s&s 30 sailboat

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Sparkman & Stephens 30: Best Daysailer

• By Dave Reed
• Updated: December 13, 2012

Sparkman & Stephens 30

Purpose: daysailing/PHRF racing Recommended race crew: 3 to 4 Best attributes: overall look, high-volume interior, easy handling Price as sailed: $169,000 www.bluenoseyachts.com

Record labels re-master classic albums for good reason: Great music is always great music, and with modern digital tools, great songs can be improved. The same is true of the Sparkman & Stephens 30 , said to be one of the late, great Olin Stephens ‘ favorite designs. In the 1930s, Babe (Design No. 97) had a notable ocean-racing career, and in his final years, says the design firm, Stephens revisited the design with intentions of building an updated version. With his passing, the firm carried on, but instead of the wooden version Stephens envisioned, they introduced a fiberglass production model that superbly connects the past with the present.

The judges had three other classic-styled daysailers to test this year, but in many respects, the Sparkman & Stephens 30 was untouchable. “The first thing I thought when I saw it was how much better it looked than it does on the drawing,” said Stewart. “The sheer comes up nicely from the bow, it’s got that narrow look, and the traditional stern gives it a nice touch.”

“It looked good sitting there at the dock, but when we sailed it, it had a great feel,” he added. “All the control lines worked really well. There’s not a lot of extra stuff anywhere on the boat, so it feels very clean and open.”

It’s billed as a daysailer, but it’s much more than that, said the judges. The interior is minimalist, with no galley or refrigeration, but with a lot of volume, long setees, and a proper enclosed head (with frosted Lexan folding doors). It’s more of a weekender and beer can racer [estimated 100 PHRF] than anything else. “The interior volume is amazing,” said Stewart. “The extra-long companionway and dodger setup allows you to stand inside the boat and look out. You can happily sit in the settees [while sailing], which puts the weight where you want it to be.”

Its high-aspect sailplan compliments the boat’s slender hull, and under full sail the boat leans on its waterlines, gracefully climbing upwind. A spinnaker on an optional top-down furler, and tacked to the stem, did wonders for the boat’s downwind performance. “Having the screecher out there is the way to go,” said Rich. “With that setup, even if you’re singlehanding it, you won’t be afraid to use it. This makes the boat much more user-friendly, and keeps wet sails out of the interior.”

The finish quality and overall construction were very good, noted the judges (it’s built by C&C Fiberglass Components, which also builds the J/70). With a simplistic, but efficient, layout inside and out, it’s the sort of boat you’d want to take out for a sunset sail or race, and then keep on sailing well past nightfall.

For more images of the Sparkman & Stephens 30, click here . To read more about Sparkman & Stephens, click here . To see the rest of 2013’s winners, click here .

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Sparkman & Stephens 30

• By Cruising World Staff
• Updated: September 13, 2012

ss-30—flag-blue-hull-with-teak-trim.jpg

ss-30—interior-02feb12.jpg

ss30-docked.jpg

ss30underway.jpg

ss30-plansbys.jpg

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Sparkman & Stephens Defiance 30 COMPLETE REFIT, NEW ENGINE, MAST, ELECTRICS!

Used yachts for sale, sail monohulls 30ft > 35ft,        sparkman & stephens boats for sale, sparkman & stephens defiance 30 boats for sale.

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Sparkman & Stephens 30 Boats For Sale in Australia

Found 23 listings.

• New Sparkman & Stephens Boats For Sale
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Sparkman & Stephens Defiance 30

Boasting a huge number of improvements and upgrades to enhance the functionality and produce ...

• 30' 6" / 9.30m
• AU $49,000 Negotiable

Sparkman & Stephens 30

REDUCED 'Hannah' located at the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia is an ...

• 30' / 9.14m
• 1989 approx

Sparkman & Stephens 30 1985

Great seaworthy S&S 30 Cutter rigged, Re-rigged 09/2020, Profurl self furling head and ...

• 30' 2" / 9.20m

Sparkman & Stephens 30 Defiance

Renown for their reliability and sailing experience, this well sought after Sparkman & ...

• AU $37,500 Or nearest offer

Sparkman & Stephens Defiance 30 Complete Refit, New Engine, Mast, Electrics!

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL! SUPERBLY BUILT AND THEN SUPERBLY RE-FITTED! ITS ONE FOR THE CONNOISSEUR ...

• AU $48,500 Huge price reduction

Sparkman & Stephens 39 "Norlee"

The S&S 39 warrants the description, 'classic'. Hundreds have been built and ...

• 38' 7" / 11.77m

Sparkman & Stephens 38 Hughes

Regretful sale. Selling only due to change in circumstances. Mayaluga - Swazi "one ...

• 38' / 11.58m

Sparkman & Stephens 34 1983 Catalpa

!!! Ridiculously low price is to sell before end of month. :. Additional cost of $approx $700 ...

• 34' / 10.36m
• 1984 approx
• AU $7,499 Huge price reduction

Sparkman & Stephens 43

This Sparkman & Stephens Cutter Rig Sloop is a proven Racer/Cruiser, "Jacqui" ...

• 42' 4" / 12.90m
• AU $155,000

Sparkman & Stephens One-Off 49' Ior Class, New Interior

Do you dream of sailing around the world, have the coolest floating summerhouse or like to ...

• 49' 0" / 14.94m
• US $195,000

Sparkman & Stephens 39 Offshore / Coastal Cruiser or Club Racer.

Kinya J $84000 negotiatiable and all offers considered. This S&S39 has been well looked ...

• 39' 0" / 11.89m
• AU $84,000 Negotiable

Sparkman & Stephens 36

Adagio is a nice example of a classic S&S 36 design, built be the renowned Swarbrick ...

• 35' 1" / 10.70m
• AU $47,000 Or nearest offer

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• Boat Reviews

BLUE WATER BOATS | S & S 30

For those who may have forgotten, Olin Stephens was the Twentieth Century’s resident genius of yacht design, our own nautical Da Vinci. In every aspect of the sailing game from dinghies like the Lightning to offshore racers like Finisterre to America’s Cup defenders, Stephens created fast boats that were always a step ahead of their time.

Some years ago, when asked which of his designs he would like to see brought back and renewed, Stephens immediately suggested design number 97, a 30 foot racer-cruiser named Babe. Designed and build in 1935, Babe was a noted performer in coastal and offshore races—yes, regular people used to race 30 footers offshore. And, she was an able, compact coastal cruiser for a couple or small family.

Up top, the 30 has been given an aggressive rig with a tall, full roach, slab reefing mainsail and a 100-percent self tacking, roller furling jib. A Selden top-down furler is used for the asymmetrical spinnaker.

The result is a new boat that is truly the best of both worlds. The hull looks sweet and right, like most of Stephens’ designs. The rig has the horsepower to make the boat sprightly to sail and competitive around the buoys. And, the interior is large enough for a family of four to enjoy a weekend cruise.

With the engine switched off and a fair breeze blowing into the cut, the 30 reacted immediately to the press of sail. The 30 is quite narrow by modern standards, similar in some ways to the modern fleet of J Boats, so the hull is very easily driven. We sheeted in the main, trimmed the self tacking jib and away we sailed, carving a course very close to the wind.

If you haven’t sailed a boat with a tiller in a while, we have to say that this is how a little thoroughbred should be steered. With the wind puffing and gusting between the condo towers, the tiller gave an immediate and visceral feel for how the boat was performing and allowed us to feel the puffs and steer up and through them without having to think about it.

We didn’t get a chance to sail with the spinnaker flying, but we did sail next to the 30 when it had the chute up and noted with pleasure that the boat is very quick and lively. And, with two people aboard, the spinnaker with the top down furler is a cinch to fly.

There are some other good boats in this category, such as the Morris 29, Alerion 28 or the J/100 and each has its own characteristics. When it comes to pure sailing, the new S&S 30, with its long waterline and slippery hull form, will certainly hold its own with all of these and in the right hands will be a winner around a race course or in point to point events. After all, Babe won the 184-mile Miami to Nassau Race in 1936 and 1937, the same years another pint-sized thoroughbred, Seabiscuit, won his first races.

The cabin house is low and fits neatly onto the hull, yet it offers a surprising amount of space and headroom below decks. The cabin has bench settees on both sides and a small galley forward with a stainless steel sink and room for a portable cook stove.

The head is enclosed in its own compartment for a modicum of privacy and forward there is a large V-berth. The hull is lined with a fiberglass ceiling that looks like old fashioned planking. There are cabinets and small storage lockers for essential gear and clothing and tanks for water, fuel and waste water.

With bunks for four people, you could certainly take the S&S cruising and would have a fine time exploring your nearby coastlines, coves and harbors. And, for longer runs, you could even store your small inflatable dinghy on the afterdeck.

A pretty and sweet sailing newcomer in the daysailer and weekender fleet, the S&S 30 is easy on the eye, fun to sail and capable of taking you around the buoys or around the islands in real style at a price that won’t make your banker hiccup.

S&S 30 LOA 30’6” LWL 27’6” Beam 8’3” Draft 5’6” Displ. 5,640 lbs. Water 12 gals. Fuel 13 gals. Waste 6 gals. Sail area 462 sq, ft.

Bluenose Yachts Sales Newport, RI and South Portland, ME Ph: (877) 695-6538 www.bluenoseyachts.com

Author: Blue Water Sailing

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• Sailboat Guide

Sparkman & Stephens

Olin Stephens II (1908-2008), was one of the most influential and prolific designers of the 20th century. After a short apprenticeship working on six meters, he joined forces with Drake Sparkman in 1930 to form the legendary S&S firm. (From the beginning, the importance and influence of his brother, Rod Stephens, can not be overstated.) The success of ‘Dorade’, commissioned by his father in the same year, helped put the company on the map.Many other designs were to follow including Baruna, Vim, Brilliant, Stormy Weather, Northern Light, and Nyala. In 1937, in collaboration with Starling Burgess, Stephens designed ‘Ranger’, the last and fastest of the J Class boats, which was selected to defend the Cup after only seven races. During the war, Sparkman & Stephens was heavily involved with the design of craft for the military. When racing for the Americas cup resumed 26 years later, his pre-war 12 meter ‘Vim’ was barely eliminated in the defender trials of 1958. The S&S designed ‘Freedom’ (1980) was the last 12-Meter to successfully defend the Cup. Olin Stephens was one of the primary figures in the development of rating rules from the CCA, to IOR, to IMS. (Boats listed here are some of series built sailing yachts from the firm Sparkman & Stephens).

251 Sailboats designed by Sparkman & Stephens

Designers Choice

Tartan 34 C

Tartan 37 (S&S)

Catalina 38

Columbia 29 MKII

New Horizons 26

Yankee 30 MKI

Hinckley Pilot 35

Swan 38 s&s (1 ton).

Swan 38 S&S

Tartan 34-2.

Chris-Craft Caribbean 35

Tartan 3000

Chris-Craft Capri 26-1

Chris-Craft Apache 37

Swan 44 (S&S)

New York Yacht Club 48

Swan 47 S&S

Swan 43 (S&S)

Tartan 27-2

Chris-Craft Sail Yacht 35

Weekender 24

Swan 40 (S&S)

Swan 57 S&S CB

Swan 57 s&s ketch.

Swan 57 S&S

Swan 48-S&S

Swan 65-S&S

Swan 65-S&S Ketch

Chris-Craft Pawnee 26

Chris-Craft Cherokee 32

Week-Ender (S&S)

Dolphin 24 (S&S)

Zuanelli 40.

Falcon 24 (S&S)

Grampian Classic 37

Seawanhaka Sea Bird

Tartan 40 offshore, grampian walton 37.

Tartan Tock 40

Hinckley 38

Chris-Craft Comanche 42

Dark Harbor 20

Islander 30 (Hinckley-1938)

S&S 40 (1964)

Knickerbocker one-design.

New York Yacht Club 32

Swan 55-S&S-1970 Yawl

Swan 55-S&S-1970

Fleet-O-Wing

Tartan 33 R

Loki 38 (S&S)

Swarbrick s&s 30.

Dufour 42 (S&S)

New york yacht club 48 (s&s).

Swan 47-2 S&S CB (Nyyc 48)

North Wind 43 DS

Contessa 38 (s&s).

Luke S&S 50

Freya 44 (S&S)

Aquarius 40 (S&S)

Finisterre (S&S)

Sailmaster 45

Gulfstream 42 (S&S)

Walstead 42

North Wind 58

North wind 68, swan 50-s&s.

Biscayne 27

Stevens 50 PH

Maple Leaf One-Design

She 9.5 Traveller

Aquafibre PJ-30

Aquafibre S&S 30

Columbia 29 Defender

Columbia 29

Sparkman & Stephens 30 (2012)

Arrow (S&S)

Pacific Dolphin 24

North star 26.

Lotus 28 (S&S)

S&S 6.6

S&S One Ton - 1966

Prestige 36

Sound One Design

Tartan 41 Passagemaker

Tartan 27 Yawl

Tartan 33 (hull 1-20).

Fisher Pilot 33

Indian Harbor Arrow (S&S)

Manhasset Bay One-Design

Gulfstream 30 (S&S)

Gulfstream 36 (S&S)

Islander 30 (Hinckley-1940)

Avance 40 dh.

Whitney System/30

Allied XL-2 42

Pj-36 (s&s), pj-40 (s&s).

Sailmaster 22

Nauticat 43, nauticat 52.

Nauticat 40

North Star 600

North Star 1500/35

Hughes 38-2

North star 48.

Hughes 38-3

North Star 1000

North Star 80/20

Hughes 38-1

North Star 500

Hughes North Star 38

Comanche 42 MH (Chris-Craft)

Chris-Craft Capitan 26

Chris-Craft Capri 30

Chris-craft capri 26-2.

Knockabout 24 (S&S)

Zuanelli 401

Zuanelli 34

Flamingo 32

Seguin 44 TM DK

Seguin 44 cb tm.

Pipedream 37

Ocean cruising 48.

Cape Cod Mercury 15 FK

Cape Cod Mercury 15 CB

Yankee Dolphin 24

Yankee 30 MKIII (3/4 Ton)

Yankee 30-morc, yankee 30 mkii 98+.

Interclub (Usa)

Seawanhaka One-Design (S&S)

Northern 29

Alc 40 (LE Comte)

Sigma 36 (S&S)

Sigma 38 (S&S)

Impala 35 (S&S)

Riviera 32 (S&S)

Seafarer 23 Kestrel (Cruise)

Seafarer 23 kestrel (daysailor), seafarer 46.

Seafarer 45

Seafarer 48.

Seafarer 45 Yawl

Swarbrick S&S 34

Pj-30 1/2 ton.

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