The Hunter 39 Sailboat

The Hunter 39, a B&R rigged fractional sloop, was designed by Glenn Henderson and built in the USA by Hunter Yachts.

'Lagoona', a Hunter 39, heading north from Martinique towards Les Saintes

The B&R-rigged Hunter 39

Published Specification for the Hunter 39

Hull Type: Fin keel and spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fiberglass)

Length Overall: 39'4" (12.00m)

Waterline Length: 34'8" (10.6m)

Beam: 12'11" (3.9m)

Draft: 6'6" (2.0m)

Rig Type: B&R Rig

Displacement: 18,077lb (8,200kg)

Designer: Glenn Henderson

Builder: Hunter Yachts (USA)

Year First Built: 2009

Published Design Ratios for the Hunter 39

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 23.1

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: 31.0

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

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 194

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

4. Comfort Ratio: 25.6

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 39

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 23.1 suggests that, in the right hands, the Hunter 39 will have enough performance to leave most other sailboats of similar waterline length well astern.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 31.0 means that a sailboat like the Hunter 39 (which doesn't have a stiffness-enhancing bulb keel), is likely to benefit from being reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 194, tells us the Hunter 39 is clearly a light displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer dramatically.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 25.6 suggests that crew comfort of a Hunter 39 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 39 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.