Design and Construction
The Medina 20 is explicitly based on the Hunter Sonata’s proven lines, and that lineage shows in the way this small hull performs beyond what its length might suggest. David Thomas designed it around a light 860 kg displacement and a lifting keel, making the boat easy to launch and recover from a trailer.
With the keel raised, draft is just 10 inches. That allows the Medina to explore shallow creeks and drying harbours that deeper-draft rivals can’t reach. It can also dry out upright on a mooring where deeper-draft rivals cannot sit.
Flat sections aft encourage the boat to surf early once a sea builds beneath the stern, contributing directly to its lively downwind performance.
Rig and Handling
The Medina carries a fractional rig with a high-performance bendy mast and a 140% deck-hugging genoa. It is fast to windward and, in the right conditions, capable of matching or beating many fast 27-footers, despite being seven feet shorter.
Off the wind, the flat run aft and light displacement allow the Medina to exceed 10 knots under spinnaker. That’s a striking speed for a trailer-sailer. The same low displacement and lifting keel that simplify launching also make the boat forgiving to handle around a slip or crowded launching ramp.
Accommodation
Below deck, the Medina provides four berths in a single cabin. The space is honest about its size—this is a 20-footer, not a pocket cruiser with illusions—but it offers genuine sleeping capacity for a short-handed crew or small family without external additions.
The simple, single-cabin layout also reduces the number of interior structures that can work loose or leak over a season of trailering. The trade-off is limited comfort and privacy.
Verdict
The Medina 20 is a clever, performance-minded trailer-sailer that trades cabin volume for speed and access. Its Sonata-derived hull and bendy fractional rig provide strong windward pace and exhilarating downwind surfing, allowing it to embarrass larger boats in the right conditions. Meanwhile, the lifting keel and 10-inch keel-up draft make it one of the more versatile small craft for exploring shallow water and using drying moorings.
Production ended at hull number 170.
Pros
- Fast to windward and capable of matching or beating many fast 27-footers
- Lifting keel and 10-inch keel-up draft suit shallow water and drying moorings
- Surfs early and exceeds 10 knots downwind under spinnaker
- Light displacement makes it easy to launch, recover, and trailer
Cons
- Compact single-cabin accommodation limits comfort and privacy
- The small fleet means fewer boats and parts in circulation
