[Rhodes22-list] Olin Stephens dies at 100 [From Good Old Boats]

[Tootle]

Olin Stephens dies at 100
Naval architect Olin Stephens died on September 13 at the age of 100. With
his brother Rod and yacht broker Drake Sparkman, he founded Sparkman &
Stephens in 1929. In 1931 they raced the company’s 4th boat, Dorade, to win
the Transatlantic Race. Stephens was 23.

?Over the next years, Olin and S&S produced a record six America’s Cup
winners, including Ranger, Columbia, Constellation, Intrepid, Courageous,
and Freedom, as well as designs for more than 2,200 boats. He also designed
day boats such as the Lightning and the Blue Jay classes.

During World War II, Olin designed boats for the U.S. Navy. During the same
time, his brother, Rod, helped design the infamous sea-going truck, the
amphibious DUKW.

Olin retired in 1978 to take mathematics courses to help teach an
engineering course at Dartmouth College. At the age of 93 he wrote his
autobiography, All This and Sailing Too, in which he said, “I was lucky. I
had a goal. As far back as I can remember, all I wanted to do was to design
fast boats.”


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