C. Raymond Hunt Associates have enjoyed a long association with production builders, having designed lines of powerboats and motoryachts for them which have had popular and commercial success.

At the end of the 1990’s, the Design Office became intrigued with the possibility of developing a simple, single-engine powerboat that would deliver moderate speed, very efficient passages and the full advantage of the Hunt deep-V hull. It would provide modest accommodation, to reflect that an increasing number of boaters were not interested nor had the time for cruising but might spent an occasional night aboard. And it would avoid details which required excessive maintenance.

From this concept in 1998 emerged plans for what became the Hunt 33. Those plans were offered to several production builders who were already Hunt clients. But, when each turned down this opportunity, backers decided to proceed with building a small company around the design. Quite logically, that company was named Hunt Yachts.