Hunter Boats started life close to the Wakering marshes near Rochford back in 1969. The Beatles were in full flow and Oasis had probably not yet been born. A few years later the company moved to a new custom built factory off Sutton Rd, in Rochford where the building of Hunter boats continued until... Read more

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British Hunter Information

 Hunter Boats started life close to the Wakering marshes near Rochford back in 1969. The Beatles were in full flow and Oasis had probably not yet been born. A few years later the company moved to a new custom built factory off Sutton Rd, in Rochford where the building of Hunter boats continued until 2004. The first famous sailboat was the National Squib, designed and finished by Oliver Lee and first moulded by Hunters (then called the Essex Boat Company) in 1968. The Squib flourished, achieved National Status, and is still built to this day (not by Hunter Boats), with total numbers now above 800. A year or so later, one Michael Poland asked Oliver if he could put a lid on a Squib, so that he could go cross Channel JOG racing in a boat that would cost less than a full set of B&G instruments. Oliver relented, and designed a proper fibreglass lid to go on the Squib. Since Michael Poland's other favourite pastime was hunting, the new model was called the Hunter. And so began the new Hunter line. Oliver designed several other Hunters for the renamed Hunter Boats Ltd between 1969 and 1975; the 16' lifting keel Hunter 490, the 23' Hunter 701, the Tracer (a mini Squib with lifting keel) and the revamped Hunter 19 that changed her name to the Hunter Europa. All sold well, and multiplied in yacht harbours in the UK and abroad. > Perhaps the most famous exploit was David Blagden's epic success in the 1972 Observer Single-Handed Transatlantic Race. His diminutive Hunter 19 "Willing Griffin" survived many Atlantic storms and finished the race, the smallest yacht ever to do the official Single-Handed Transatlantic. Visit your library and find "Very Willing Griffin" by David Blagden. It's an inspiring read. In 1975 Hunter Boats met designer David Thomas and were much taken by his one-off Quarter Tonner called Quarto. David said he would design a round bilged GRP development; and the Sonata was born. She became an RYA National Status Class, and remains a leading One-Design cruiser-racer to this day. Over the ensuing years, the Sonata was followed by the 28' Hunter Impala, the Hunter Delta 25, the lifting keel Hunter Medina 20, and the somewhat unorthodox but very popular cat ketch-rigged centreboarder, the Hunter Liberty 22 and 23. A gaff-rigged sister-ship went under the name of the Hunter Minstrel 23. Over the same period, Hunter Boats built three pure race boats by different designers. These were the lifting keel 22' Formula One and larger Formula 28 by Steve Jones. Both win races to this day. They also built the more exotic production Half Ton Van de Stadt designed HB31. She and the Formula designs were the first production boats to use Kevlar in their standard laminates. All three boats continue to excel on the race course. In 1984, Hunters decided to investigate Twin Keels and move towards cruisers rather than Cruiser-Racers. The first of this new range of cruisers was the Hunter Horizon 26, and in 1984 she won the Best Production Boat of the Year Award. She was soon joined by the twin keel Hunter Duette 23 (a Sonata development with twin keels), the Hunter Horizon 27, 272 and 273, and the Hunter Horizon 32 wheelhouse cruiser. The new 32 also won the Award for the best Production Cruiser of the year in 1987. The Fin Keel Hunter 27OOD was a larger rigged and quicker version of the Horizon 27. The last Horizon models were the 21, 23 and the 30; also predominantly Twin Keelers. In 1991, the new Channel 323 was the biggest cruiser in the range. Most had twin keels, but a later introduced 323 Fin Keeler was also popular. In the 1994, Hunter Boats introduced the new Ranger hull shape. Designed by David Thomas, these hulls have long waterlines, great stability and a subtle chine that runs from transom to amidships. This adds further to stability and produces a hull that sails in a straight line with consummate ease. Hunter owners had become less interested in racing over the years; solid and quick cruisers were becoming more in demand. The Ranger 265 and Channel 245 follow this theme. The Pilot 27 is a deck saloon development, offering inside steering and all round vision from the dinette settees. Now the new Channel 27 cruiser, which is a conventional roof version of the Pilot 27, has replaced the Ranger 265. And, in case the go-faster boys felt left out, the Hunter 707, a dynamic, planing sportsboat, hit the scene in late 95, and has grown into one of the biggest, fastest and most entertaining keelboat classes in the land. In 1996, she was voted Yacht of the Year ... a rare accolade. At just under 24' overall, the Hunter 707 takes a crew of 4-5 and gives them total sport and very close, exciting racing. Then there was a new departure ... a motor boat! The Landau 20 Cruiser, built by Hunters for the Landau Launch Company, won the 1998 motorboat design competition and made its first appearance at Earls Court 99. This has been followed by the Landau 20 Walkaround and the Landau 29 Continental. An all new Channel 31 was launched in 2000 and is still building. And in 2003, the latest in the range, the Mystery 35, was launched. This elegant model combines modern design with traditional performance and interior layout. In 2003, Hunter Boats was taken over by the Select Yachts Group, which also comprised Cornish Crabbers, Red Fox Yachts, the Landau Launch Company and Cornish Diva. Hunters continued to be produced under this new management however, regrettably, in late 2008, Select Yachts went into administration. Fortunately, Lauren Marine stepped in to buy the tools and rights to build the Hunter 20 (ex Red Fox), Horizon 245, Channel 27 and 31, so we can look forward to these great British Hunter boats again being built.

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British Hunter

British hunter models:.

• British Hunter Red Fox 200

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