What a Summer it was….hats off to Matt Brooks who’s pertinacious campaign quest to bring DORADE back to blue water, has captured the hearts and souls of all who have been following her. Design number 7s transatlantic performance beating her 1931 record by over a day, albeit traveling over 200 miles further on account of ice exclusion zones, has far exceeded her owners expectations. The ultimate dual with STORMY WEATHER during the Fastnet race was epic, with DORADE outlasting STORMY WEATHER by 18 minutes.
DORADE Legacy – At a time when the worlds tallest building was officiated dedicated and as President Herbert Hoover pressed a button in Washington, D.C., and on came the lights in the world’s tallest skyscraper, DORADE with her young amateur crew, were preparing to remake history in 1931 in her quest to win the 2,800-mile race across the Atlantic. July 5th 1931 marked the official finishing time, winning the Transatlantic Yacht Race by a day over the second place finish of the 72′ Herreshoff designed LANDFALL. DORADE and the three Stephens’ returned on the White Star liner Homeric. Olin, Rod and their father were picked up by tug from the Homeric and taken to cars lined up at the Battery whereupon the whole crew was honored with a ticker-tape parade, officially launching the successful careers of the Stephens brothers, and immortalizing DORADES’ place in history for generations to come.
Reflection on Summer 2015 by DORADE Skipper Ben Galloway – “It has been almost a week in Genoa since the delivery crew departed, and DORADE seems quiet now. It has been such a great summer with so much going on, that it just doesn’t seem right to be sitting in the harbor waiting for a ship. I much prefer it when the pressure is on to achieve a goal. Even though the current goal is to put her on a ship and get her back home to Newport, R.I. it still doesn’t seem like much of a challenge, in comparison to what we’ve accomplished this season.”
Summer of 2016 – After wintering in Newport, the owners plan to continue campaigning DORADE, beginning in June 2016 with the 50th anniversary of the Newport Bermuda Race, followed by an active summer season in New England. From there, the team will compete in a series of races in Asia and finish with the Sydney Hobart Race in Australia.
