MOD 70 Class

The MOD 70 Class was neutered almost before it began; what looked to be a fully subscribed circuit of hyper-fast one-design racers with a major international and round the world race schedule imploded with the European economy, resulting in a scattered fleet that doesn’t even have its own series, taking part instead of smaller events (like Spindrift Racing’s win last week) and the new mixed Multihull Tour put together by Mark Turner’s OC Sport this June. Can Turner’s proven group save the MOD 70 class from itself? It doesn’t really matter – with plenty of hardcore cats and tris already signing up, the Route Des Princes should be plenty badass, and with an Englishman in charge, extreme racing fans outside France will get to check it out too.

 

Meanwhile, the MOD creators seem to have abandoned their strict rule requiring purchasers to commit to a MOD race schedule; at least we doubt that Tom Siebel, new owner of Orion Racing (ex-Veolia), and his skipper Cam Lewis have their sights much beyond some Pacific records and playing on the West Coast. You might remember Siebel as the guy who brought the sexy Sig 45 to Mexico, and he’s clearly got the multihull bug. We’re told you’ll see both boats on San Francisco Bay soon. We’re also told the MOD 70 top speed still hasn’t been bettered by an AC72… More from Puerto Vallarta man-on-the-scene Mike Danielson: