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 Bill Lee-designed masthead sloop built by Santa Cruz Yachts from 1985 to the present, featuring a fin keel with a spade rudder. With an LOA of 20.7 meters, a beam of 4.6 meters, and a displacement of 10,886 kg, the model is not a one-design class, leading to significant differences between individual boats. Santa Cruz 70s are seen in competitive racing fleets, including the Chicago to Mackinac Island race on Lake Michigan, alongside J Boats J/111s and GP 52s. During the 2025 Port Huron to Mackinac race on Lake Huron, the Santa Cruz 70 *Trident* was knocked onto her side by a squall, resulting in a crew member being washed overboard.3:09 The crew deployed flotation devices, activated a man overboard beacon, and transmitted a distress call via VHF radio, leading to the crew member's recovery after one hour in the water.4:11

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 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.

Amel 5417.20 mSame hull family3.5 m shorterA robust staysail ketch designed for serious blue-water cruising with a high comfort ratio and stable skeg-hung rudder
270 | Season finale! We sold our boat Shogun - Sailing Around the World16:20from SAWLORS - Sailing Around the World
Jeanneau Yachts 6018.28 mSame hull family2.5 m shorterA 2021 Andrew Winch-styled cruiser featuring a bulb keel and dual rudders for balanced handling at speed
Blonde Bombshell for crew!4:07from Sailing Doodles
Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 6018.95 mSame hull family1.8 m shorterA 19-metre performance cruiser by Roberto Biscontini featuring dual rudders and a versatile fractional rig
$2 Million FLAGSHIP Beneteau Oceanis Yachts 60from Practical Sailor
Hanse Yachts 57517.15 mSame hull family3.6 m shorterA 17-metre performance cruiser with a 2.85-metre draft and a powerful 19.84 SA/D ratio for fast, modern passage making
The British Virgin Islands on a Yacht | Sailing Sunday | Ep.2105:39from Sailing Sunday
X-Yachts X-56217.23 mSame hull family3.5 m shorterA Niels Jeppesen-designed performance cruiser balancing a powerful masthead rig with a stiff, deep-draft hull
Jostein Hellerud with a website that compares the properties of sailboats1:18from SEILmagasinet
Solaris 6018.97 mSame hull family1.8 m shorterA versatile cruiser offered with shallow draft or lifting keel options, featuring a powerful 25.43 SA/displacement ratio
VENICE BOAT SHOW 2026 ⛵ the most interesting sailboats at the boat show in the Arsenal13:57from Alfredo Contaldo

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

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-optimised racer with a 50% ballast ratio, refined for competitive performance under the rule

Keep asking

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