Tips Sail

Design 1054 Finisterre

Here is the somewhat unlikely legend, Finisterre. Responding to the C.C.A. (Cruising Club of America) Rule at the time of her design, which favored short waterlines, extreme beam and light ballast she was designed not as an all out racing yacht but as a reasonably comfortable, shallow draft cruising yacht for two persons. It was the talent of her owner, Carleton Mitchell and his crew that drove her to become a legendary ocean racer. Three Bermuda Race wins in a row convinced the non-believers and soon every major designer in the world was pushing out boats of similar type. The popularity of the type continued until the death of the C.C.A Rule and the introduction of the I.O.R rule which favored a completely different class of boats.

She was built by Seth Peterson of Old Saybrook, Connecticut and launched in 1954. Mitchell chose Sparkman & Stephens in great part due to his relationship with Rod Stephens with whom he had sailed with quite a bit on Rod's NY32, Mustang. As Mitchell himself said "Although it was my privilege to sail with many of the top sailors of the era, I don't think anyone else combined knowledge of deck layout, rigging and sails. Add Olin Stephens' innovative design genius, as exemplified by such diverse vessels as Dorade, which revolutionized ocean racing, and the super-J, Ranger, and it was easy to see why S&S was the go-to team."


And the plans. They are beautifully drawn. Please double click to zoom in.


After the tragic Fastnet Race of 1979, Olin often lamented the type until late into his life and preferred deep draft keel boats with superior stability over the beamy centerboarders.