Design and Construction
The Condor 55 has a solid fiberglass hull and deck. She displaces 1,654 pounds and carries 595 pounds of iron ballast, giving her a ballast ratio of 40 percent.
Her length-to-beam ratio of 2.46 and comfort ratio of 10.61 put her firmly among light, narrow trailer-sailers rather than heavy cruising boats. The hull bottom has about 129 square feet of wetted surface, while the immersion rate is roughly 462 pounds per inch, so she sits lightly and responds quickly to crew and load changes.
The Condor 55 has a capsize screening value of 2.45, which falls outside the threshold used to qualify boats for ocean races. That reflects her limited offshore remit rather than detracting from her manners in sheltered waters.
Rig and Handling
The fractional-sloop rig gives the Condor 55 a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 26.40. That’s a lively figure for a boat of this displacement and points to a willing, easily driven hull.
Her drop keel provides a loaded draft of between 1.15 and 1.45 feet. With the board raised, she can skim over shoals and launch easily from a ramp.
The standing rigging and sheet specifications are modest. Both the jib and genoa sheets are 18 feet long and 5/16 inch in diameter. The mainsheet is 45.1 feet of the same diameter, while the spinnaker sheet is 39.7 feet of 5/16-inch line. These dimensions suit a small deck plan, where winch loads remain light and a single sailor can tend the cockpit without much effort.
Accommodations
Below, the Condor 55 has four berths—the practical minimum for a small family or two couples spending a weekend aboard. The compact interior reflects the boat’s 7.35-foot beam and the overall scale of an 18-foot hull intended for protected waters. Berth count is the only accommodation figure stated by the sources.
Power and Equipment
Auxiliary propulsion comes from an outboard. The Condor 55 typically requires a 2 to 3 hp outboard. Alternatively, an owner who prefers silent, emission-free pottering can use an electric motor producing 34 to 41 pounds of thrust. That modest power requirement is consistent with the boat’s light displacement and shoal, low-resistance hull form.
Verdict
The Condor 55 is a purpose-built little sailboat for sheltered cruising and ramp-launched daysailing, not a passage-maker. Stöberl’s late-1970s design offers a manageable fractional-sloop rig, while the light displacement, lifting keel, and modest power requirements help keep ownership simple and inexpensive.
The production run of several hundred boats suggests a proven, well-understood formula. At the same time, the capsize screening value and 40-percent ballast ratio set honest expectations about where the Condor 55 belongs.
Pros
- Lifting drop keel provides a draft of 1.15–1.45 feet for shoal access and trailering
- Light 1,654-pound displacement, 40-percent ballast ratio, and SA/D of 26.40 support easy handling
- Four berths in a proven small-cruiser package, with several hundred boats built
- Requires only a 2–3 hp outboard or an electric motor producing 34–41 pounds of thrust
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.45 excludes her from ocean-race qualification
- Little accommodation detail is available beyond the four berths
- Strictly a sheltered-water boat
