The Hunter 33 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Hunter 33, an aft-cockpit sloop, was designed and built in the USA by Hunter Marine.

The Hunter 33e has a B&R (Lars Bergstrom and Sven Ridder) rig which negates the need for a backstay

Published Specification for the Hunter 33

Underwater Profile: Fin with bulb keel and Spade Rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 33'6" (10.21m)

Waterline Length: 29'5" (8.97m)

Beam: 11'8" (3.51m)

Draft: 5'6" (1.7m)*

Rig Type: B&R

Displacement: 12,400lb (5,625kg)

Designer: Hunter Marine

Builder: Hunter Marine (USA)

Year First Built: 2012

* Shoal Draft version: 4'6" (1.4m)

Published Design Ratios for the Hunter 33

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 18.7

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

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 27.9

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

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 217

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

4. Comfort Ratio: 24.2

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

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 2.0

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

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Hunter 33

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 18.7 suggests that the Hunter 33 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 27.9 would usually mean that the Hunter 33 would have a tendency to heel uncomfortably in a gust, and need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

However, as she has much of her ballast concentrated in a bulb at the foot of her keel, she's likely to be considerably stiffer than her published Ballast/Displacement Ratio might suggest.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 217, tells us the Hunter 33 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 24.2 suggests that crew comfort of a Hunter 33 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 2.0 indicates that a Hunter 33 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.