The Hunter 40.5 Legend Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Hunter 40.5 Legend, a shoal draft fractionally rigged sloop, was designed and built in the USA by Hunter Marine.

'Xenia II', a Hunter 40.5 anchored at Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe, French West Indies

A Hunter 40.5 Fractionally Rigged Sloop

Published Specification for the Hunter 40.5 Legend

Underwater Profile: Wing keel with spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP

Length Overall: 40'2" (12.4m)

Waterline Length: 35'4" (11.2m)

Beam: 12'5" (4.2m)

Draft: 4'11" (2.0m)

Rig Type: Fractional Sloop

Displacement: 20,000lb (8,940kg)

Designer: Hunter Design Team

Builder: Hunter Marine (USA)

Year First Built: 1991

Year Last Built: 1997

Owners Association: Hunter Owners Association

Published Design Ratios for the Hunter 40.5 Legend

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 16.6

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: 35.0

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

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 202

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

4. Comfort Ratio: 29.3

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: 1.8

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 40.5 Legend

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 16.6 suggests that the Hunter 40.5 Legend 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 35.0 means that the Hunter 40.5 Legend will have a tendency to heel excessively in a gust, and she'll need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 202, tells us the Hunter 40.5 Legend is a moderate displacement cruiser, which means she'll carry a reasonable amount of cruising gear without it having too much of an 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 29.3 suggests that crew comfort of a Hunter 40.5 Legend 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 1.8 tells us that a Hunter 40.5 Legend would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.