Welcome to the Sparkman and Stephens 34 Site

                                                                                                     

Welcome to the S&S 34 Association homepage. You can find out more about the 34's in the Technical pages. You can see what others think in the News and Articles pages and you can she what a great pedigree the S&S 34 has by reviewing the Members List and some of their accomplishments. The Grapevine is the email newsletter of the Assoc. and the Notes From Afar details the cruising trips untaken by members. Members can also ask questions and share their knowledge in the Discussion Forum.

 The S&S 34 is now available once again as a new boat!  Produced from the original moulds, but using the latest high tech vinylester foam sandwich construction.  Lighter, stronger, and better than ever before.  She remains a wonderful cruising boat and is highly competitive racing under IRC.  She is specified with all the luxury fittings and finishes available from other top manufacturers worldwide, but using incredibly strong lightweight construction techniques usually found only in custom race boats.  Plus the advantage of Olin Stephens' design genius  that others still struggle to match for a combination of speed, seaworthiness, safety and comfort.

Click on the photo for more information, including plans, pictures and specifications.

 

Latest News and Website Updates

Jamie Dunross arrives home after solo circumnavigation of Australia

 

Para Olympic medallist and long distance record holder Jamie Dunross arrived home to Perth on 25th July 2010, completing his solo circumnavigation of Australia.  Jamie is quadriplegic, and is sailing his new S&S 34 "Spirit of Rockingham", which has been specially adapted for disabled sailing.   He has set numerous long distance disabled records, and his circumnavigation was a truly remarkable achievement, a tough trip for anyone, let alone someone totally unable to use his legs and with only limited use of his arms.  Please CLICK HERE for a link to Jamie's website, for further information.

 

 2010 Annual General Meeting

The 2010 AGM was held at Fremantle Sailing Club on 11th July at 11:00.  Minutes will be posted as soon as available

 

 Email address list

I have emailed a reminder to everyone on my emailing list regarding the AGM.  I know the list is not complete and many owners are missing.  If you wish to be on the list but aren't, or are on the list but shouldn't be, please let me know by clicking here  You don't have to be a member to be on the email list.

 

 2010 Commodore's Race report

The 30th Commodore's race was sailed at FSC on May 16th in very light conditions.  Apologies for the delay in this race report, it took some time to obtain the full race results.  The race was shortened due to light winds and very well sailed and deservedly won by Commodore Juliann Lloyd-Smith of Nedlands Yacht Club.  For a race report and full results, please click here

 

Jessica Watson home to a huge welcome

She made it!  Jessica came home on Saturday 15th May to a huge welcome in Sydney, including from the Prime Minister and NSW Premier . She and her family have been supported by well known Queensland adventurers Don and Margie McIntyre who bought the S&S 34 "Shanty", now named "Pink Lady" for the attempt, as well as a number of sponsors.    She and her S&S 34 withstood everything the ocean threw at them, including storm force winds and 10+ metre seas.  She battled some of the toughest conditions in Australian waters at the end of her voyage. Jessica has now sailed back to her home State of Queensland, to another large welcome.  Click here for a link to Jessica's website, and more details.  She was very diligent in keeping everyone informed via her almost daily blog.

I have posted an interesting article on the rebuilding of Shanty into Pink Lady, with kind permission from Trade-a-Boat, it is on her web page, but to view you can also click here

 

  An interesting link - Berrimilla

Berrimilla is a Brolga 33 - almost a sistership to the S&S 34, designed by Peter Joubert in the 1970s with the aim of "improving" on the S&S 34.  Peter was an engineer and talented yacht designer who felt that the S&S 34 was too racing orientated and designed the Brolga 33 based on the S&S 34 but with a bit more room, sacrificing a little speed.  Berrimilla certainly has fulfilled all expectations having completed the 2004 Sydney-Hobart race then sailed to the UK for the Fastnet (coming 2nd in her class) and returning again for the next Sydney-Hobart. Since then they have sailed the NW passage and have a very entertaining website, click here for the link. Overall an amazing series of shorthanded voyages.

 

 

 Death of Olin Stephens

The Association notes with sadness the passing of one of the greatest yacht designers of all time. Earlier this year Olin Stephens turned 100.  He remained very active even in recent years and had some involvement with the development of the new S&S 34.  On 13th September 2008 he sailed on.  Click here to read the tribute in Sail World.com.

To read more about Olin's life and other details, you can click here for further links

About The Association

The Sparkman & Stephens 34 Association is the only Sparkman & Stephens related Association within Australia. We are comprised of S&S 34 yacht owners, crew and friends. Our aim is to share information about and to be involved in activities relating to the 34. The Association has been active for over 28 years. Presently its activities range from an annual general meeting (AGM) with social lunch, a summer evening twilight cruise and BBQ, participation with other groups in 'cruising in company', and the annual Commodores' Race at Fremantle Sailing Club. We have more recently expanded to cover S&S 34s in all States of Australia, and indeed all over the world. All S&S 34 owners are very welcome to join wherever they are based and we try to keep in touch with events all around the country and overseas.

The printed newsletter keeps members in touch. It has a circulation of over 80 distributed to members and friends throughout Australia several times per year. As well as this website, the Association circulates a quarterly electronic newsletter, The Grapevine.

The annual subscription fee is set at the AGM and over recent years the fee has been held at $25 (Aus). It is payable by cash, cheque or direct bank deposit to the Hon Treasurer.

The Association is affiliated with the Yachting Association of Western Australia and via them the Australian Yachting Federation.

If you sell your S&S34 please let the Association know and tell the new owner(s) about us and suggest to them that they would be warmly welcome into this Association through contacting the president.

If you have any relevant news item we would be delighted to include the material in a forthcoming newsletter, grapevine or on the web site.

A Few S&S34 Achievements

The S&S 34 Association are a friendly group of owners of the safest and most seaworthy yacht ever designed, who keep in contact over 120 owners of these yachts all around Australia, New Zealand and the world.

We believe that the S&S 34 has completed more circumnavigations and set more world sailing records than any other production yacht.  All boats launched are still sailing.  Just some of the achievements:

Member Jon Sanders AO. OBE. honoured in 1983 by the United States Institute of Navigation
with their Superior Achievement Award.
Sailed his S&S 34 Perie Banou around the world twice via Cape Horn, non stop and alone, to set
12 world records.

Member David Dicks when only 17 years old set the record for the
youngest to sail alone and non stop around the world
via Cape Horn. He sailed his mothers S&S34 Seaflight.

Jesse Martin when 17 years old, also in an S&S 34, Lionheart,
successfully followed David Dicks example, setting the record for sailing
Non stop, alone and unassisted
around the world via Cape Horn starting from Port Melbourne.

Jessica Watson when only 16 years old set a further record (unofficial as the category of

"youngest" has now been abolished as an official record), sailing

Non stop, alone and unassisted

around the world via Cape Horn starting from Sydney, arriving back 3 days before her 17th birthday.

 

Jamie Watson, quadriplegic, sailing solo around Australia in 2010, starting from Perth,

being the first disabled sailor to do so and setting the record for the

longest distance sailed solo by a quadriplegic

Seven West Australian members have
sailed their S&S 34 yachts around the world starting from Port Fremantle, more are on their way.

Special Thanks

I would like to thank FutureTek IT who have kindly hosted the site for us at no charge.

Also thanks to member Chris Jackson (Wilparina) who has provided the Discussion Forum.

Special thanks to Steve Laws for initially creating this website.  Steve and Jane have now sold Roma II and moved on to new adventures

Version:3.0 Updated: 2nd June 2007

This web site is maintained by Simon Torvaldsen, Association webmaster.

Please address all web site correspondence to Simon by CLICKING HERE.  

 

free web counter