Hunter Delta
1980
This David Thomas-designed 25-footer followed Hunter Boats’ better known Sonata and Impala models, but without the one-design format. While it quickly found favour with buyers looking for a boat of a size between the two earlier models, this was the period in which French designs with a double quarter cabin aft were suddenly in the ascendency.
As a result, after four years the hull was used for a radical new model, the Hunter Horizon 26. This had a new stepped deck and coachroof that also in effect increased freeboard, giving significantly more accommodation volume and increasing the original boat’s marginal 1.7m (5ft 6in) headroom.
The extra space gave room for a slim quarter cabin, as well as an aft heads. The saloon was open plan to the forepeak, there are six berths in all, as well as an L-shaped galley and aft-facing fixed chart table.
Although a relatively large proportion of Deltas were sold with lifting keels, most Horizons were fitted with twin keels. These were designed by Thomas to maximise performance and as a result the boat was faster than many similar sized boats with fin keels. Twin keel Horizons have relatively deep draught, with keels splayed 10-15° from the vertical to improve efficiency when the boat is heeled. Their efficiency was such that Hunter marketed them as twin fins.
The Horizon 26 stayed in production until 1988, when the stern sections were stretched out to produce the Horizon 272. This had a little more space and light in the aft cabin, while on deck more attention was given to making the boat easy to handle, with efficient reefing systems and self-tacking jibs offered.