Synopsis
Olin Stephens, who died on September 13 aged 100, was the most revered yacht designer of the 20th century. Together with his brother Rod and the yacht broker Drake Sparkman, he founded the New York naval architectural practice, Sparkman & Stephens. The "S&S" design tag was carried by more than 2,200 racing and cruising yachts, including six successful defenders of the America's Cup - an unsurpassed record. Among his clients was Sir Edward Heath, who had four of his five Morning Clouds created by the Manhattan firm. The Stephens brothers made their name in 1931 when they raced the 52ft yawl Dorade in the Transatlantic Race. While passing the Scilly Isles they signalled the Coastguard station "Which am I?", and received back, "You are first". It was the start of a six-decade domination of both offshore and inshore racing classes, and after winning that year's Fastnet race as well they were given a ticker-tape welcome. When the America's Cup races at last resumed after the war in 1958 it was in the smaller 12-metre class, and for the next 12 years Stephens was at the peak of his powers. Columbia and Constellation defeated the 1958 and 1964 British challengers Sceptre and Sovereign before Stephens developed, for the 1967 match, Intrepid, which was arguably his finest yacht. Stephens also designed another successful Cup defender, Courageous, steered by Ted Hood and then by Ted Turner to victory in 1974 and 1977, before producing his final 12?metre, Freedom. Its dominance in 1980 marked Stephens's recent retirement from the day to day work of S&S. Stephens's record of six America's Cup winners exceeded that of Nathanael Herreshoff's five American defenders from 1893 to 1920. Ted Heath encountered him at the 1969 London Boat Show Stephens mildly assured him that he would find a sister ship to the S&S 34 class "satisfactory", and Heath went on to win that year's Hobart race in the first Morning Cloud.
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"You are First" The Story of Olin & Rod Stephens of Sparkman & Stephens
Published by
Adlard Coles Ltd, London, 1978
ISBN 10: 0229116213
ISBN 13: 9780229116218
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: St Paul's Bookshop P.B.F.A., Peterborough, United Kingdom
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. 1st edition. Near-fine hardback copy. Top 5mm of spine is trimmed by scissors. Otherwise, the jacket is also Near-fine. B&w photos, maps, ship diagrams. SCARCE BOOK IN UK. Seller Inventory # 043494