Marauder 8.4 Sailboats for Sale

Drawing Diagram

Builder drawing

Hull Type

Monohull · fin

Rig

Fractional Sloop

LOA

27.56' · 8.4 m

Disp.

5,611 lbs · 2,545 kg

First year

1976

Conceived during a transformative era in Southern Hemisphere yacht design, the Marauder 8.4 emerged in 1976 as a definitive New Zealand cruiserracer. Designed by the prolific Aucklandbased naval architect Alan Wright, the vessel was a direct response to a shifting market demand. Sailors of the late 1970s wanted to move away from heavy, slowdisplacement masthead sloops and toward lightdisplacement, fractionalrigged hulls that prioritized both competitive club racing and familyfriendly weekend cruising. Over its production run spanning from 1976 to 1989, approximately 200 units were built. While professional builders like Bruce Hopwood Yachts Ltd and Marine Composites produced factory fiberglass models, a substantial portion of the fleet was built from plans by skilled amateurs using woodstrip planking or plywood. Today, the class remains a celebrated fixture of New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf, supported by an active and tightknit owners' association.