Exador (Farr One Tonner)

Exador 1983 (Farr Yacht Design)

Exador is another of the Bruce Farr-designed trio of 40 foot One Tonners that burst onto the New Zealand and international ocean racing scene in 1983. Exador was commissioned by yachtsman Tom McCall, and his commitment to building the first of Farr's new Design 136 convinced Owen Chantaloup and Del Hogg to proceed with sisterships Geronimo and Pacific Sundance with which to campaign in the 1983 Southern Cross Cup trials.  

The three New Zealand yachts all benefited from the one-design nature of their tuning programme, and all secured places in the New Zealand Southern Cross Cup team. The team put on a devastating and all-conquering performance in the Southern Cross Cup, taking wins in three out of five races to take the Cup with a big lead over the second placed New South Wales team. Exador finished fourth overall, behind Pacific Sundance (first) and Geronimo (second), with Exador also finishing ninth in the 160 boat fleet that contested the Sydney-Hobart race that was also the final race in the series. 

Exador on a downwind leg during the 1983 Southern Cross Cup (photo Diana Littler/Sea Spray)

Exador approaching a windward mark during the 1983 Southern Cross Cup (photo Phil Uhl)

Exador in the 1983 Sydney-Hobart race (photo Farr Yacht Design)

1984 Clipper Cup

The next year Exador, Pacific Sundance, and Shockwave were selected for the New Zealand 'A' team to contest the 1984 Clipper Cup. This was a powerful line up, and the team lead the series from the first race, with Exador finding the conditions much to her liking and taking four wins in the first four races. 

Both Exador and Pacific Sundance were going so fast in the final Round the State race that they were running first and second on corrected time and the Clipper Gold Cup looked to be New Zealand's. On elapsed time Exador was even ahead of the eventual winner of the race Sidewinder, which rated some 3 feet higher. However, disaster struck when Exador was engulfed by a rogue wave off South Point (on Hawaii's Big Island) that tore out her rig. The loss of Exador from the running dropped the team to second overall (just 12 points behind the US White team of Camouflage, Checkmate and Tomahawk). 

Exador in the 1984 Clipper Cup (above and below)

McCall nearly sold Exador, for business reasons, to the US (via an offer through Geoff Stagg of the Farr office) on the eve of the 1985 New Zealand Admiral's Cup challenge evaluation series. Fortunately, quick footwork by Auckland businessman Mike Clark kept the champion yacht in New Zealand. Skippered by Graeme Woodroffe she was the form yacht of the trials, and in lighter trim and with new sails she was an easy selection for the team, alongside Epic, another Farr 40, and Canterbury, a Davidson One Tonner. 

Exador beats upwind in the Rangitoto Channel during the 1985 Admiral's Cup trials (photo Peter Montgomery/SailWorld)

Exador leading the fleet during the 1985 Admiral;s Cup trials, with (right to left) Barnstorm, Epic Lass, Canterbury Export, and Swuzzlebubble V (photo Peter Montgomery/Sail World)

Exador in close company with Swuzzlebubble V during the 1985 Admiral's Cup trials

Exador beats upwind in the Rangitoto Channel during the 1985 Admiral's Cup trials

Exador begins another windward leg during the 1985 Admiral's Cup trials (photo NZ Yachting)

In her new team livery before heading overseas for the 1985 One Ton Cup and Admiral's Cup



Exador approaches a windward mark in the 1985 One Ton Cup, behind Alliance (right) and just ahead of Panda (left)

Exador during the 1985 One Ton Cup

All three New Zealand yachts competed in the 1985 One Ton Cup curtainraiser, held in Poole before the Admiral's Cup. With so many Admiral's Cup teams fielding One Tonners, the series was well attended and closely fought. Exador had a solid series, but after incurring a significant penalty in one race slipped from a possible third place overall to fourth behind Jade, Highland Fling and Panda. Exador then went on to lead the New Zealand Admiral's Cup team from the front, finishing as fifth yacht overall to help secure the team's third place amongst 18 teams, its best result in the regatta up to that time.

Exador during a pre-start at the 1985 One Ton Cup, with Australia's Hitchhiker II to leeward (photo Facebook)

The evergreen yacht went on to earn a place in the 1985 team that was selected to defend the Southern Cross Cup, joining Ian Gibb's Swuzzlebubble V, and Tom McCall's Farr 43 Switchblade. Unfortunately, New Zealand split its strongest performers between two teams, and Swuzzlebubble V proved to be off the pace, while in the second team the Peterson 43 Barnstorm undermined the top individual yacht of the series, the Davidson One Tonner Mad Max (later Goldcorp). Nevertheless, Exador sailed strongly, and was the only boat in the New Zealand A team to match pre-regatta expectations, finishing as third yacht overall (with placings of 4/5/9/4/6).

Exador finishing one of the inshore races off Cowes during the 1985 Admiral's Cup (photo Margherita Bottini/SailWorld)

Exador seen here to leeward of Portugese entry Algharbe, a Castro 40 (photo Histoiredeshalfs website)

Exador again showed her pedigree and incredible longevity by forming part of another champion New Zealand offshore team, alongside two Farr 43's Thunderbird and Equity, which won the 1986 Kenwood Cup. Exador had sailed well in the New Zealand trials, sporting some new sponsorship and renamed Paxus Exador. This injection of funds allowed a refit and new sails. A weight-saving exercise, including lighter floorboards and a new boom, and some re-trimming for Hawaiian conditions, gave the yacht a new lease of life and she went on to win Class D. Paxus Exador was also looking good for overall fleet honours, but large holes in the Round the State race caught many of the smaller boats, Paxus Exador included.

Exador sporting new livery for the 1986 Kenwood Cup trials

Exador blazes upwind in the conditions she was designed for, circa 1986

By the time of the 1986 Kenwood Cup, Exador had been sold to Japan's 'Harry' Takeda, a move that was met with some sadness in New Zealand sailing circles. An editorial in New Zealand Yachting magazine at the time lamented that it was hard to imagine any other yacht matching Exador's record across such a large number of regattas, an ever-present campaigner in the New Zealand's 1983-85 Champagne Mumm World Cup victory.

Exador seen here (Offshore magazine) racing in Japan in the 1989 Big Boat Series in Gamgori, Japan (finishing 19th overall). The red dot in the middle of the boom was the logo of the Bengal Bay Yacht Club America's Cup Challenge and the event was held at the Nippon Ocean Racing Club America's Cup Challenge headquarters

Exador is understood to be currently based in Vladivostok, Russia, where she sails at the '7 Feet' Yacht Club (see photo above). In 2012 she finished second in the 500 mile Sea of Japan race, and finished fifth in 2013. The owner's are proud of Exador's rich and distinguished history, and are doing everything possible to maintain her in top condition. More recent photographs can be seen below.

Article updated March 2024