Condor seen here in fresh reaching conditions during the 1984 Clipper Cup, leading Nirvana and Ragamuffin (photo Phil Uhl)
Condor was an 80-foot maxi yacht commissioned by Bob Bell, who’s first maxi was Condor of Bermuda, designed by John Sharp for the 1977 Whitbread Round the World Race. The experience with Condor of Bermuda resulted in firm ideas about the performance areas to aim for with a new yacht. Ron Holland’s design notes of the time advised that there had been a great deal of communication between Bell and the design team during the early stages of design development for his new maxi. The outcome was a longer boat, at 80.3ft LOA, with a generous 18.7ft beam and displacement of 75,865lbs, with similar parameters to Jim Kilroy’s slightly earlier Kialoa IV, also designed by Holland.
Condor profile and sail plan
To ensure light air speed, a larger sail plan than for Kialoa IV was chosen, putting the ‘I’ dimension at the magical 100-foot mark, the first modern yacht to achieve this height while also meeting the 70.0ft maximum rating under IOR. This mast was based on a Hood Yacht Systems extrusion fabricated by Proctor Masts, with a three-spreader inline rig geometry supported by Navtec rod rigging.
Condor during the 1981 Seahorse Maxi Series (photo Phil Uhl)
Hull form, keel design and construction all related to this increase in sail area which was expected to develop speed not only in light airs, but in the widest possible range of sailing conditions. The hull was constructed in Cornwall by Mid-Ocean Marine utilising Kevlar and carbon composites, with an aluminium space frame responsible for handling the enormous loads generated by the large sail plan. Condor was instantly recognisable with topsides of a deep plum colour and yellow trim, and yellow spinnakers.
Condor's deck plan and interior arrangement
The design for Condor also made no pretence of being anything other than a racing yacht. The interior layout prioritised the practical needs of sail stowage and handling, either side of the engine, freezer and gear stowage areas. This allowed the weight of sails to be located around the yacht’s centre of gravity rather than up for’ard as typical at the time for yachts of this size. Double hatches near the mast were arranged specially for minimising the effort to move maxi-sized sails to and from the deck. The engine itself was an 8-cyliner 8LXB Gardner diesel that turned a 42” diameter folding propeller.
The deck layout was chosen with full communication between designer, owner and the supplier, Lewmar. As with all other aspects of the yacht, the six-pedestal drive layout was oriented towards maximum efficiency during short-course racing.
Condor sails downwind with her bright yellow spinnaker and blooper set and leading Kialoa IV during the 1981 Seahorse Maxi Series (photo Phil Uhl)
Condor was instantly recognisable with topsides of a deep plum colour and yellow trim, and yellow spinnakers, and she was launched in mid-June 1981, in time for her first major racing event - the 1981 Seahorse Maxi Series held in Cowes. This series was contested by 11 yachts of 52.6 – 70.0ft IOR. Condor, skippered by Dennis Connor, and Kialoa IV were typically at the head of the fleet, with seldom more than several boat-lengths between them. Condor won the first race, but Kialoa IV turned the tables in the next two races, with the Frers-designed maxi Xargo also getting amongst the action with two second places. The fourth race was a 60-mile course around the Isle of Wight, which Condor was leading before she ran hard aground on Hamstead Ledge, promptly handing line honours to Kialoa IV and going on to finish in last place, and fourth overall in the series (on both line and handicap).
Condor during the 1982 SORC, with Nirvana to windward and Windward Passage and Kialoa IV behind (photo Phil Uhl)
Condor went on to finish second in Class A in that year’s Channel Race. She later raced in the Sardinia Cup where she was dismasted, with her lofty spar breaking just below the second spreader. From there she was transferred in January 1982 to Florida by freighter to collect a new four-spreader Hood mast, and to compete in the 1982 SORC. She finished seventh in Class A after failing to finish the first two races, before going on to finish with more promising results of 2/2/8/3 in the ten boat fleet.
Condor off the North Shore of Molokai during the 1982 Clipper Cup (photo Phil Uhl)
The next major event for Condor was the 1982 Pan Am Clipper Cup (with stablemate Condor of Bermuda also amongst the competitors), remembered for the fresh conditions associated with a nearby hurricane. Condor was skippered in this series by Dick Deaver and performed well, taking second in Class A behind Kialoa IV, with placings of 1/4/2/2/2. She was third yacht in the overall standings (1/35/8/4/2), edging out Bravura and Kialoa IV on countback (all three yachts finished on 746 points). She again placed second in September that year at the Big Boat Series in San Francisco (placings of 2/2/2/2/2). Her next major race was the 1982 Sydney-Hobart Race, where she narrowly beat Alan Bond’s Apollo for line honours, but was a lowly 95th on corrected time.
Condor during the 1983 SORC (photo Larry Moran)
Condor also competed in the 1983 SORC, but with somewhat lacklustre results, finishing in sixth place of 11 Class A yachts (placings of 6/2/5/5/7/9), a penalty contributing to her ninth place in the final race.
Condor seen here leading Kialoa IV during the 1983 SORC, and demonstrating an impressive amount of mast bend (photo Larry Moran)
Later that year, however, Condor showed her pedigree in the Fastnet Race, where she scored the coveted triple - taking line honours, in record time (beating the time previously set by Condor of Bermuda), and overall handicap victory.
Condor rounds a leeward markduring the South Pacific Maxi Championship off Sydney Heads (photo Phil Uhl)
Another of the more memorable races in Condor’s heyday occurred later that year, with an incredibly close duel with Marvin Green’s David Pedrick -designed Nirvana in the 1983 Sydney-Hobart Race. The two maxis had enjoyed close racing throughout the Burns Philip South Pacific Maxi championship preceding the Sydney-Hobart (alongside the Southern Cross Cup of that year), with two wins each but won by Nirvana after she prevailed in the double-points 180-miler. The close race during the 1983 Sydney-Hobart Race culminated with Condor grounding and left parked for five minutes on White Rock near the finish line in the Derwent River, while Nirvana slid on by to win by 2m 16s.
Condor gybes at a wing mark during the 1983 South Pacific Maxi Championship off Sydney Heads, ahead of Nirvana (photo Phil Uhl)
The facts of the incident were recorded in the subsequent protest decision, which was ruled in favour of Condor:
“Nirvana on starboard tack was being overtaken by Condor also on starboard tack. Condor was sailing faster than Nirvana and overtook her to windward and between her and the shore. At the time the overlap was established there was sufficient room for Condor to establish it in safety. The overlap was established at least five lengths prior to the position of the grounding. Both yachts had steerageway, but were moving slowly with Condor moving faster than Nirvana.
“Condor hailed for water while holding a course to clear the White Rock. Nirvana was sailing higher than Condor and holding a course closing the shore. Condor hailed again for room and Nirvana commenced to pull away. Condor struck the bottom and stopped. Condor did not have sufficient room to clear the shore and her stopping caused a minor contact between the yachts after the grounding...".
Nirvana was disqualified for failing to give Condor sufficient room. However, Condor’s request for a time allowance was rejected (as not meeting the requirements of Rule 69(a), (b) or (c)). While she secured line honours, she was only 73rd on corrected time (won that year by Challenge II).
Condor heads upwind to the first turning mark off Sydney Heads during the 1983 Sydney-Hobart Race (photo Phil Uhl)
Condor lowers her genoa after setting spinnaker and turning south during the 1983 Sydney-Hobart Race (photo Phil Uhl)
Condor was represented at the protest hearing by Ted Turner, who had been at the wheel, relying on his own evidence and the introduction of video film. Nirvana's case was presented by navigator Peter Bowker, who called in crewmen Geoff Prior and Steve Colgate (who'd been at the helm at the time) as witnesses. A dignified Green conceded that the protest committee's task had been a hard one and though he wasn't happy with the decision, he accepted it. Bell and Turner were also low-key, feeling that their rights had been vindicated but "sorry to see it end like this".
Footage from the 1983 finish can be seen in the Youtube video above.
Condor in fresh upwind conditions during the 1984 Clipper Cup, with Ragamuffin visible to windward (photo Phil Uhl)
After a good showing in the 1982 Clipper Cup, Condor was less impressive in the 1984 edition finishing fifth of the seven Class A yachts (7/4/5/6/3), and well behind Boomerang and Kialoa IV which were also the top two yachts of the regatta overall. Her regatta did not start well, after suffered a poor start in the first race after struggling to reef her mainsail properly. Her best race was the final Round the State, which counted for triple points, where she finished third.
Condor crosses behind Kialoa IV during the 1984 Clipper Cup (photo Phil Uhl)
Condor prepares to hoist a new spinnaker after the original sail splits in two during the 1984 Clipper Cup (photo Phil Uhl)
Condor sails upwind during the 1984 Clipper Cup, being skippered by New Zealander Murray Ross (photo Phil Uhl)
At around this time Condor was fitted with a new keel with the weight lower and further aft. Her stern was also remodelled, where the flat sloping transom was altered to a more curved shape and shorter length and one that appeared to result in less drag.
Condor undergoing some radical keel surgery sometime during the mid-1980s (photo Facebook)
Condor featured on the front page of the Sunday Tribune on 18 August 1985, after the storm-affected Fastnet Race of that year.
Bell went on to race Condor in the Sydney Hobart from 1986 (finishing 12th) and the 1986 SORC (finishing last in Class A).
Condor seen her in Hobart after the 1994 Sydney-Hobart Race (photo Facebook)
Condor was purchased by Tony Paola in 1989 and after a refit she finished 78th on corrected time in that year’s Sydney-Hobart Race, but improved to 14th in the 1990 edition. She again raced in 1992, for the last time under IOR, where she finished 15th. After another refit in 1994 she won the Sydney-Southport Race, and under IMS finished 72nd in that year’s Sydney-Hobart.
In 1996 she was fifth yacht into Hobart, and was 18th on handicap. She later went on to race at Hamilton Island Race Week, 2009 – 2013, by then owned by David Molloy. She was the winner of Cruising Division 1 in 2010, and third in 2011 and 2017.
Condor with a more cruising oriented set-up, competing in the Hamilton Island Race Week in 2013 (photo Andre Francolini)
Condor’s home port is now Airlie Beach, on the Australian East Coast, where she is used as a charter yacht for overnight sailing adventures with several of her contemporaries for her present owners, ProSail.
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