Coolest yachts: MOD 70
We ask top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times. Sam Goodchild nominates theb MOD70 class trimaran
“In terms of complexity for speed, there isn’t anything else which has such a good ratio as a MOD 70. We’ve been over 40 knots [boatspeed] on them, and with Phaedo we used to sail for up to 200 days a year, all around the world, with just two shore crew. We were sailing offshore with just five people, so you’ve got super high performance for relatively easy upkeep.
“We’d be doing the Caribbean regattas against boats like Comanche, they’d have 20-something people on the rail and we had five, doing circles around them! Then we did all the transatlantic races – for me it’s an amazing boat.
Photo: Kurt Arrigo/Rolex Middle Sea Race
“The MOD 70s are robustly built, but also fast. [designers VPLP] took learnings from the Orma 60 class, all the best bits, tamed them down a little so they’re a bit less dangerous, and came out with a boat which was simple and fast. We raced against the old Groupama Orma 60, and when you see how much more complicated the Ormas are, the MOD 70s definitely struck the right balance.”
Make sure you check out our full list of Coolest Yachts.
MOD 70 stats rating
Top speed: 40 knots
LOA: 21.3m/70ft
Launched: 2011
Berths: 2
Price: €1million
Adrenalin factor: 95%
Sam Goodchild
Sam Goodchild is a British born sailor who recently announced a Vendée Globe campaign for 2024. Having grown up as a liveaboard sailor, he progressed to short-handed racing in the Figaro (scoring the best British result in 38 years), Class 40, and Multi 50s and has also sailed with Spindrift, Sodebo, and currently PRB-Holcim in The Ocean Race.
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