The Hunter 40, on which the 40-2 is based, had its first hull delivered to Annapolis just in time for a high-profile debut at the 2012 U.S. Sailboat Show. The rush from design to production took only eight weeks. SAIL magazine’s Best Boats judges chose it in the hotly contested Cruising Monohull category, and the 40-2 carries forward the same core concept.
Design and Construction
The Hunter 40-2 measures 41 feet 3 inches overall, with a beam of 13 feet 2 inches. Displacement is roughly 19,700 pounds, including 6,027 pounds of lead ballast. The bulb-keeled hull has a hard chine, which test sailors credited with giving the boat good form stability and tracking. A low-profile coachroof and near-plumb bow reflect the visual direction of Hunter’s recent models.
Below the waterline, the hull is handlaid solid polyester laminate with vinylester in the outer layers and NPG gelcoat to resist osmotic blistering. Above the waterline, it is cored with end-grain balsa. Kevlar is added to the laminate in the forward areas of the hull, from the keel up. The deck is also balsa-cored, with solid laminate beneath all hardware.
Rig and Sailing Performance
An overhead mainsheet arch keeps the cockpit free of clutter while adding useful functionality. The double-ended mainsheet runs from the arch and can be handled either from the coachroof to starboard or from the port-side helm station. All jibsheet and traveler controls are within reach of the helms, making the boat easy to sail singlehanded.
The foretriangle is rather small, and although the standard 110 percent headsail is efficient, it has limited area. A removable bowsprit is available for flying gennakers and A-sails.
On the wind, the test boat was fully powered up at a 35-degree apparent-wind angle, making just under 7 knots in 12 knots of apparent wind. When pinching at 20 to 25 degrees, it still held 5.8 knots. After bearing away, it reached 8.6 knots at 60 degrees before slowing to 7.3 knots on a flat reach. The boat didn’t gripe when well heeled.
Helm response was very good, although the steering action felt a little bumpy. A tester assumed that simple cable adjustments could correct it.
Cockpit and Deck
High coamings provide good back support behind the cockpit benches. Access between the twin helm stations to the immense fold-down transom is superb, with two comfortable quarter seats built into the stern-pulpit corners. The fixed cockpit table was easy to move around when its leaves were folded down.
On the test boat, the arch incorporated a hard targa top that provided permanent shelter and a place for solar panels. One tester twice banged his head on the targa’s leading edge while stepping down from the side deck.
Cockpit storage on the test boat was limited to one shallow locker and a lazarette that could be reached only when the transom was raised. Marlow Hunter reported that cockpit storage would be improved on future boats.
Accommodations
The tested two-stateroom version had a generous aft cabin with a large island double berth beneath the cockpit. Forward was an almost equally large double stateroom. Both cabins had en-suite heads with segregated shower stalls. A three-stateroom layout is also offered, with smaller twin double cabins aft.
In the saloon, both the port bench seat and the outer limb of the starboard dinette settee were long enough to serve as comfortable sea berths. The galley provided plenty of counter space and storage, although some sailors may find the two sinks and double-burner stove undersized.
The nav station was a little too small to impress a traditionalist, but the interior finish was good for a mass-produced boat. Vertical clearance in the aft stateroom was also somewhat limited on the test boat; the manufacturer said this would be improved on later hulls.
Engine and Systems
The test boat had a 54hp Yanmar diesel driving a saildrive. The engine was mounted backward in a tight space, though all vital parts could be reached from three sides.
At 2,000 rpm, the boat made 7.9 knots under power. Speed rose to 8.2 knots at 2,200 rpm and 9.2 knots at 2,900 rpm with the throttle wide open. The stock two-blade wheel took its time to engage when the direction was reversed.
Practical Caveats
Early and later examples may differ in two areas. Marlow Hunter said it would improve both cockpit storage and aft-stateroom headroom on subsequent hulls, useful context for anyone comparing boats from different points in production.
Other practical drawbacks include the undersized galley sinks and stove, the test boat’s slightly bumpy steering action, and the slow response of the standard two-blade wheel when reversing direction.
The Verdict
The Hunter 40-2 is a modern, mass-produced cruiser that sails exceedingly well and offers genuinely roomy two- or three-stateroom accommodations. Ordering the standard full-batten mainsail and deep keel rather than the shoal-draft, in-mast rig would likely allow it to give many racer-cruisers a serious run.
The mainsheet arch and twin-helm cockpit are well thought out, while the build approach below the waterline is sound.
Pros
- Quick, well-mannered sailing performance with good form stability
- Spacious two-stateroom layout with en-suite heads
- Mainsheet arch clears the cockpit and supports solar or targa options
- Strong, blister-resistant solid hull below the waterline, with Kevlar reinforcement forward
Cons
- Limited cockpit storage on early boats
- Undersized galley sinks and stove
- Tight aft-stateroom headroom in the tested configuration
- Bumpy steering feel and a slow-biting standard propeller
