Annapolis-Made Trimarans Fit Race

By Karina Paape (written 12/27/1987)

When the 3,300-mile Carlsberg Singlehanded Transatlantic Race from Plymouth, England to Newport, R.I. begins June 5 [1988], three trimarans built in Annapolis will be among the contenders in the international fleet of 120 yachts. The boats represent three of the 10 production Condor 40s designed and built by Phil Herting and Mick Price of Annapolis. Assembled at Price and Herting’s Eastport-based facility, Condor Limited, the Condor’s presence in the CSTAR (formerly the Observer Singlehanded Transatlantic Race) represents the culmination of a dream which started 2-1/2 years ago and will see production of a Condor 30 begin next spring. “The beauty of a Condor 40 is that it was conceived as a racer/cruiser with the OSTAR in mind,” Herting said. “No one else is building high-performance trimarans and we’re the first company to have production boats of one design in this race.” The OSTAR originated in 1960 when retired English map maker Sir Francis Chichester bet several friends half a crown threat he could beat them across the Atlantic alone. The singlehanders had so much fun that they decided to do it again in 1964 and persuaded the London Observer newspaper to sponsor the race every four years. But with the recent closing of the Observer, Carlsberg beer agreed to take over the sponsorship of the 1988 race. None of the three Condors in the CSTAR line-up – representing hulls No. 2, No. 3, and No. 10, will be skippered by an Annapolitan. However, B.J. Watkins of Edgewater will be one of five women on the starting line next year. Watkins will sail a 29-ft. trimaran named Heart. Condor No. 2, Airborne, will be sailed by Gary Hall of Detroit, Michigan. The boat is currently in Annapolis undergoing a refit. “Hall wants additional electronics, solar panels, and new sail inventory,” Herting said. Hull No. 3 – Crystal Catfish IV – is owned by two-time OSTAR veteran Jack Hunt of Apollo Beach, Fla. And hull No. 10 – Man-o-War, is owned by Sennett Duttenhofer of Miami. That boat is still under construction and the most “geared up” of the three, according to Condor salesman Tom Linton. The Condor’s appeal to CSTAR competitors is multi-faceted. The boat is strong, self-righting, and the deck layout is designed for shorthanded sailing. It features an innovative spinnaker system which makes hoisting and dropping this often unwieldy sail possible from the cockpit. And the Condor’s accommodations for four and complete galley will reduce considerable the fatigue factor which so often takes a toll on singlehanded sailors. “They have two double beds to choose from,” Linton said. In addition, the boat’s price is about half that of a similarly sized, fully-equipped CSTAR contender. For the Condor 40’s $121,000 price tag includes a full sail inventory and electronics. Even so, singlehanders are a particular lot. For example, Duttenhofer has added $3,100 worth of additional deck hardware so that the boat can be sailed completely from the cockpit. The CSTAR fleet will include yachts ranging in size from 25-to-60 feet, split into five classes, and sailors from 16 nations. Great Britain and the United States are the best represented with 37 and 35 entries respectively.