Condor 40 Tri Information, Review, Specs

Sailing Performance & Handling

The Condor 40 is defined by its stability and its ability to maintain high average speeds in offshore conditions that would force many monohulls to reef early. While early marketing materials claimed a dry weight of 5,700 lbs, designer Mick Price later clarified that the actual sailing displacement is closer to 9,000 lbs. Even at this higher weight, the boat possesses a remarkable power-to-weight ratio. According to editorial reviews in Multihulls Magazine, the boat tracks exceptionally well to windward, a rarity for many trimarans of its generation, largely due to its deep daggerboard and refined hull lines.

Handling is described as predictable and "stiff," with the wide beam providing a massive righting moment that translates into a flat sailing experience. This lack of heeling is frequently cited by owners as a major factor in reducing crew fatigue during long passages. The boat's pedigree was proven by the hull "Man O’ War," which famously collided with a freighter during the 1988 OSTAR, losing several feet of its starboard ama, yet continued to sail 400 miles to port under its own power.

Interior Comfort & Variations

Unlike many dedicated racing trimarans that offer little more than "pipe berths and a bucket," the Condor 40 was designed with a legitimate, if narrow, cruising interior. The central hull provides enough volume for a functional galley, a navigation station, and two berths. Because the living space is confined to the 40-foot main hull (vaka), the interior feels more akin to a 30-foot monohull in terms of width, though the headroom is generous at approximately 6'2".

While there are no known "multi-cabin" variations—the amas are strictly for buoyancy and storage and are not habitable—owners often customized the layout to suit solo racing or couple's cruising. Materials typically included white gelcoat surfaces accented with teak trim to save weight. The Condor 40 has a smaller sibling, the Condor 30, of which only four were built. The 30-foot version utilized many of the same design philosophies but was aimed at the trailerable or regional racing market, whereas the 40 was intended for global blue-water transit.

Popular Mentions & Media

The Condor 40 has maintained a steady presence in multihull literature due to its survival stories and racing successes. The first hull, appropriately named Endangered Species, became a symbol for the brand’s rare and high-tech approach to boat building in the mid-80s. The model's reputation for safety was further cemented by a feature in Sailing Magazine (June 1988), where a delivery crew described a grueling passage to Bermuda, noting that despite the extreme conditions, the trimaran's motion remained significantly more comfortable than a comparable monohull.

Known Issues & Buyer’s Checklist

Prospective owners should approach a Condor 40 with a focus on structural moisture and mechanical legacy.

• Balsa Core Integrity: The hulls and decks were constructed using balsa coring. Due to the age of these vessels, any unsealed deck hardware or previous collisions can lead to significant core rot, particularly in the amas (pontoons) where water ingress is common if the inspection hatches are not properly maintained.
• Original Jet Drive: The Condor 40 was originally equipped with a unique, high-decibel jet drive system. Many owners found the noise and maintenance of this system untenable, and most surviving boats have been retrofitted with traditional outboards (often Yamaha 9.9s) mounted on the aft beams or a sail-drive diesel.
• Beam Connections: Although the beams are "fixed" (non-folding), the joint areas where the crossbeams meet the main hull and amas should be dye-tested or NDT-inspected for stress cracking, especially on boats with extensive racing histories.
• Daggerboard Trunk: Inspect the daggerboard trunk for impact damage. Given the boat's shallow draft and high speed, "grounding" the board can cause structural cracking at the trunk's base.

Community & Resources

The most comprehensive technical resource is the Condor Trimaran Association, which hosts original brochures, designer interviews, and a registry of the 21 known hulls. Technical support and community discussions are also frequently found on the Multihull Anarchy section of the Sailing Anarchy forums and the Trimaran subsections of CruisersForum, though these are independent of the manufacturer.

The Verdict

The Condor 40 is a "cult classic" multihull that offers ocean-crossing capability and blistering speed for the sailor who prioritizes performance over the "condo-style" interior volume of modern catamarans.

Pros

• Exceptional offshore stability and a flat sailing profile.
• Proven OSTAR-level structural durability.
• High average speeds that shorten passage times significantly.

Cons

• Interior living space is narrow compared to cruising catamarans.
• Balsa core requires diligent moisture monitoring.
• Fixed beam width (28.5 ft) makes finding marina slips difficult and expensive.