Hunter Marine
Encyclopedia
Hunter Marine Corporation is a U.S.-based sailboat
builder and a subsidiary of Luhrs Marine Group, which also produces Silverton, Mainship, and Luhrs brands of powerboat
s.
immigrant, outfitted trading ships and owned a chandlery. His grandson, Henry, continued the family heritage on the New Jersey
coast, building and repairing recreational and fishing boats. By the early 1960s Henry and his sons, John and Warren, were building over a thousand powerboats a year. Hunter Marine is now an ESOP company with partial ownership available to all employees, and is part of the Luhrs Marine Group, which consists of Luhrs Sportfishing boats, Silverton Motoryachts, Ovation Luxury Motoryachts, and Mainship Trawlers.
The Hunter sailboat line began in 1973 when Warren Luhrs decided to combine his building skills with his passion for sailing. Among his goals was producing an affordable boat. The early Hunter boats, designed by John E. Cherubini, targeted the value-priced market and developed a reputation for respectable quality and good value. Hunter gradually evolved into one of the largest sales volume producer of mid-priced sailing
yachts, in direct competition with Catalina Yachts
and Beneteau
. Hunter is responsible for several market innovations, including their trademark stainless steel cockpit arch and their use of the B & R rig. Hunter also began the construction of sailboats whose hulls make use of bow hollow and stern reflex, marine architecture design elements that maximize thrust under sail.
Hunter Marine is easily confused with the similarly named British boat builder, Hunter Boats (now British Hunter
). Consequently Hunter Marine uses the brand name "Legend" for boats sold in Great Britain.
boats, and roughly 1,200 smaller trailerable models.
Hunter changes its designs and model designations frequently, with the aim of closely following market trends for aesthetics and amenities. However, it limits the development of owner fleets built around "one design" models which promote sailboat racing.
Sailboat
A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails. The term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing ships, but distinctions in the size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship, sailboat, or a...
builder and a subsidiary of Luhrs Marine Group, which also produces Silverton, Mainship, and Luhrs brands of powerboat
Powerboat
A powerboat is another name for a motorboat. Powerboat may also refer to:* Powerboating* F1 Powerboat World Championship* Offshore powerboat racing...
s.
History
In the 1800s Henry Luhrs, a GermanGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrant, outfitted trading ships and owned a chandlery. His grandson, Henry, continued the family heritage on the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
coast, building and repairing recreational and fishing boats. By the early 1960s Henry and his sons, John and Warren, were building over a thousand powerboats a year. Hunter Marine is now an ESOP company with partial ownership available to all employees, and is part of the Luhrs Marine Group, which consists of Luhrs Sportfishing boats, Silverton Motoryachts, Ovation Luxury Motoryachts, and Mainship Trawlers.
The Hunter sailboat line began in 1973 when Warren Luhrs decided to combine his building skills with his passion for sailing. Among his goals was producing an affordable boat. The early Hunter boats, designed by John E. Cherubini, targeted the value-priced market and developed a reputation for respectable quality and good value. Hunter gradually evolved into one of the largest sales volume producer of mid-priced sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
yachts, in direct competition with Catalina Yachts
Catalina Yachts
Catalina Yachts is a U.S.-based builder of fiberglass monohull sloop-rigged sailboats ranging in sizes from eight to 47 feet in length. It was founded in 1969 in Hollywood, California by Frank Butler .-History:...
and Beneteau
Beneteau
Beneteau is a French sail and motor boat manufacturer, with production facilities in France and the United States.-History:Shipwright Benjamin Beneteau founded his company in 1884, at Croix-de-Vie, France to build sailing trawlers. In the mid sixties Benjamin's grandchildren Annette Benneteau...
. Hunter is responsible for several market innovations, including their trademark stainless steel cockpit arch and their use of the B & R rig. Hunter also began the construction of sailboats whose hulls make use of bow hollow and stern reflex, marine architecture design elements that maximize thrust under sail.
Hunter Marine is easily confused with the similarly named British boat builder, Hunter Boats (now British Hunter
British Hunter
British Hunter is a manufacturer of sailing boats based in the Lauren Marines boat yard Southampton, England. It was formerly based in Essex, and was known as Hunter Boats Limited...
). Consequently Hunter Marine uses the brand name "Legend" for boats sold in Great Britain.
Hunter Marine today
Hunter builds and sells through 140 dealers/distributors about 2,000 boats per year. The Hunter main factory produces about 800 larger keelKeel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
boats, and roughly 1,200 smaller trailerable models.
Models
For the 2011 Model Year, Hunter builds a selection of fifteen models, with six being new releases:| NEW 15 Trailerable | |
| NEW 18 Trailerable | |
| NEW 22 Trailerable | |
| 27 Aft Cockpit | |
| 27e Aft Cockpit w/ELCO Electric Motor | |
| 27/theEDGE Powersailer | |
| 31 Aft Cockpit | |
| 33 Aft Cockpit | |
| NEW e36 Aft Cockpit | |
| NEW 39 Aft Cockpit | |
| 41 Aft Cockpit | |
| 41 Deck Salon | |
| 45 Center Cockpit | |
| 45 Deck Salon | |
| NEW 50 Aft Cockpit | |
| 50 Center cockpit |
Hunter changes its designs and model designations frequently, with the aim of closely following market trends for aesthetics and amenities. However, it limits the development of owner fleets built around "one design" models which promote sailboat racing.