Legendary Yacht Designer Olin J. Stephens Remembered

At the age of 100 years old, legendary yacht designer Olin J. Stephens passed away on Saturday, September 13, in Hanover, NH.

In the last century, Mr. Stephens designed more than 2,200 racing and cruising sailboats, from Lightnings to the J-class boat Ranger. He and his firm Sparkman and Stephens designed the winners of a total of eight of the nine America's Cup matches between 1937 and 1980, including the 12-metres Columbia, Constellation, Freedom, Intrepid and Courageous.

For his many contributions to the sport of sailing, in 1964 Mr. Stephens was awarded US SAILING’s prestigious award, the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy. In 2004, he also received US SAILING's National Sportsmanship Trophy. In addition, he was inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame at the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, R.I., in 1993.

Click here to read article by John Rousmaniere http://nyyc.org/home/article_193/

Article courtesy of US SAILING.

 

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