MOD70 Team to Set Up Shop in US

When the six-boat Multi One Design (MOD) 70 fleet departed New York City for Tonnerres de Brest, France, in last summer’s inaugural Krys Ocean Race, organizers said they hoped the oceangoing trimarans would soon return to the United States with a U.S. team as part of the program. 

Now at least a part of that wish has been granted, thanks to the purchase of hull #2 (formerly Veolia Environment) by Orion Racing Team, under the direction of veteran multihull skipper Cam Lewis. 

According to Lewis, the boat will be delivered to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, later this month, after which it will be sailed to San Francisco for the summer and fall seasons. Although the immediate futures of both Orion Racing and the MOD70 class remain in a state of flux, Lewis is clearly excited about his team’s new boat.

“The MOD70 trimarans are at the cutting edge of the sport,” he says. “They are purpose designed and built for close inshore racing as well as transoceanic racing. The conditions for racing the MOD70 between California, Hawaii and Mexico are incredible. I can’t wait to show American sailors how fantastic and fast these amazing machines are.”