Olin Stephens II

[rbgarr]

Olin Stephens II again wowed the crowd at the Museum of Yachting's 27th Annual Best Life Classic Yacht Regatta, held in Newport this past weekend. His legendary 1929 DORADE returned to the East Coast at this event after several years of sailing in the Med after a restoration. Olin was asked to present her new owner, Edgar Cato, with the prize for second in class, and best overall performance for an S&S designed yacht. Olin delivered a remarkably honest and humble perspective as only he can do. When asked about seeing one of his masterpieces racing again in the U.S., he responded (paraphrased) "Well it's a good boat, but I've done better...." He went on to say that the 1905 N.G. Herreshoff designed NY-30's were, in fact, his all time favorite design, a nod to Amorita, NY-30 #9 as the winning boat that bested Dorade's time. - http://www.museumofyachting.org

[Lucky Luke]

Olin stephens "two"...????

Yes, he is THE today's Master, as NG Herreshoff was, and S. Burgess...Makes one feel so small....

I don't remember who is it that used to say here: "we see so far only because we stay on the shoulders of giants"... So true!

[pcford]

It's incredible...Rod and Olin and the Dorade won the transatlantic race in what, 1932?

Dorade spent some years up in the San Juans.

[Hwyl]

I sat next to him at a AYRS gathering at the Landing School, must have been about 1998. He told me then that the Swan 48 was his favorite. I suspect that he as different favorites for different occasions.

Great guy

[mmd]

"I suspect that he as different favorites for different occasions." - Hwyl

I can understand Mr. Stephens' seeming inconsistancy in stating which is his favourite yacht - there are so many good, attractive yachts out there that naming just one and keeping it as a favourite is nigh on impossible. There is the favourite cruising boat, the favourite racing boat, the favourite day-sailer, the favourite...

There is also the fact that as time passes, your tastes in things change. As you absorb more information on a topic you begin to appreciate the subtleties of the object more, and this affects your appreciation of a given object.

I used to think that the best looking girls were brunettes. I married a redhead. Go figure.

[paladin]

Michael...redheads is DANGEROUS....:D

[Hwyl]

I can understand Mr. Stephens' seeming inconsistancy in stating which is his favourite yacht - there are so many good, attractive yachts out there that naming just one and keeping it as a favourite is nigh on impossible. There is the favourite cruising boat, the favourite racing boat, the favourite day-sailer, the favourite...



I think that being a succesful NA depends in large part on being an intuitive businessman. it should not be true, but it is.

There is no more succesful NA than Olin Stephens.

I am far more likely to buy a production FG boat, than Stormy Weather, so, if my hypothesis is correct, he had me sized up fairly well.

I'd have to sell my house to afford a Swan 36 or maybe a 441, but that's an antipodean design.

[Dan McCosh]

I spend a week in Maine last month, racing on a NY32, with Olin Stephens on a competing boat. His boat beat us in the last race, while we ended behind a NY30. The NY 30 even gave us a run on the downwind leg, one of the few boats without a chute up.