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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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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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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.

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• Guided tour

River Cruise on Luxurious Radisson Boat

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Equipped with ice-breaking technology, these huge fancy yachts are the only river cruisers running all year around. The round trip journey takes two and a half hours and floats past all the big sights like the White House, Novodevichy monastery and the Kremlin. There’s a large open air observation deck up top, while the main body of the ship houses a restaurant with a dance floor for a romantic post dinner dance. For a particularly romantic experience take one of the evening boats and admire the bright lights of the city skyline at night.

The most relaxing and picturesque tour that Moscow can offer: a great way to see the city center and its main attractions. This is a perfect alternative to exploring the city by car, if you only have time to do sightseeing during weekday rush hours.

Your English-speaking guide is eager to share every bit of their knowledge about the surrounding landscape, the architecture and historical details.

We conduct Moscow river tour on Radisson Flotilla boats all year around!  It’s warm inside during winter months, while there’s air conditioning during hot summer days. You may also treat yourself to drinks, lunch or dinner on board (drinks and food are not included in tour price).

The cost of an excursion with a personal guide for 1 person

Quay at Radisson Collection Hotel

Government Headquarters ("the White House")

Kievsky Railway Central

Novodevichy Convent

Luzhniki Stadium

Academy of Sciences

Monument to Peter I

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Moscow Kremlin

St.Basil's Cathedral

Novospassky Monastery

U-turn and back to Quay at Radisson Royal Hotel

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Who's going.

• Excursion River Cruise on Luxurious Radisson Boat
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See photo of the meeting point