6-Metre New Build, Cherokee, S&S Design #10

Sponsored by Boothbay Harbor Shipyard

Olin Stephen’s esteemed career as the greatest living yacht designer of our time was all started with the design of a 6-Metre racing yacht that he was able to persuade Yachting magazine to publish in January of 1928. This design ultimately led to his association with the broker Drake Sparkman and the formation of Sparkman & Stephens. The 6-Metre class was very active in Long Island Sound during the early 1930s. In the early years a number of 6-Metre racing yachts were designed by the firm. A total of 39 were designed in all. Two, in particular, were stand-outs - Jill and Cherokee (1930).

The Museum of Yachting is pleased to announce, as part of an exhibit on the history of S&S, the building of a new Cherokee. The yacht is being built from plans provided by S&S and will be launched in time to compete in the 6-Metre World Cup—also being held in Newport. Construction management is courtesy of Boothbay Harbor Shipyard of Maine. This new build will rigorously conform to historic design and construction standards necessary to compete in the 2009 Worlds. This design is sanctioned by the 6-Metre Association of North America as a replica. Only one copy of any given design is allowed and only once it can be proved that the original yacht is no longer in existence.

Follow the progress of the project at the Cherokee blog, written by IYRS graduate Tom Daniels, one of the shipwrights on the project.