Francis S. Kinney and Russell Bourne

The Best of the Best

The Yacht Designs of Sparkman & Stephens

Olin J. Stephens II and Roderick Stephens, Jr., who have been called the "best seamen and designers of all time," first committed themselves to the world of boats in the early 1920s when they taught themselves how to sail amid the sandflats of Barnstable, Massachusetts. Since then, their innovative designs and outstanding record as sailors have inspired generations of followers, who will welcome the opportunity to see many of their finest creations highlighted in this long-awaited volume. The authors present some one-hundred of the most beautiful, beloved Sparkman & Stephens vessels, whose designs range across a suprisingly wide arc-including not just sleek and powerful ocean racers, but everything from production one-designs to customized mega-yachts.

Interviews with and remembrances of the Stephens brothers and their successors have served as the authors' guides for most of these boat biographies. For others, owners and sailing rivals of the yachts have been tapped for their recollections. In addition to explaining the important design features of each boat, line drawings, sail plans, deck plans, and photographs illustrate their special nature.

This handsome volume concludes with an appendix of all 2600 S&S designs with the names of each built boat, owners, and specifications. No nautical library or sailor will want to be without The Best of the Best.

The late Francis Kinney was the author of Skene's Elements of Yacht Design and You Are First: The Story of Olin and Rod Stephens. Russell Bourne is the author of The View from Front Street and Floating West: The Erie and Other American Canals. Here they bring to bear their extensive knowledge of the enduringly popular vessels crafted by one of America's most romanticized and admired naval architecture firms.