BoatsSanta Cruz 70

Santa Cruz 70

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1985

A custom-built 20-metre racer with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio that allows for significant individual variation

Designed by Bill Lee.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Santa Cruz 70, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Sailing Sweet Ruca

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a narrow beam gives 16 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 16
CoastalBluewater

2.10 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.10
LightHeavy

45 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 45
EasygoingPowered-up

29.3 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 29.3
TenderStiff

40% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 40%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

  • Lighter than ~97% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~79% of boats her size on file

Compared with 324 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Santa Cruz 70, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Santa CRUZ 70 is a Masthead Sloop designed by Bill Lee and built by Santa Cruz Yachts from 1985 to the present, featuring a fin keel with a spade rudder. This racing yacht measures 20.7 meters LOA, with a 4.6-meter beam, a 2.7-meter draft, and displaces 10,886 kg. The model was not a one-design class, leading to significant differences between individual boats. A Santa Cruz 70 named *Trident* was knocked onto her side during the 2025 Port Huron to Mackinac race on Lake Huron, washing a crew member overboard.3:09 The crew deployed flotation, activated a man overboard beacon, and transmitted a distress call, leading to the recovery of the crew member after one hour.4:52 Santa Cruz 70s are part of the racing fleet in events like the Chicago to Mackinac Island race, alongside J Boats J/111s and GP 52s.5:03

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 3 times across 3 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
40.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
29.3
Displacement / length
45.0
Comfort ratio
15.7
Capsize screening
2.10
Hull speed
10.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
3341
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1985
Units built
19
Designer
Bill Lee
Builder
Santa Cruz Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Macgregor 6519.81 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA high-performance cutter with a slender hull and impressive sail area, designed for rapid passage-making
Is The Survey And Sea Trial Worth It On Your New Boat?1:00from Sailing Big Lost
Jeanneau Yachts 6520.20 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA Philippe Briand-designed flagship cruiser built for performance and comfort with a high-volume 20-meter hull
Jeanneau Yachts 65 Full Tour and Reviewfrom Practical Sailor
Jeanneau Yachts 6420.10 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA Philippe Briand-designed 20-metre fractional sloop built for high-comfort bluewater cruising
[OFF MARKET] Jeanneau 64 (LAYLA) with Sue Grant - Yacht for Sale - Exceptionally Well-Specified2:40from Berthon International
Swan 66 S20.12 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA German Frers-designed masthead sloop developed for the Swan 40th anniversary, sharing its hull with the FD model
Nautor Swan 66 “GANESH” Yacht for Sale | Set Up For Easy Sailing | Tour with Simon Turner (v2)from Berthon International
Moody 6419.33 mSame hull family1.4 m shorterA Bill Dixon-designed cutter with a high comfort ratio, built for long-range cruising with a stable, heavy-displacement hull
[OFF MARKET] Moody 64 (MAISHA), with Simon Turner - Yacht for Sale - Berthon Internationalfrom Berthon International
Ocean 7121.64 mSame hull family0.9 m longerAn E.G. van de Stadt design based on the famed Stormvogel, offered as both a high-performance racer and luxury cruiser
[OFF MARKET] Ocean 71 (OCEAN JOY), with Sue Grant - Yacht for Sale - Berthon Int. (2023)0:12from Berthon International

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Santa Cruz 52A 1992 masthead sloop with a 2.74-metre draft and a displacement under 10,000 kilograms for high-speed performanceSanta Cruz 50An IOR-optimized racer with a 50% ballast ratio, refined for competitive performance under the rule

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