boat builder
This is a list of boat builders, for which there is a Wikipedia article.
Motorboats (<50 feet)
* American Skier
*
presently based in
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of
glassfibre
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cloth ...
sailboat
A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture.
Types
Although sailboat terminolo ...
s.
The company was founded by in 1969 by Michael Polard, as the Essex Boat Company. In 2009 it became a
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create ...
of Lauren Marine of Southampton under the name British Hunter.
History
The first design produced by the new company was the Squib, an open
keelboat
A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open w ...
designed by Oliver Lee in 1967. Lee also designed a cabin version of the Squib in 1972, the Hunter 19, later called the Europa. Lee was the principle
naval architect This is the top category for all articles related to architecture and its practitioners.
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Design occupations
Occupations
Occupation commonly refers to:
*Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role ...
for the company in this period, designing the Hunter 490 and the Hunter 701.
In the early 1970s the company relocated to Rochford and a custom-built plant in that town. At that time it was renamed Hunter Boats Limited and by 1975 David Thomas became the main designer. He drew the Hunter Sonata and the Impala 28.
In the mid-1970s the company produced many racing sailboats, including the designs of Steven Jones, including the Formula 28. His HB 31 was the first production boat to use
kevlar
Kevlar (para-aramid) is a strong, heat-resistant synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont in 1965, the high-strength material was first used commercially in the early 1970s a ...
laminates in its hull construction. By the 1980s the company started building boats with twin keels and moved away from racing boats to cruising boat designs. The Hunter Horizon 26 was the first of this new range of cruising sailboats and it won the ''Best Production Boat of the Year'' award when it was introduced in 1984. The Hunter Horizon 32 also won ''Best Production Cruiser of the Year'' in 1987 as the company continued to specialize in cruising sailboats.
In 1995 the company introduced the Thomas-designed Hunter 707 and the following year it was named ''Yacht of the Year''.
Hunter Boats was bought out in 2003 by the Select Yachts Group and added to its portfolio of marine companies that included Cornish Crabbers, Red Fox Yachts, the Landau Launch Company and Cornish Diva.
In 2009 Lauren Marine of Southampton purchased the rights, molds and tooling for the Hunter range of boats and built them under the
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create ...
List of sailboat designers and manufacturers
This is a list of notable sailboat designers and manufacturers, which are described by an article in English Wikipedia. Sailboat design and manufacturing is done by a number of companies and groups.
Notable designers
Sailboat designer articles ...