Condor is a maxi sailing yacht designed for racing and built in 1981 by Killian Bushe at Kiwi Boats U.K.,in Penryn Penryn, England. She was registered in Hamilton, Bermuda during her 7-year ocean racing campaign and her sail number is KB-80. She is not to be confused with her predecessor Condor of Bermuda , also owned and campaigned by Bob Bell.
Construction and materials
Condor was revolutionary both for having the largest single spar mast in the world and for being the largest of all the IOR Maxi fleet at that time.. She was built from kevlar and composite structures, with an Alloy space frame inside. She was the second yacht of this type to be built where the hull itself could support the enormous loads generated by the huge mast and rig. Unlike her predecessor, Condor of Bermuda, which was built of wood yet had carbon fibre rig, Condor's mast was aluminium. It was about 18% taller than her 'sistership's' mast and heavy 8 cylinder 8LXB Gardnerdiesel engine, turning a 42 inch folding propeller, despite her hull being only 3 feet longer overall. Both Condor and Condor of Bermuda were eventually installed with Gardner 8LXB reserve engines, due to their reliability, and overall mass, which was a key consideration in IOR ratings at the time. In 1993, the Gardener was replaced with a Perkins 6354 diesel. In 2007 she was fitted with a smaller Yanmar 4LHA which was replaced again in 2017 with the same model. Today she runs a 26" three bladed Hydralign feathering propellor. Condor was designed by New Zealand boat designerRon Holland.
History
Condor was a maxi yacht campaigning on the IOR Maxi Circuit from 1981 to approximately 1987. In 1987, she was sold to Australian Grazier Tony Paola, where she continued to race for a time under the name Condor of Currabubula until she was retired from racing, and now resides in Airlie Beach, on the Great Barrier Reef, chartering for overnight sailing adventures with several of her contemporaries for her present owners, ProSail. She still races today in Airlie Beach Race Week and Hamilton Island Race Week each year where individuals can charter a spot on board to compete in this annual events. She returned to racing in 2008. Condors Sail wardrobe for most of its racing years was made by Hood Sails in Sydney. Ian Broad from Hood sailed extensively on the boat during the 1980s and has been making the charter sails for the boat since its arrival in the Whitsundays. During the 1990's several North sails were made for the boat.
Notable features and events
Being built from kevlar composite, with a space frame supporting a hollow hull and the tension/compression loads of the mast and sails.
The Newport Bermuda Race. This race was won with a spectacular lead of over 5 hours over the next maxi, Then Navigator Jon Barret, successfully negotiated an Eddy on the Gulfstream's southwestern side as the entire fleet had chosen a more northeastern route, allowing Condor to strike victory with such a considerable margin.
