''Dorade'' is a

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

designed in 1929 by

Olin Stephens Olin James Stephens II (April 13, 1908 – September 13, 2008) was an American yacht designer. Stephens was born in New York City, but spent his summers with his brother Rod, learning to sail on the New England coast. He also attended the Massa ...

Sparkman & Stephens Sparkman & Stephens is a naval architecture and yacht brokerage firm with offices in Newport, Rhode Island and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA. The firm performs design and engineering of new and existing vessels for pleasure, commercial, and milita ...

and built 1929–1930 by the Minneford Yacht Yard in

City Island, New York City Island is a neighborhood in the northeastern Bronx in New York City, located on an island of the same name approximately long by wide. City Island is located at the extreme western end of Long Island Sound, south of Pelham Bay and east ...

With Stephens as skipper, ''Dorade'' went on to place 2nd in the

Bermuda Race The Newport Bermuda Race, commonly known as the ''Bermuda Race'', is a biennial, 635 nautical miles (1175 km) sailing yacht race from Newport, Rhode Island to the British island of Bermuda. According to its website, the Race is the oldest re ...

later that year. The crew for its first race received the All-Amateur Crew Prize. However, it would be a year later, that ''Dorade'' made its name by winning the 1931 Transatlantic Race. She completed a race that takes an estimated 3–4 weeks in just 17 days, earning her crew a parade upon the boat's return and a reception for Olin Stephens hosted by the mayor of New York. While in England that summer, ''Dorade'' also won the

Fastnet Race The Fastnet Race is a biennial offshore yacht race organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club of the United Kingdom with the assistance of the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes and the City of Cherbourg in France. The race is named after the Fastnet ...

. In 1932, Stephens handed the boat to his brother, Rod Stephens. Led by Rod, ''Dorade'' sailed to victory in the 1932 Bermuda Race. From

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...

, ''Dorade'' sailed back to Norway, down to Cowes, England, and finally back to America after winning the

. The victory in 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, which she first won in 1936. The

yawl A yawl is a type of boat. The term has several meanings. It can apply to the rig (or sailplan), to the hull type or to the use which the vessel is put. As a rig, a yawl is a two masted, fore and aft rigged sailing vessel with the mizzen mast p ...

is also notable for the introduction of the

Dorade box A dorade box (also called a dorade vent, collector box, or simply a "ventilator") is a type of vent that permits the passage of air in and out of the cabin or engine room of a boat while keeping rain, spray, and sea wash out. Design The basic for ...

, a ventilator arrangement which became a standard fitting on small sailing craft.

Major races

*''1930''

, Class B: Second; First all-amateur crew ; Fall Rendezvous: Cruising Club of America, First in Fleet *''1931'' Trans-Atlantic Race: First ; Cowes Round-The-Island Race: Second ; Cowes Cruising Class: Second ; Fastnet Race: First *''1932'' Bermuda Race: First, Class B *''1933'' Oslo to Hanko Match Race with "Jolie Brise": Winner ; Fastnet Race: First *''1936'' San Francisco-Farallon Race: First ;

Transpacific Yacht Race The Transpacific Yacht Race (Transpac) is a biennial offshore yacht race held in odd-numbered years starting off the Pt. Fermin buoy in San Pedro, California and ending off Diamond Head in Hawaii, a distance of around . In even-numbered years the P ...

: First *''1947–1979'' Participated in fifteen Swiftsure races: First in Class AA ''1947–1948'', ''1951'', ''1954'', and ''1964''. *''2013'' First overall Transpacific Race ''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, Rhode Island.

Restoration

* ''Dorade'' was completely restored in 1997 at the shipyard of Argentario, in

Porto Santo Stefano Porto Santo Stefano () is a seaport town on the west coast of Italy, in the municipality of Monte Argentario, in the Province of Grosseto, Tuscany. It is the municipal seat of Monte Argentario and one of the two major towns that form the township ...

, Italy.

Sources

*A. Hollingsworth, The Way of a Yacht, Newton Abbot London 1974.
official websiteNewport Bermuda Race website (results archive)

Footnotes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dorade (Yacht) Individual sailing vessels Sailboat type designs by Olin Stephens Sailboat type designs by Sparkman and Stephens Sailing yachts of the United States Sailing yachts built in the United States 1920s sailing yachts Fastnet Race yachts

Major races

Restoration

See also

Sources

Footnotes

References