Thomas deliberately chose a non-planing hull. He explained that too much planing might frighten family crews and granny—a telling philosophy for a boat intended to bridge club racing and casual coastal sailing.
Design and Construction
Hunter was an early adopter of unidirectional and woven rovings in a production hull, a choice that helped to make the Sonata both light and tough. Thomas also gave the hull a pronounced tuck beneath the cockpit. This geometry keeps the boat from breaking free of her quarter wave and helps her upwind behavior.
With an 18-foot waterline and a fractional sloop rig, the Sonata’s proportions favor windward performance over outright planing speed. The hull later proved versatile: it was reused for the Duette, Hunter’s first twin-fin design, and then for the Horizon 23 in 1990.
Rig and Handling
The original rig had minimal sweep-back on the shrouds, a detail period observers linked to the occasional mast coming down in heavy weather. Racing owners responded by moving their masts aft to the maximum class tolerance, effectively creating in-line cap shrouds for greater stability.
Class rules now permit runners to provide additional support on breezy downwind legs. That concession acknowledges the rig’s vulnerability without rewriting the boat.
Testers were impressed by the Sonata’s windward speed from a hull with only an 18-foot waterline. At the same time, the non-planing form gives less experienced crews more predictable motion.
Accommodation
Below, the Sonata has a comfortable 40 inches of sitting headroom over the saloon bunks, plus two 6-foot berths in the forepeak. On most racing versions, however, the forepeak is used for sail stowage rather than sleeping—a practical trade-off that reflects the boat’s dual role.
The accommodation is compact by any cruising standard, but the berth layout clearly aims to give four people somewhere to lie down once the racing is over.
Known Issues
Structurally, the Sonata has shown few notable problems beyond the risk of the mast coming down, already associated with the lightly swept shrouds. The class’s rule changes allowing runners suggest that the rig, rather than the structure, is the weak point owners watch.
The Verdict
The Hunter Sonata is a small, thoughtful David Thomas design that trades planing excitement for predictable handling and a tough early-composite hull. Its production run of 479 boats and the hull’s reuse for two sister models speak to a sound platform. The rig’s mast-stability history is the one area that buyers and racers must respect.
For a 23-footer of its era, the Sonata remains a capable club racer with just enough cabin space to qualify as a weekender.
Pros
- Light, tough hull using early unidirectional and woven rovings
- Non-planing form helps keep family crews comfortable
- Strong windward performance for an 18-foot waterline
- Versatile hull later used for the Duette and Horizon 23
Cons
- Minimal shroud sweep-back linked to occasional mast loss in heavy weather
- Limited sitting headroom, with the forepeak often sacrificed to sail stowage
