The famous Sparkman & Stephens 1930 yawl, sailing yact Dorade, has proudly entered the 2012 Caribbean regatta season after a major restoration in the USA. She will then returns to ocean racing – with yacht and crew in tune.
Sailing yacht DORADE credit Cory Silken
Dorade has emerged from a major restoration in the USA.
Expense was not spared as the yacht Dorade’s owner, Matt Brooks, pulled together a team of craftsmen sharing his values to do the best job after purchasing her in 2010. “Make her as near to perfect as you can!” was the brief given to Joe Loughborough, who oversaw the refit in Newport, Rhode Island throughout the best part of 2011.
Work was carried out on virtually every part and detail of Dorade from hull frames to engine, spars, rudder, electronics, sails, rigging, custom winches, headstay tang and the whole interior – full-size mock-ups being made of certain areas. The specialists involved in preparing the Dorade sailing yacht for ocean races were “unlike any she has sailed in the past 50 years”.
The 1930 refitted yacht DORADE - Photo credit Billy Black
Dorade racing in the Caribbean regatta season to train crew.
The Heineken Regatta in St Maarten is followed by Les Voiles de St Barths and the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. Sailing yacht Dorade will also be present at the St Barths Bucket superyacht event. As well as enjoying fun and camaraderie among the competitors, the regattas will provide an important step in the training program for the team who will race in the 2012 Newport-Bermuda Race, while testing Dorade.
Designed by the late Olin Stephens, S/Y Dorade was originally launched in 1930 and influenced nearly all developments in yacht design for the next three decades. She was a hugely successful racer, winning the 1931 Transatlantic race – both line honours and overall – and winning the 1931 (and 1933) Fastnet race overall.
1930 Sailing yacht Dorade refitted and ready for the 2012 Caribbean regatta season- Photo credit Cory Silken
Dorade returns to ocean racing on 15 June: Newport-Bermuda.
The Newport Bermuda race was one of classic yacht Dorade’s first ocean races and she came second in class in 1930 (and first in class in 1932). On 15 June 2012, with a crew that will have tested their chemistry and skills in the Caribbean, Dorade aims to beat that and win.
Matt Brooks on Dorade credit Pam Rorke Levy
Sail yacht Dorade’s owner and team-leader, Matt Brooks, whose home waters are the Bay of San Francisco, is a world-renowned mountain guide and has racked up first ascents in the Sierra and French Alps. He also flew solo aged 13 and set a record time for circumnavigating the globe (westward) in a jet plane. He is the reigning 6-metre class, vintage division, world champion.
Other core members of Dorade’s crew include John Burnham, Buddy Rego, Pam Rorke Levy, Christopher Musler and James A. Hilton Sr. Captain Alex Greenson joined Dorade in January and is preparing her for the regattas, with shore support from Mike Drake of MCM Newport. The final crew list is yet to be announced.
