Many moons ago I had a premonition that Hunter Boats ought to build a classy little motorboat for customers who decide the time has come to move on from sail to power. So when the late, great David Thomas tempted me with a retro-looking weekend whizz-boat with a twin-tunnelled wash-free hull, I didn't scratch my head and ask 'why?' I surprised him by replying 'yes please'.
From the word go, we all loved the Landau 20. I even enjoyed being driven by David Thomas into a Force 8 gale as we rushed across a wave-tossed Solent to keep a Cowes appointment. "No point in going slowly; this hull should take these waves more comfortably on the plane," he said. And as usual, he was right.
Once again, David had come up with a brilliant design. The Landau 20 won an award when it came out in the 1990s and remains popular with motorboat owners and retired sailors to this day.
Since launching the Landau I have always been fascinated to find out the types of motorboats - be they big and pricey or modest and economical - that appeal to the owners of Hunters and of bigger yachts alike, and why.
Oysters for a commodore
The first ex-Hunter owner I contacted was Colin Hall; a past commodore of the Royal Southern YC. He told me that after racing keel boats - Soling, J24, Dragon - in the 1970s and 80s, "a young family came along and I made my first switch to cruising with an Oyster 406 ... This was a splendid sea boat, comfortable, stylish and just the job for cruising to Brittany... But after a few years, the crew decided that cruising was 'boring' and they wanted to go off dinghy racing, which they did."
Colin then reverted to racing a J/105, Laser 28 and finally a Hunter 707 over several years. Then he heard that his old Oyster 406 was in a sad state and up for sale. So he bought it back, sent it to the famous Elephant Boatyard for some TLC and she emerged looking 'as-new'.
Esta historia es de la edición September 2022 de Practical Boat Owner.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 2022 de Practical Boat Owner.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Sula's story
Julia Jones explains how an English yacht became a Scottish workboat and how a 120-year-old Crinan Ferry design was upcycled
Sailing in the lap of the Gods
Beyond GPS: divine assistance, suitable rites and a belt and braces multitheistic approach
Boatbuilding college shuts downs
After 50 years of inspiring the next generation of traditional boatbuilders, the International Boatbuilding Training College -IBTC Lowestoft -is closing its doors for good.
How to keep your boat in top condition
The experts at boatcare on the importance of scheduled maintenance
Do you really need an active radar reflector?
Simon Hampton-Matthews, chair of the Cruising Association's RATS committee, discusses radar reflectors and if they're still the best way to be seen on the water
Saildrive maintenance
Stu Davies shares his tips for making sure your boat's saildrive runs smoothly
Cornish Shrimper 19 - Cape Cutter 19 | Hunter Liberty or Minstrel | Drascombe Coaster
Rupert Holmes looks into why this small, traditionally-styled cruiser remains so universally popular -and suggests some alternative boats that fulfill a similar brief
Is foiling really the future of cruising?
Foiling technology has revolutionised the world of sailboat racing, but can it make its way to cruising yachts too? Saša Fegić reports
Warning to check your gas regulator!
PBO reader Alan Thorne suffered a harrowing lesson in the importance of using marine-grade gas regulators on board when a 'fireball' ignited.
Weathering winter weather
A handy guide to keeping warm and dry
