Designed by Tom Wylie and built by Schooner Creek Boat Works in Portland, Oregon, RAGE is a legendary West Coast sled. In 1994, RAGE broke the Pacific Cup record set by Bill Lee’s MERLIN by four hours. In 1996, she again set a new course record of 7 days, 22 hours and 1 minute. RAGE has proven herself to be the ultimate ULDB with blistering speed potential, simple sail handling systems and strong construction. At the same time, she offers comfortable, beautifully finished accommodations and is easily sailed by a shorthanded crew. The proof is in the pudding as RAGE has outperformed newer and far more complex boats. While she truly shines racing offshore, RAGE was designed with an eye towards being cruised by shorthanded, an objective she has met and requires no conversion from “race” to “cruise” mode in her current configuration. Read the comments from below for a better understanding of what RAGE is all about. She is only reluctantly for sale as her current owner has a larger Wylie designed sled under construction by Steve Rander, the builder and original owner of RAGE. Sometimes “if you know, you know” and such is the case with RAGE.
Name of vessel | RAGE |
Model | Wylie 70 |
Year | 1993 |
Builder | Schooner Creek Boatworks |
Designer | Tom Wylie |
Price | $269,000 USD |
Location | Seattle, WA |
Length (feet) | 70 |
Beam (feet) | 13'3" |
Draft (feet) | 10' |
Displacement (pounds) | 23914 |
Ballast (pounds) | 9650 |
Engine model | Universal M-50 |
Engine horsepower | 50 |
Engine hours | 680 |
Fuel tank capacity (gallons) | 50 |
Water tank capacity (gallons) | 95 |
Holding tank capacity (gallons) |
Owners’ comments:
RAGE is a unique and amazing boat. Parting with her is tremendously hard for us. She has far exceeded our dreams. She is a rare combination of beauty, livability, speed and ease of handling. She has redefined what we expect in a boat both racing and cruising.
There is nothing like driving a 70 foot boat with a tiller. Nothing. Once you have done this you will never go back. She had a wheel for a while and her crew revolted, demanding the tiller return. She feels like a big dinghy and one that is amazingly forgiving. Young people enjoy driving her. There are many times you can drive with two fingers on the tiller even at a brisk pace. On the return from Hawaii this past summer no one wanted to turn on the autopilot. Driving was just too much fun. Coming on deck one would see the helms-person sitting on the rail, hiking stick in hand with a big grin… something we call the “RAGE grin”. I still smile every-time I see her after any time apart. She is breathtaking. I encourage you not put the wheel back on without trying out the tiller experience. You will be hooked.
She is still competitive after almost 30 years. Still setting records – including the first winner of the Cascadia Cup awarded for the best combined score of the Pacific Northwest Offshore and Swiftsure races (2019). Still often a first to finish threat. She set a record in the Pacific Northwest Offshore in May 2022. We were the third boat in and fourth on corrected time in the 2022 Pacific Cup. She is blistering fast downwind and reached 27 knots multiple times during the downwind stretch run. Our young crew members call her a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
RAGE is relatively easy to handle with a modest crew. The deck is clean and her cockpit remains dry in virtually all conditions. The ideal crew size for a Hawaii race is 8. I did the Northern Century on her double handed in my sixties. Her rig is robust, simple, functional and fast. Amazingly well behaved even in challenging conditions. She wants to go straight. If she does not you likely have something adjusted poorly. She is a wonderful teacher that way. I did over 7,000 miles on her this past summer and each day brought fresh joy and amazement.
The beauty and function of her classic wood interior is surprising for most people. Many crew members have told me that her berths are the most comfortable they have ever slept in. The galley is wonderful. She pampers her race crew and is a joy to take on a day sail or a long voyage. She was well received at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat festival in September of 2022. Just a few months after a class podium finish in the Pacific Cup.
Tom Wylie and Steve Rander came together to create a magical boat in RAGE. During the 7,000 miles on her this past summer I decided I wanted to have the opportunity to keep enjoying sailing like this into my 80’s and if I am lucky beyond. Tom, Steve, and my wife and I are working on a new boat together. The core requirement was for the new boat to feel like Rage including being driven by a tiller. To be able to see the bow sitting on the rail with a tiller extension and pop out at over 25 knots. And then go below and feel like Captain Nathanael Herreshoff would approve of the interior.
Interior Accommodations
Finished in white painted surfaces and varnished butternut and Honduran mahogany, with a varnished teak and holly cabin sole, RAGE’s interior is bright and spacious. Large overhead hatches and portlights allow excellent light and ventilation and well placed interior lighting illuminates the cabin at night. Her interior arrangement is finely conceived for long distance offshore racing or cruising and will comfortably sleep a full crew in two quarterberths, salon settees and pilot berths, and a master cabin pullman berth.
Starting forward is the master stateroom. There is a pullman style berth to port with a shelf above on the hull side. To starboard is an L-shaped settee with shelf above along the hull side. At the aft end of the settee is a small counter with two drawers below.
The head is just aft of the forward stateroom. A counter runs along the forward bulkhead. There is a mirror above and a locker below. The head is located on the outboard side of the compartment. There is a hanging locker located across the forward passageway to starboard.
The spacious salon is located just aft. Handrails run the length of the cabin to port and starboard. The cabin sides are trimmed with varnished mahogany veneer and there are two portlights on each side of the salon. To starboard is a straight settee with a pilot berth above and outboard. Forward of the settee there is a shelf with drawers above and below. To port is an L-shaped settee with pilot berth above and outboard. Additional storage is available in drawers just forward of the port settee. At the centerline, there is a beautifully varnished drop leaf table. Just forward on the bulkhead is a shallow cabinet with storage for bottles and glasses. There is a flat panel monitor mounted on the bulkhead above.
The outboard facing navigation station is aft and to starboard of the main salon. The wide, L-shaped table is perfect for spreading out admiralty charts and features storage below the hinged lifting top and two drawers and a hinged locker forward and to port. Outboard above the table, the AC/DC panel, SSB and VHF radios, stereo receiver and Garmin radar/chartplotter are within close reach of the navigator’s seat.
Across the salon to port is the well conceived L-shaped galley. A two-bin stainless sink is located at the forward, inboard end of the counter. Pressure hot/cold water and manual raw and fresh foot pumps are available. Below the sink there is a large locker and access to plumbing. Above the counter there are two smaller lockers that provide excellent storage space. Outboard of the sink is the top loading refrigerator compartment. Just aft is the new stainless steel gimbaled stove and oven. There is storage in a small hinged locker below and two drawers and a locker just aft. Outboard of the sink, there is excellent storage for dishes and dry goods on two divided shelves.
Twin quarter berths are aft and to port and starboard of the companionway stairs. There is a shelf above and aft along the hull side and excellent storage below the berth. Reading lights are located over the forward end of both berths.
Galley
Force 10 propane two burner stove/oven (2022)
Newmar propane solenoid control panel
(2) 10 lb aluminum propane tanks
Pressure water system with Sensor Max 14 fresh water pump
Fresh and raw water foot pumps at galley sink
Danfoss BD35F 12v air cooled refrigeration compressor
Electronics and Navigation
(2) Garmin GNX120 displays at companionway
(2) Garmin GMI20 displays at companionway
Garmin GMR18HD radar antenna
Garmin GPSmap 8616 radar/chartplotter display at nav station
Raymarine i70s display at nav station
Garmin GPS19x GPS receiver
Garmin AIS 600
Garmin GHC 10 autopilot control head
Garmin autopilot with Actuator Class A Model A1 autopilot drive
Garmin GND10 black box bridge
ICOM IC-M502 VHF radio
ICOM IC-M700 transceiver
ICOM AT-120 automatic antenna tuner
(2) Standard Horizon HX870 VHF radios
HP Deskjet 670C inkjet printer (specially configured)
Watrous 4” brass ship’s clock and barometer
(2) Ritchie Powerdamp 3 ¾” compasses
Fusion MS-RA70N stereo receiver with two cockpit speakers
Toshiba flat screen monitor
USB and 12v outlets at nav station
Electrical Systems
Rage was completely rewired in her 2007 refit.
120v AC and 12v DC electrical systems
Smartplug 30 amp shore power inlet and 50’ cord
High output alternator with serpentine belt
Balmar Max Charge MC612 external alternator regulator
Magnum MS2012 2000 watt inverter/100 amp battery charger (2007)
(3) Firefly FF12D1-G31 house batteries (330 amp hours)
(1) Optima D27M engine start battery
Xantrex Digital Echo charge for start battery charging
Solbian SP47Q 47 watt solar panel on hatch turtle
Mechanical Systems
Universal M-50 4-cylinder diesel engine (rebuilt 2007, 680 hours) – easy access with side and top panels removable
Tachometer, coolant temperature, oil pressure and voltmeter gauges at cockpit
New engine room sound insulation (2007)
Martec 2-blade folding propeller
Single lever throttle/shift lever
Katadyn Powersurvivor 80E-2 12v DC 4 gallon per hour watermaker
Webasto ThermoTop CD cabin heater with heat exchangers
(2) Guzzler manual bilge pumps
Steering wheel (currently removed and stored)
Deck and Hull
Rage’s hull is constructed (from inside out) of laminated layers of 1/8” Sitka spruce, 1/8” western red cedar, 1” Klegecell R75 foam, 1/8” western red cedar, 1/8” Sitka spruce and 6 oz fiberglass cloth bonded with epoxy. The hull is reinforced with carbon fiber cloth on the centerline. Bulkheads are fiberglassed to the hull and to six 1 ¼” by 2 1/4” Sitka spruce stringers. Her deck and cabin are constructed of epoxy and birch plywood and plywood veneers over Klegecell R55 foam. Her rudder is fiberglass over foam core with a 4 ¼” carbon fiber rudder post. The keel is a welded steel foil with a lead bulb encapsulated in fiberglass and epoxy.
(2) Harken 60.3 primary winches (2024)
(1) Harken Performa 70 2-speed self tailing mainsheet winch (2022)
(1) Lewmar #48 2-speed self tailing winch at cabin top
(1) Lewmar #48 2-speed self tailing electric winch at cabin top
(2) Lewmar #7 single speed winches
Lewmar anchor windlass
Fortress FX125 anchor with chain and rode
Fortress FX85 anchor with chain and rode
(6) pop up mooring cleats
Whale cockpit shower
Sails & Rigging
Double spreader carbon fiber rig
Stainless rod and wire rigging with Navtec turnbuckles (re-headed 2019)
Carbon fiber/plywood boom
Harken 4:1 mainsheet
Harken 6:1 mainsheet traveler
Harken Battcar mast track system for full batten main
Doyle Cradle cover mainsail cover
Harken rigid boom vang
Forespar carbon fiber spinnaker pole (5.5” x 32’)
Sail inventory:
Mainsail – Doyle 2024 – excellent condition
Mainsail – Doyle 2012 – fair condition
J3 – Doyle 2012 – fair condition
J3 – Doyle 2022 – excellent condition
1.5 oz jib top (Dacron) – Quantum 2000 – fair condition
Storm jib (Dacron) – Sobstad 2000 – good condition
Spinnaker staysail – Doyle 2018 – excellent condition
Code Zero – Doyle 2018 – Very good condition
A1.5 – Doyle 2012 – fair/good condition
A2 – Doyle 2018 – excellent condition
A2.5 – Doyle 2018 – excellent condition
A4 – Doyle 2012 – good condition
A5 fractional – Doyle 2018 – excellent condition
A5 fractional – Doyle 2000 – fair condition
R1 Tweener – 2022 – excellent
Fractional delivery spinnaker – serviceable
Miscellaneous older sails in container
Miscellaneous & Safety
Emergency rudder
ACR Globalfix EPIRB (battery expires 11/2026)
Lifesling Overboard Rescue System
Horseshoe buoy
MOB pole
(3) Fire Extinguishers
Flagstaff and ensign
Miscellaneous sails, anchors, forward privacy door and more in container
Exclusions
Owner’s personal items, foul weather gear and lifejackets