Dorade Specifications:
LOA: 52’0″
LWL: 37′ 3″
Beam: 10′ 3″
Draft: 7′ 7″
Design Number: 7
Designer: Sparkman & Stephens
Contract Date: 1929
Contract Owner: S&S flagship
Built: Minneford Yacht Yard of City Island, New York
Contract Price: $28,000
Stephens “With Dorade, I only had intuition to guide me,” When Dorade was launched she floated 3″ deeper than Stephens had planned. Her boot top was raised and the rest is history.
DORADE was originally regarded as something of an anomaly because of her narrow proportions and sharp ends. However, she soon astonished the yachting world with her ability to stand up to any amount of hard driving on all points of sailing. Her string of victories, unequalled by any racing yacht in deep water, began with the 1931 Trans-Atlantic from Newport to Plymouth. DORADE finished in a very sprightly seventeen days, one hour, and fourteen minutes. Subsequent victories ensured the fame of her young designers, and the ideas which they incorporated into this magnificent boat have left a deep imprint on 20th century yacht design.