Santa Cruz 70 - Fleet Roll Call

[stayoutofthemiddle]

Bit of chatter on the Merlin thread about SC 70's. Got me thinking, where are they all now? In the early 2000's they were all on the lake with several in Chicago.
Now there may be 1 or even 0 left in town and a couple in Michigan, and some went back to the left coast I believe...

Anyone want to take a stab a boat names and current ports of call? Here are some names but I have no idea where they live these days...

Nitemare

Blondie

Pied Piper

Mirage

Thanks all I can remember!

 

[Void]

Westerly is still active in the PNW (Home port Victoria, BC) and has done a few hawaii races in the last few years. She's also had a massive refit recently; looks gorgeous and is an absolute rocketship.

PS She's for sale:

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1987/santa-cruz-70-uldb-3250125/

 

[Blitz]

Neptune's Car is in Seattle.

 

[longy]

There were always 4 -5 SC 70's on the left coast, even when the Chi fleet was big. And one in the Carib.

 

[msvphoto]

Three in Santa Cruz, two are charter boats (Chardonnay 2 and 3) plus Buona Sera. 

 

[Hitchhiker]

Grand Illusion is in NPB.

Catapult (ex Maverick. ex Pyewacket is in MDR).

 

[Monkey]

Chance left Sheboygan and went to Detroit, now Equation. Evolution left Sheboygan and went to Michigan as well, still Evolution as far as I know. 

 

[Cal20sailor]

I never stepped on what was Cynosure without thinking that it was the nicest boat I ever stepped foot on.  All of them were one of a kind (yes, I get the oxymoron).  

 

[Mid]

https://www.darwinambonrace.com.au/antipodes/

 

[Monkey]

I never stepped on what was Cynosure without thinking that it was the nicest boat I ever stepped foot on.  All of them were one of a kind (yes, I get the oxymoron).  

Evolution  went to the next level. Even though my favorite will always be Cyno, Nick and Rich were OCD squared with the way they took care of that boat. You could run an operating room in the galley of that boat. 

I remember cleaning the bottom a week before the Chi-Mac and noticing a few small blisters on the rudder. I mentioned them, as I should. Few days later the whole damn boat’s on the hard to fix it before the Mac. They didn’t mess around. 

 

[Cal20sailor]

Evolution  went to the next level. Even though my favorite will always be Cyno, Nick and Rich were OCD squared with the way they took care of that boat. You could run an operating room in the galley of that boat. 

I remember cleaning the bottom a week before the Chi-Mac and noticing a few small blisters on the rudder. I mentioned them, as I should. Few days later the whole damn boat’s on the hard to fix it before the Mac. They didn’t mess around. 

Were you there for the fuel tank?  I hated the cockpit on Evo.  It would keep me from doing more than one job.  

Something about owning North Sails drove them.  

 

[Monkey]

Were you there for the fuel tank?  I hated the cockpit on Evo.  It would keep me from doing more than one job.  

Pretty sure I’m the one who gave you the whole detailed fuel tank horror story, and yes, I was there for every horrible minute, hour, and days. 

Edit:  That is the one and only thing I will forever hate about that boat. 

 

[Cal20sailor]

Pretty sure I’m the one who gave you the whole detailed fuel tank horror story, and yes, I was there for every horrible minute, hour, and days. 

Edit:  That is the one and only thing I will forever hate about that boat. 

I got it from Dan when I picked Cyno up.  I have my own story from a delivery years later but the fuel tank takes the cake.  

Seriously, who wants 100 gals of diesel in their bilge?

 

[Monkey]

I got it from Dan when I picked Cyno up.  I have my own story from a delivery years later but the fuel tank takes the cake.  

Seriously, who wants 100 gals of diesel in their bilge?

He was exaggerating. It was only an 85 gallon tank, and we only had about 65 gallons in it. Besides, the weld cracked high enough it could still hold about five gallons. 

I can say this though. It dumped enough diesel into the bilge to overflow the floorboards. That’s how I found the problem. I woke up for my watch and got wet feet. I assumed water because we had an issue on a prop shaft seal the year before. As soon as I went to pull up the floor board, I knew it wasn’t water. 

Then when the whole god damned nightmare went all Groundhog Day on us, and hit us again the next day, well I just don’t want to re-live that again. Ever. 

 

[Cal20sailor]

Then when the whole god damned nightmare went all Groundhog Day on us, and hit us again the next day, well I just don’t want to re-live that again. Ever. 

That's what made it an epic story.  Too funny.  

 

[Monkey]

That's what made it an epic story.  Too funny.  

The only funny part was that doing everything right failed. Saying fuck it and using 5200 to glue a chunk of angle iron on fixed the issue. 

Edit:  I’m still pretty sure satellites could’ve tracked us all the way to Port Huron based on the oil slick left behind. (We tried our best to be responsible)

 

[The Profit]

Blondie became nitemare, then warpath. Was in sd.  Mirage in LBC.

 

[sledracr]

OEX was in Roche Harbor, WA a couple of years ago.  Not sure where now, but she looked gorgeous.

Had the pleasure of racing on several of them, including the first (Blondie) and the last (Orient Express), both for one of the greatest owners ever.... but of all of them, always thought Blondie was something special.  Even among equals, she seemed to have just a little bit extra off the wind.

 

[sledracr]

My list.... updated as time permits....





SC-70s



Built



Builder



Original name



Original SailNo



Later Name(s)





0



1977



SC



Merlin



8955








1



1984



SC



Blondie



18970



Pied Piper 2, Nitemare, Warpath





2



1985



SC



Kathmandu



87580



Colt-45, Details





3



1985



SC



Citius



87666



Ole, Thirsty Tiger (GL)





4



1986



SC



Starlight Express



25168



Donnybrook, Stripes





5



1986



SC



Pied Piper



41104



Retro, Buono Sera





6



1987



SC



Hotel California



97117



Grand Illusion





7



1987



SC



Mongoose



18997



Westerly





8



1988



SC



Drumbeat



52701?



Cynosure, Windancer





9



1988



SC



Silver Bullet



29009



Luna Barba, OEX (per Bill Lee)





10



1989



SC



Chance



97503








11



1989



SC



Evolution



97530








12



1989



SC



Donnybrook






Starlight Express?, Neptune's Car





13






SC



<there wasn't a #13?>











14



1989



SC



Holua



97656








15



1990



SC



Mirage



28115








16



1990



SC



Hotel California II











17



1990



SC



Chardonnay II (charter)











18



1990



SC



Pyewacket



US-4



Chessie, Blondie, Skylark (per Bill Lee)
Valkyrie, Maverick,, Catapult





19



1993



SC



Orient Express



US-93



Equation, then Orient Express again?

• 1. 
     
      
     

1997?



SC-72?



Donnybrook






very different stern, per Bill Lee