The Passing of Olin Stephens

The legendary naval architect, whose designs changed the face of yachting, passed away this past Saturday in Hanover, NH. Stephens celebrated his 100 birthday on April 13th, and was the senior member of the New York Yacht Club.

His work in the yachting community (both in sail and in power) was beyond exceptional; he designed eight America’s Cup winners including the famous Dorade, which lit off the success of the Sparkman & Stephens design firm (see our article “Engineering Tradition“). He retired from the firm in 1978 and moved to Hanover, NH, where he continued his studies of fluid dynamics, and occasional guest lectured in Dartmouth College’s engineering department.

He is survived by his sons, Olin Stephens III and Samuel R. Stephens; his sister, Marite Sheridan; and his grandson, Olin J. Stephens IV. He will be missed by the entire yachting community.

Win This Game!

If you like board games or are just a collector of cool stuff, check this out. It's a board game developed in 1986 by Sparkman & Stephens, in which each player embarks on a yacht race around the world. And it's yours to win.

Before I tell you how to win it, of course, I'm sure you'll want to know how to play the game. The two-inch-tall pieces that players move around the board are classic S&S racing and cruising designs, crafted in pewter. The game also comes with 360 cards, each with six questions about seamanship, navigation, yachting trivia, and equipment. Naturally each correct answer means you can advance around the board, where spaces are represented by waves. (The racing yachts can only occupy blue waves, while cruising yachts occupy the white waves.) There's even a lot to keep a record of competitors, dates, and margins of victory—a true sailor's approach.

So how do you win? Send an e-mail to info@sparkmanstephens.com with the subject line "Game Raffle," complete with your name, address, and telephone winner. Two lucky people will be chosen by Sparkman & Stephens.

Good luck!