Disclosure
I am a Glenn Henderson FAN. I was a young man when the SR Series of peroformane racing sailboats hit the scene. The SR 21, 27 & 31 rocked the racing world in the 1990’s. I met Glenn Henderson several time in the 90’s and was impressed with his vision. Years later, the Henderson 30 made Gelnn a rockstar in my eye. Fast forward – Glenn joined the Hunter Marine team, I met with him with my friend, and then Hunter Marine President, John Peterson, to understand Glenn’s mandate with the Hunter Team. In my opinion, the Henderson designed Hunter Marine vessels are a significiant upgrade not only in perofrmance, but in general design pholisophgy.
Background
- Raised on Tampa Bay, Florida, he began sailing at age 12 in Boy Scout Optimist prams and local club racing.
Education & Technical Training
- University of North Florida: Completed undergraduate studies prior to his offshore voyages.
- Westlawn School of Yacht Design: Earned his degree in naval architecture through correspondence over six years while living and cruising at sea on a 26-foot sailboat across the Caribbean and Pacific.
- Hands-on Craftsmanship: Developed composite materials expertise by shaping custom surfboards in his youth, later working as an official IOR/IMS race boat measurer in Florida to analyze high-performance hull dynamics.
Notable Sailboat Designs & Production Years
| Boat Model | Production Years | Category | Key Characteristics |
| SR Max 21 / SR 21 | 1992–1996 | Light Sportboat | First CAD-drawn design; lifting keel, high power-to-weight ratio. |
| SR 27 & SR 33 | 1992–1996 | Performance Racer | Open reverse transoms and fast hull shapes built with C&C Yachts. |
| Henderson 30 | 1997–2000 | Grand Prix Sportboat | Built by SOCA; won Sailing World Overall Boat of the Year (1997). |
| Henderson 35 | 1998–2001 | Offshore ULDB | Scaled-up ultralight displacement design for ocean racing. |
| Hunter 356 / 36 | 2000–2008 | Mid-Size Cruiser | Breakthrough Hunter production redesign with fine entry bow lines. |
| Hunter 33 & 38 | 2004–2011 | Production Cruisers | Designed with “reflex” underbody shapes, B&R rigs, and high-aspect rudders. |
| Hunter 41 & 45 | 2004–2012 | Offshore Cruisers | High-volume designs offered in standard and Deck Salon (DS) variants. |
| Marlow-Hunter 31 | 2014–2018 | Pocket Cruiser | Modern hard-chine hull co-designed with David Marlow. |
Current Status 2026
- Residence: Semi-retired and residing on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica with his wife.
- Active Sailing: Regularly sails his Pearson 35 monohull in Central American waters.
- Writing: Authored the nautical fiction novel A Change of Course, drawing directly on his real-world trans-oceanic cruising experiences.