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ASSOCIATION

No36

When, in 1929, the American father of two boat-loving boys, Olin and Rod Jnr, both of whom had abandoned their college careers, agreed to have built one of their yacht designs, he couldn't have known that he was backing a team, Sparkman & Stephens, which was to become the greatest influence in yacht design this century.
As he watched his slim new 52ft yawl Dorade sliding into the waters of City Island, New York, Rod Stephens Snr couldn't have imagined that she would re-write the rules of yacht design, and be the inspiration for new boats for a further three decades.

Sparkman & Stephens

Yachting Monthly
Classic Yachts
August 1991

By the very nature of their vigil, HM Coastguard has witnessed much of the sea's history in its making. From his vantage perched on the Lizard promontory in 1931, a Coastguard officer saw a white yawl, 52ft LOA sailing up Channel. The time was 0545 on July 21 and the yacht Dorade was on her way to winning the Transatlantic Race.
So started the careers of both Dorade, a vessel that became perhaps the most significant yacht of our time, and her skippers, Olin and Rod Stephens. Their work has dominated yacht design from the 1930s through to the 1970s with clients as diverse as the Aga Khan and Edward Heath visiting their New York office.

For those who have found a gap between the salmon fishing and the grouse shooting seasons we have the answer. Designed with the gentleman in mind - not vulgar and with it, nor lightweight and spartan, and Sparkman and Stephens’ SHE 36 is a true sporting carriage.

The SHE, taking its name from the Fitzgerald firm of South Hants Engineering, is the largest boat that they build. A company whose loyalty to S & S designs has been unbroken; right from the days when they campaigned their own SHE 31's - the boats that in 1969 were always chasing the French Arpeges for half-ton honours.

She 36 information on yachtsnet.co.uk

“White Gold II was the best boat for the job within the available budget”

Sparkman & Stephens built a formidable reputation in the Sixties and Seventies, particularly in yachts which were also racers as well as production cruisers. Until the extremes of the International Off-shore Rule - which coincidentally also Rod and Olin Stephens had a major hand in drafting - their boats were true dual purpose craft. Race one weekend, take the family cruising next.

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Statesmen of sailing

Olin and Rod Stephens

Yachting World
January 1981

Theodora

Classic looking yachts never go out of style.

August 2010

Ron & Chris from New Zealand..

Took part in the 2010 AGM in Barcelona. After they returned they wrote:

It was great catching up with you all again. Thanks for the info updates. This is a photo of a new boat built in our area. My brother has met the owner and hopefully he will be a new S&S member soon. We saw the boat in the shed before she was launched and she is very impressive.