Orion Breaks Lakota’s SD-PV Record
In this year’s 1,000-mile San Diego to Vallarta race two trimarans have each broken a long-standing speed record. It was back in 1998 when the late Steve Fossett skippered his 60-foot trimaran Lakota to a record finish in 2d, 14h, 20m, 17s. Late Monday, skipper Charlie Ogletree and navigator Peter Isler raced the MOD70 trimaran, Orion to a record finish in 2d, 8h, 33m, 0s.
Following close behind Orion was H.L. Enloe’s Orma 60 trimaran, Mighty Merloe. Despite some major damage to her port foil which slowed her down on starboard tacks, she still managed to beat the Lakota record, finishing in 2d, 13h, 41m, 6s. Merloe’s navigator, Artie Means described the boat as "stupid nuclear fast." Indeed, they saw speeds as high as 32 knots.
The remaining competitors are within 200 miles of reaching Puerto Vallarta and should be finishing soon — you can track them here. Look for a detailed report in Friday’s ‘Lectronic Latitude.
