Pyewacket Sets New Newport to Cabo San Lucas Yacht Race Record
April 15, 2021
NEWPORT BEACH— It was a record-breaking year for the Newport to Cabo San Lucas Yacht Race. Roy Disney’s Volvo 70, Pyewacket, sailed the course in record time, beating the previous monohull record by 15 hours. Pyewacket had an elapsed time of 1 day, 21 hours, 22 minutes, and 53 seconds. The previous monohull record of 2 days, 13 hours, 25 minutes, and 58 seconds was set in 2005 by Doug Baker’s Magnitude 80. Raymond Paul’s Botin 65 Artemis also beat the previous course record set by Magnitude 80, coming in this year with an elapsed time of 2 days, 13 hours, 3 minutes, and 52 seconds.
The Mighty Merloe is the only multihull verified to have completed the course faster than Pyewacket. In 2015 Mighty Merloe finished the course in 1 day, 16 hours, 14 minutes, and 14 seconds.
The Newport to Cabo San Lucas Yacht Race, hosted by Newport Harbor Yacht Club (NHYC) since 1971, is an 800-mile yacht race from Newport Beach down the Baja Coastline to Cabo San Lucas. The race this year took place March 19 through the 25.
On March 22 the race chair reported the top nine boats were finishing under three days total elapsed time, the first time that has happened in the Cabo Race.
“We are combing prior years for their previous best, but this seems to be the race that all the boats will find hard to beat their times in future editions,” wrote John Curci, the 2021 Cabo Race Chair, on a March 22 post on the Cabo Race blog.
The Pyewacket crew also provided updates throughout the race on the blog.
“As you know, we have 85 miles to go… back in 20 knots running with the A3 but went through a soft patch that challenged our patience… it got down to 12 knots…. worried there may be some more land based light spots to navigate – so though the layline times say we finish at 10 a.m., I think that could easily be 11 a.m. (PDT),” wrote the Pyewacket crew on the morning of March 22.
Pyewacket swept the 2021 race taking first overall, first in Division 1, and first to finish. Pyewacket averaged greater than 20 knots over the course and had a corrected time of 2 days, 20 hours, 50 minutes, and 21 seconds.
