The Ikea Boat-More show stuff
 

On 20 Jan 2004, r.brody wrote:

Hunter seems to have improved, at least on their
larger boats. These are still coastal boats, but the
DS models are better looking and probably sail okay.
. . . We were aboard the DS 43 or 44 and we all felt
that owning one would be tolerable to say the least.

The entire Hunter line has been in the process of re-design during the
past several years, a process that is still on-going. Apart from what
arguably is just an esthetic issue of the Hunter overhead traveler
(the obtrusiveness of which appears mitigated somewhat on its new
center-cockpit larger boat) and also from lingering structural issues
some knowledgeable folk contend might still be a problem, its newer
larger models (of which the center cockpit one shown in AC is an
example) appear commodious and comfortable, at least below deck,
though with what to some might be an enormous caveat: In most
conditions (and even after accounting for variables in wind/tides,
etc.), none of these models sail anywhere near as well as a comparably
sized Catalina or Beneteau or most of the much higher-priced (even if
not exclusively high-performance "racer") others.

Even so, however, it is pretty clear that, as is so for most owners of
other brands, Hunter owners seem to love their Hunters.

(The owner of the stolen Beneteau meanwhile has said he switched to
that manufactuer's boat after having owned Catalinas.)