Sonata
Hunter · Thomas David · 1978
Updated
The Sonata is a 6.51 m heavy displacement racing yacht designed by Thomas David and built by Hunter, first launched in 1978. It races in Class C.
Length
6.51 m
21′ 4″
Beam
2.42 m
Draft
1.41 m
Displacement
1.4 t
Sail area
27 m²
On the podium
Where a Sonata finishes when she goes racing.
1
Wins
0
Seconds
0
Thirds
1
Starts
Not enough races yet for a percentage — these are the counts so far. We keep collecting results, so this will fill in.
Read from 1 start by 1 boat between 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Sonata was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
Intercity Regattaen og Intercity Cup2026
Raced one we are missing?
Report a regattaRound the buoys, or offshore
A short windward-leeward and a night at sea ask different things of a boat. Here is how this one does in each.
Round the buoys
—
Not enough data yet: no races of 10 NM or less carry a published distance.
Offshore & coastal
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Not enough data yet: no races over 10 NM carry a published distance.
Who she races against
The designs a Sonata actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Met too few times for a figure:
Cumulus (1 meeting)
Speed at every angle
The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.
Upwind VMG
3.80
40°
Beam reach
6.32
90°
Broad reach
6.79
135°
Downwind VMG
6.10
170°
Speed in knots at 20 knots of true wind. Green marks the angles that pay: the closest useful beat and the deepest run worth sailing.
Where it wins and where it pays
Every boat is judged against its own measurements — length, weight, sail area. The quicker those say it should be, the more it has to deliver just to break even. Going fast is not enough: it has to go faster than its own numbers promised.
There is no obvious weak spot here. It rewards preparation and crew work more than it rewards picking the right day.
Where it gains
Its best ground is to windward in a working breeze, where it goes better than its measurements say it should.
Where it pays
It falls short on the beam in light air, giving away time it never gets back.
Above the line it delivers more than promised and gains on the fleet. Below, it falls short. Move the wind: plenty of boats sit on one side in the light and the other when it blows.
Full width is 0.4 kn either way.
At 10 knots it gives away time on the beam reach — the rating asks more than the boat returns.
How fast is a Sonata
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 2.53 | 3.41 | 3.85 | 3.80 |
| 52° | 3.83 | 5.00 | 5.44 | 5.48 |
| 60° | 4.03 | 5.15 | 5.58 | 5.69 |
| 75° | 4.14 | 5.28 | 5.74 | 6.03 |
| 90° | 4.18 | 5.47 | 5.96 | 6.32 |
| 110° | 4.18 | 5.46 | 6.12 | 6.79 |
| 120° | 4.03 | 5.38 | 6.04 | 6.93 |
| 135° | 3.62 | 5.13 | 5.85 | 6.79 |
| 150° | 3.19 | 4.75 | 5.61 | 6.49 |
| Run VMG | 2.75 | 4.21 | 5.24 | 6.10 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Most run a fixed propeller. Crew weight is declared around 310 kg.
Rigging
Sonata rig and sail dimensions
A Sonata carries 7.94 m of mainsail hoist on a 2.60 m boom, a forestay 7.48 m above the deck. Typical figures across the 2 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails