Stormy Weather (yacht)
Encyclopedia
Stormy Weather is a 54 feet (16.5 m) ocean-racing yawl
that was designed by Olin Stephens
when he was only twenty-five, and launched from the Henry B. Nevins yard
in New York in 1934.
She was named after the song of the same name, written by Harold Arlen
and Ted Koehler
. Her first owner, Philip LeBoutillier, was President of the Best & Co.
department store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Apocryphally, he first heard the song sung by Lena Horne
, while he was dining at The Montauk Manor resort on Long Island in 1933, and promptly chose the name for his new boat.
In 1935 she won both the Newport-Bergen Transatlantic race and the Fastnet race
. She was later won the Miami-Nassau race on four occasions in 1937, 1939, 1940 and 1941, and has raced continuously to the present day, now competing in the Panerai Classic Yacht series in the Mediterranean.
An evolution from his equally famous Dorade (1929), Stormy Weather was often named by Olin Stephens as one of his favorite designs. Sparkman & Stephens
later created many successful variants of the same basic design, such as the sloop Sonny, and the larger and smaller yawls Bolero and Loki.
Stormy Weather has crossed the Atlantic thirty times, and undergone at least two major restorations, one in the Caribbean during the 1980s, and most recently at the Cantiere Navale dell' Argentario in 2000-2001.
In 1995, Stormy Weather was still competitive enough to place sixth overall in the Fastnet race, the sixtieth anniversary of her victory. Olin Stephens last raced on Stormy Weather in Argentario, Italy in 2007, when he was 98 years old.
Yawl
A yawl is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an additional mast located well aft of the main mast, often right on the transom, specifically aft of the rudder post. A yawl (from Dutch Jol) is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an...
that was designed by Olin Stephens
Olin Stephens
Olin James Stephens II was an American yacht designer of the 20th century. Stephens was born in New York, but spent his summers with his brother Rod, learning to sail on the New England coast. He also attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a term.Stephens' name had a long history...
when he was only twenty-five, and launched from the Henry B. Nevins yard
Henry B. Nevins, Incorporated
Henry B. Nevins Incorporated was wooden-hull yacht builder in City Island, New York founded in 1907 by Henry B. Nevins. Nevins was a master yacht builder and author on vessel construction in who roots in shipbuilding began as an apprentice for Charles L. Seabury & Company in City Island, New York....
in New York in 1934.
She was named after the song of the same name, written by Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over. In addition to composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, "Over the Rainbow,” Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the...
and Ted Koehler
Ted Koehler
Ted L. Koehler was an American lyricist.-Life and career:Koehler was born in Washington, D.C. He started out as a photo-engraver but was attracted to the music business, where he started out as a theater pianist for silent films. He moved on to write for vaudeville shows and Broadway, and he also...
. Her first owner, Philip LeBoutillier, was President of the Best & Co.
Best & Co.
Best & Co. was a children's clothing retailer based in Greenwich, Connecticut. It reestablished the name of the New York City-based Best & Co. clothing chain that operated from 1879 to 1971.-History:...
department store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Apocryphally, he first heard the song sung by Lena Horne
Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the...
, while he was dining at The Montauk Manor resort on Long Island in 1933, and promptly chose the name for his new boat.
In 1935 she won both the Newport-Bergen Transatlantic race and the Fastnet race
Fastnet race
The Fastnet Race is a famous offshore yachting race. It is considered one of the classic offshore races. It takes place every two years over a course of . The race starts off Cowes on the Isle of Wight in England, rounds the Fastnet Rock off the southwest coast of Ireland and then finishes at...
. She was later won the Miami-Nassau race on four occasions in 1937, 1939, 1940 and 1941, and has raced continuously to the present day, now competing in the Panerai Classic Yacht series in the Mediterranean.
An evolution from his equally famous Dorade (1929), Stormy Weather was often named by Olin Stephens as one of his favorite designs. Sparkman & Stephens
Sparkman & Stephens
Sparkman & Stephens is a naval architecture and yacht brokerage firm with main offices on 5th Avenue in New York City, USA and offices in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Newport, Rhode Island, USA. The firm performs design and engineering of new vessels for pleasure, commercial, and military use....
later created many successful variants of the same basic design, such as the sloop Sonny, and the larger and smaller yawls Bolero and Loki.
Stormy Weather has crossed the Atlantic thirty times, and undergone at least two major restorations, one in the Caribbean during the 1980s, and most recently at the Cantiere Navale dell' Argentario in 2000-2001.
In 1995, Stormy Weather was still competitive enough to place sixth overall in the Fastnet race, the sixtieth anniversary of her victory. Olin Stephens last raced on Stormy Weather in Argentario, Italy in 2007, when he was 98 years old.