Dorade Yawl that launched S&S

You’d be forgiven for thinking yachts always looked this way, but they didn’t – first there was Dorade

- JACK GIFFORD

There is usually a time and a place for breakthrough innovation, when step changes can be made, and the young Olin Stephens found himself opportunely placed to make his mark. The time was 1929, the place was City Island, New York and the boat was Dorade.

Dorade is the product of an immensely bright, inquisitive and critical mind, whose passion was ocean racing and who in 1929 was just beginning to apply himself to a career in yacht design for which he had always been destined. A bit corny, I know, but as he said himself: “I only ever had one goal”.

The flying start to Olin’s career – and that of the now legendary S&S firm – saw the young Olin focussing his critical mind on improvements in the burgeoning International 6-Metre class. Concentrating on righting moment, sail area, wetted surface area and, above all, weight ensured Stephens’ success in that fleet. So why not then employ these methods to the arena of ocean racing?