Dorade (yacht)

Dorade, a yacht designed in 1929 by Olin Stephens of Sparkman & Stephens, built 1929–1930 by the Minneford Yacht Yard in City Island, New York.

Dorade was a yacht designed in 1929 by Olin Stephens of Sparkman & Stephens and built 1929–1930 by the Minneford Yacht Yard in City Island, New York.

Dorade 1931.

Dorade went on to place 2nd in the Bermuda Race later that year. The crew for its first race received the All-Amateur Crew Prize. However, it would be the Transatlantic Race that would bring the boat its name. Placing first, she completed the race in 17 days – a race that takes an estimated 3–4 weeks to complete. A parade was held in celebration of the crew and ship's return with the mayor holding a reception in honor of Olin Stephens' victory.

Olin Stephens, the designer, was skipper through 1932 when he handed the boat to his brother, Rod Stephens. Led by Rod, Dorade sailed to victory in the 1932 Bermuda Race. From Bermuda, Dorade sailed back to Norway, down to Cowes, England, and finally back to America after winning the Fastnet Race. The victory of the 1932 Fastnet Race was of substantial significance given the unusually severe weather, several ships feared missing as well as one recorded drowning among the events that unfolded.

In 2013, Dorade took first place (after applying her handicap) in the Trans-Pacific race that she had won in 1936.

Specifics

• Length Overall: 52 ft. 0 in.
• Length Waterline: 37 ft. 3 in.
• Beam: 10 ft. 3 in.
• Draught: 8 ft. 0 in.
• Displacement: 143⁄4 tons
• Sail Area: 1,100 sq ft (100 m²).
• Hull: Mahogany planking on oak frames
• Ballast: 18,000 lbs. lead
• Rig: Yawl
• Designer: Olin Stephens of Sparkman & Stephens
• Builder: Minneford Yacht Yard, City Island, New York
• Engine: Perkins 40 hp.

Major Races

• 1930 Bermuda Race, Class B: Second; First all-amateur crew ; Fall Rendezvous: Cruising Club of America, First in Fleet
• 1930 Trans-Atlantic Race: First ; Cowes Round-The-Island Race: Second ; Cowes Cruising Class: Second
• 1932 Bermuda Race: First
• 1933 Oslo to Hanko Match Race with "Jolie Brise": Winner ; Fastnet Race: First
• 1936 San Francisco-Farrolone Race: First ; Transpacific Race: First
• 1947–1979 Participated in fifteen Swiftsure races: First in Class AA 1947–1948, 1951, 1954, and 1964.
• 2013 Transpacific Yacht Race First overall

Dorade raced from the east coast 1930 through 1935, moving to San Francisco for several years, then on to Seattle in the late 1930s. She returned to the bay area from 1979 to 1984. Dorades home berth is now Newport Beach, California.

Restoration

• Dorade was completely restored in 1997 at the shipyard of Argentario, in Porto Santo Stefano, Italy.

See also

• Dorade box, a ventilator arrangement first used on Dorade

Sources

• A. Hollingsworth, The Way of a Yacht, Newton Abbot London 1974.
• official website

References

• Fox, Uffa (1934). Sailing, Seamanship and Yacht Construction. Peter Davies Limited. pp. 78–84. ISBN 978-0-432-05001-9. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Pace, Franco (2002). Sparkman and Stephens - Giants of Classic Yacht Design. Adlard Coles Nautical. pp. 22–39. ISBN 978-0-7136-6413-3. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Douglas D. Adkins (2012). Dorade: The History of an Ocean Racing Yacht. David R. Godine. ISBN 9781567924473.