The Hunter 28.5 Sailboat

The lack of a backstay on this Hunter 28.5 sailboat tells us that it sports a B&R (Lars Bergström and Sven Ridder) rig.

'Scirocco', a Hunter 28.5 cruising boat

Published Specification for the Hunter 28.5

Hull Type: Fin keel with spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (fibreglass)

Length Overall: 28' 5" / 8.7m

Waterline Length: 23' 9" / 7.2m

Beam: 10' 6" / 3.2m

Draft: 5' 2" / 1.6m

Rig Type: B&R

Displacement: 7,000lb / 3,175kg

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 17.5

Displacement/Length Ratio: 233

Designer: Hunter Design

Builder: Hunter Marine (USA)

Year First Built: 1985

Year Last Built: 1988

Number Built: not known

Owners Association: The Hunter Association

Published Design Ratios for the Hunter 28.5

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 17.5

Less 16 would be considered under-powered;
16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 42.9

Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

Displacement/Length Ratio: 233

Under 100: Ultralight
100 to 200: Light
200 to 275: Moderate
275 to 350: Heavy
Over 350: Ultraheavy

Comfort Ratio: 18.8

Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

Capsize Screening Formula: 2.2

Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

Summary Analysis of Published Design Ratios for the Hunter 28.5

1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 17.5 suggests that the xxxxx will, in the right conditions, approach her maximum hull speed readily and satisfy the sailing performance expectations of most cruising sailors.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 42.9 means that the xxxxx will stand up well to her canvas in a blow, helping her to power through the waves.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 233, tells us the xxxxx is a moderate displacement cruiser, which means she'll carry all your cruising gear without it having a dramatic effect on her performance. Most of today's sailboats intended for offshore cruising fall into this displacement category.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 18.8 suggests that crew comfort of a xxxx in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 2.2 indicates that a xxxx would not be the wisest choice of sailboat for ocean passage-making owing to the lower resistance to capsize in strong winds and heavy seas that is associated with similar sailboats with a CSF of 2.0 and above.