An 81-year-old Australian designer known for narrow, light-displacement racing yachts was found murdered in his mountain home in the Philippines on Monday.

Joseph Adams, who designed Helsal, the winning yacht in the 1973 Sydney-Hobart Race, was found at his home in Alpa Village, a region popular with expatriates.

It appeared that Adams tried to fight off his attacker before his throat was slashed with a machete, Philippines police director Benjamin Magalong said Wednesday.

Adams spent most of his life in Sydney and became well known not only for designing Helsal, record-setting line-honors winner of the 1973 Sydney-Hobart, but also the eponymous Adams 10 Meter Class yacht.

"As a designer he was an excellent natural — one of the best, and I was extremely fortunate that I could learn from him," said fellow yacht designer Graham Radford, who was on board Helsal in the 1973 Sydney-Hobart.

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