Hunter impala 30 info!

[Noema]

I can find information and reviews on the 28ft but not the 30ft and is anyone able to offer info on their suitability as a cruiser and their sea keeping!

Thanks

 

[sailorman]

I can find information and reviews on the 28ft but not the 30ft and is anyone able to offer info on their suitability as a cruiser and their sea keeping!

Thanks

there was No 30 footer to my knowledge

 

[BAtoo]

there was No 30 footer to my knowledge

+1

 

[LouisBrowne]

There never was a Hunter Impala 30.

I had an Impala 28 for 6 years in the 1990s. They could be a handful in windy weather because the rudder tended to lose its grip.

I believe David Thomas has designed a new, deeper, rudder and this may have addressed the problem.

However it would not be my first choice for family cruising unless the family members are quite experienced.

 

[Noema]

Thanks for clearing this up as i had emiled the guy and he swore blind it was a 30 footer not a 28, this is a case of artistic licence!

http://yachts.apolloduck.ie/display.phtml?aid=140973

Thanks for the help it is appreciated!

 

[r_h]

Thanks for clearing this up as i had emiled the guy and he swore blind it was a 30 footer not a 28, this is a case of artistic licence!

http://yachts.apolloduck.ie/display.phtml?aid=140973

Thanks for the help it is appreciated!

That one's a 28.

At a later date they stretched the hull to 30ft, put a bigger coachroof on and installed a comfortable interior to create the Horizon 30.

 

[woodstock]

We looked at that very boat - it has had an odd sort of sugar scoop added onto the stern, so I guess it probably is more than 28'! Quite why you'd want to do that to a perfectly good boat, I don't know...

 

[sailorman]

We looked at that very boat - it has had an odd sort of sugar scoop added onto the stern, so I guess it probably is more than 28'! Quite why you'd want to do that to a perfectly good boat, I don't know...

there's nowt a queer as a previous owner

 

[Judders]

Runaway

Yep, that's Runaway. We were keen to look at her as she has a good spec but she has had a sugar scoop. The owner has some photos which I am sure he will send you.

The 28 is an IRC bandit but I believe that the way the rating works can make a 30 even more so. On the other hand, you cant sail it in class like that.

 

[Quandary]

David Thomas designed another 28 footer in the mid.to late seventies, the Hydro, it was more stripped out than the Impala with a distinct chine and broader stern, moulded by Seaglass there are still a few around. Very competitive racer in their day. Typical Thomas 3/4 rig, a lot of them used outboard engines for getting in and out of harbour, though, as their racing days passed most were eventually fitted with inboards.
In turn the Toledo was a 30 footer developed from the Hydro by extending the stern with a sugar scoop and changing the rudder. It was quick and at least one Hydro owner converted his to the Toledo shape with good results. It is a much rarer bird. Both boats were marketed to Scotland/ Ireland by Nick Stratton and figured highly in the results of the Scottish Series etc. at the time.
Has there ever been anyone as prolific as David Thomas? he certainly knew how to find performance on the drawing board in the days before universal 3D modelling.

 

[saltylegs]

I have heard of a couple of impala's that had a scoop to re rate but also to bring them up to the 30 foot limit for some offshore races.
some also added a lead shoe to the keel to improve performance.

 

[saltylegs]

David Thomas designed another 28 footer in the mid.to late seventies, the Hydro, it was more stripped out than the Impala with a distinct chine and broader stern, moulded by Seaglass there are still a few around. Very competitive racer in their day. Typical Thomas 3/4 rig, a lot of them used outboard engines for getting in and out of harbour, though, as their racing days passed most were eventually fitted with inboards.
In turn the Toledo was a 30 footer developed from the Hydro by extending the stern with a sugar scoop and changing the rudder. It was quick and at least one Hydro owner converted his to the Toledo shape with good results. It is a much rarer bird. Both boats were marketed to Scotland/ Ireland by Nick Stratton and figured highly in the results of the Scottish Series etc. at the time.
Has there ever been anyone as prolific as David Thomas? he certainly knew how to find performance on the drawing board in the days before universal 3D modelling.

Heres one you would have raced against.
http://www.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=99623
and a toledo with the nicer stern than the Hydro.
http://wales.boatshed.com/toledo_30-boat-122630.html
Actually the Hydro above is described as a special so may be a Toledo too.

 

[Quandary]

Heres one you would have raced against.
http://www.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=99623
and a toledo with the nicer stern than the Hydro.
http://wales.boatshed.com/toledo_30-boat-122630.html
Actually the Hydro above is described as a special so may be a Toledo too.

Yup, Moonlighter was modified though the scoop was just a moulded grp appendage on the back of the cockpit, I knew her and her late owner who was a very skilful sailor well, she was in the same family for many years. He persisted with an outboard after adding the scoop though it was definitely hard to reach. I discussed buying Moonlighter with him at the Tarbert series in about 85 prior to modification but went for a Sigma 33 instead.
The Toledo looks well too and seems to be a decent boat for 8.5 k.
Thanks for the links, I enjoyed viewing both boats.

 

[wotayottie]

there was a hunter horizon 30 which i was told was the impaled hull extended with a sugar scoop. whether this is correct i am less sure.

 

[lenseman]

there was a hunter horizon 30 which i was told was the impaled hull extended with a sugar scoop. whether this is correct i am less sure.

According to this Association, you are correct.

http://www.hunterassociation.org.uk/site/ha_history_of_hunter_boats_and_their_yachts.php

 

[Judders]

According to this Association, you are correct.

http://www.hunterassociation.org.uk/site/ha_history_of_hunter_boats_and_their_yachts.php

Where does it actually say that? Given that the first Horizon 30 was built nearly a decade after the last Impala, it seems a little unlikely, though certainly Hunters got as many models as they could out of one hull design.

 

[lenseman]

Where does it actually say that? Given that the first Horizon 30 was built nearly a decade after the last Impala, it seems a little unlikely, though certainly Hunters got as many models as they could out of one hull design.

Paragraph 8.

 

[Judders]

Paragraph 8.

In 1984, Hunters decided to investigate Twin Keels and move towards cruisers rather than Cruiser-Racers. The first of this new range of cruisers was the Hunter Horizon 26, and in 1984 she won the Best Production Boat of the Year Award. She was soon joined by the twin keel Hunter Duette 23 (a Sonata development with twin keels), the Hunter Horizon 27, 272 and 273, and the Hunter Horizon 32 wheelhouse cruiser. The new 32 also won the Award for the best Production Cruiser of the year in 1987. The Fin Keel Hunter 27OOD was a larger rigged and quicker version of the Horizon 27. The last Horizon models were the 21, 23 and the 30; also predominantly Twin Keelers.

??

 

[Noema]

Thanks for all the input and there is a great wealth of knowledge on this forum

 

[Judders]

Thanks for all the input and there is a great wealth of knowledge on this forum

There is a wealth more at the class association website, which I am sure you have already visited.

This is by far the most active class association I've ever known. A lot of the work is done by Ben Meakins and he is quite evangelical about the boats.