The Hunter Sonata 7 is a small racer-cruiser yacht built in Britain from 1976 to 1990 by Hunter Boats Limited (now British Hunter). The twin-keeled version is known as the Hunter Duette.
The Sonata was designed by David Thomas, and is a One-Design, Cruiser-Racer Class. It has a glass-fibre hull, with a low-profile glass-fibre deck, a Bermuda rigged aluminium mast, and an iron keel (or keels). It has a relatively large sail area and the rig is a fractional one. When fitted for cruising it has four berths, with two further occasional bunks. Mechanical power is provided by a demountable outboard motor mounted on a sliding bracket on the port side of the transom.
The Sonata was built in several forms, with a fin keel, a lifting keel, and as a bilge keeler (with twin keels), when it was called the Hunter Duette. The Duette was fitted out for cruising rather than racing. The Duette was also available with a lifting keel. The same hull was used later with different deck mouldings for other models, including the Hunter Horizon 23. The Hunter Medina is a scaled-down trailer sailer version of the Sonata design.
Key dimensions Length (LOA): 6.90 m Length on waterline: 5.60 m Beam: 2.60 m Sail area: 19.5 m² Draught: 1.37m (fin keel) Weight: 1115 kg
Racing The Sonata is a National class in the United Kingdom and is raced across the country. The class is governed by the National Sonata Association in conjunction with the Royal Yachting Association.
Fleets There are at least 17 fleets in the world, 15 of which are in the United Kingdom Abersoch Brightlingsea Brixham Burnham-on-Crouch Christchurch Sailing Club Loch Lomond Sailing Club Clyde Cowes Dublin Hong Kong Isle of Man Itchenor Medway Moray Firth Poole Scarborough South Coast (Hamble & Solent) Strangford Lough Yacht Club Sunderland Tay West Mersea Windermere Whitby Weymouth (Castle Cove SC)
UK National Champions Year Championship Location Owner Boat1977Harwich YC, East CoastB L WaplesMore Sparks1978Island SC, CowesP WhiteParady1979ClydeC PhillipsThingummyjig1980Haven Ports YC, East CoastH SellarsCimaruta1981Hayling Island SCM HarrisonJiminy Cricket1982G Evans & C PenfoldScherzo1983R D JorpeDuette1984M J ForbesMickey Finn II19851986P MarchantMariba1987P MarchantMariba1988E WitherowOh Puss One1989I GrayGhostbuster1990MJ Young & JW DudleyAeolian1991ScarboroughI GrayGhostbuster1992WindemereM HartJabiru1993Island SC, CowesM HartJabiru1994ClydeSteve GoacherEric the Boat1995Dabchicks S.C, West MerseaSteve GoacherEric the Boat1996WindemereSteve GoacherEric the Boat1997Hamble River SC, SolentSteve GoacherEric the Boat1998ClydeSteve GoacherEric the Boat 1999 Dabchicks S.C, West Mersea Steve Goacher Eric the Boat 2000 Strangford Lough Y.C, Killinchy Steve Goacher Eric the Boat 2001 Medway Y.C, Rochester Steve Goacher Eric the Boat 2002 Royal Tay Y.C, Dundee Steve Goacher Eric the Boat 2003 Royal Southern Yacht Club, Solent Tom White Pizzicato 2004 Strangford Lough Y.C., Killinchy Steve Goacher Eric the Boat 2005 Abersoch, Wales Steve Goacher Eric the Boat 2006 Dabchicks S.C., West Mersea Steve Goacher Eric the Boat 2007 Sunderland Y.C. Steve Goacher Eric the Boat 2008 Strangford Lough Y.C., Killinchy Dave Boatman Blue Tack 2009 Poole Y.C., Poole Dave Boatman Blue Tack 2010 Helensburgh, Clyde Steve Goacher Eric the Boat 2011 Dabchicks S.C., West Mersea Simon Farren & Marc Purdie Camel Toe 2012 Medway Y.C., Rochester Joe Cross Presto 2013 Strangford Lough Y.C., Killinchy Andy Tunnicliffe Eric the Boat2014 Brixham Y.C., Brixham Steve Goacher Eric the Boat2015 Helensburgh, Clyde Steve Goacher Eric the Boat2016 Poole Y.C., Poole Steve Goacher Eric the Boat2017 Strangford Lough Y.C, Co. Down Steve Goacher Eric the Boat2018 Medway Y.C., Rochester Joe Cross Exposition2019 Helensborough S.C, Clyde Steve Goacher Eric the Boat2020 COVID19 NOT HELD 2021Island S.C, CowesMax RichardsonLittle Scarlet2022Colne Y.C, BrightlingseaJonny Hewat/Lucian StoneWhite Noise2023Parkstone Y.C, PooleTony WoodsFrankie The Rhino2024Medway Y.C, RochesterJoe Cross/ Russell WheelerDuette2025Castle Cove S.C, WeymouthJoe Cross/ Russell WheelerDuette2026Royal Southern, HambleJoe Cross/ Russell WheelerDuette
References
External links National Sonata Association web site Hunter Medina Association web site