Newport to Ensenada, MOD70 just edges out the ORMA 60 Mighty Merloe (former Groupama2)

From the following article on BYMnews.com

http://bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=131820

Trimarans made for exciting start but record stands

 

Saturday, 26 April 2014

 

With welcome washing-machine like seas and unexpected winds, the best in a decade race veterans said, nearly 200 sailboats crossed the start of the 67th annual Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race, hosted by NOSA, off the Balboa Pier yesterday in Newport Beach, Calif.

 

Making a stunning debut in this race were two super trimarans: the 60-foot ORMA, Mighty Merloe, and the 70-foot MOD Orion that excellerated like races cars from behind the start, skimmed lightly across the confused waves and lead the crowd down the 125-mile course in hopes of beating the elapsed time record.

 

The late Steve Fossett’s 60-foot catamaran Stars and Stripes has held that record for 16 years. The time to beat: 6:46:40. Unfortunately, the wind did not last.  At 7pm, when two trimarans appeared on the horizon, darkened by the incoming storm front and making it hard for those waiting to guess if they were going to make it before sundown.

 

Forty minutes later, after a series of tacks and jibes that had the boats crisscrossing at least three times, Orion was first to finish at 7:40:38.  In second Mighty Merloe, arriving at 7:42:23.

 

read more here

 

the results page below:

 

http://scoring.newporttoensenada.com/results

 

MOD70 Orion and ORMA60 Mighty Merloe (formerly Groupama2) lead the pack in the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Race

From the following article on Sailing Scuttlebutt:

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2014/03/17/ripping-ride-south-puerto-vallarta/

Thousand mile slide toward Puerto Vallarta
Published on March 16, 2014

 

by Editor

 
(March 16, 2014) – The 32nd edition of the biennial San Diego to Vallarta International Yacht Race started off Shelter Island, with Class 3 and 4 leaving on Friday (Mar. 14) and Class 1, 2, and Multihull departing on Saturday (Mar. 15). Both days provided summer-like conditions for the 23 entrants to begin their 1000 mile southerly slide toward beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

The first retiree came quickly, with Brack Duker’s Santa Cruz 70 Holua losing their prop within the first hour of sailing on Saturday. The remaining 22 teams extended offshore on offwind angles, gybing back toward layline at about 160 nm down the track.

The two multihulls, MOD70 Orion and ORMA 60 Mighty Merloe, have now passed all the Friday starters, both posting speeds today in the 20 knot range. In general, wind strength appears to be better for the Friday starters, which lead the Saturday group by roughly 200 miles.

read more here

the race tracker is here:

http://yb.tl/SDPV2014