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Finesterre begat Trina who begat the Dolphin 24.
Designed by Sparkman & Stephens Finisterre is arguably the top racing sailboat of the 20th century. Launched in 1954, Finesterre was built by a legendary craftsman, Seth Persson in Old Saybrook, CT for legendary racer Carleton Mitchell. Finisterre was 1st in Class and 1st over all in 3 consecutive Bermuda Races (1956, 58, 60) a feat never equaled since. This rather small, 38' LOA, beamy, bronze centerboard yawl combined speed (especially in light air), seaworthiness and comfort, was a great racing boat in all conditions, and in her owner's words "..it was as a cruising boat that I felt Finisterre was truly a success." She was comfortable, easy to sail shorthanded, her shallow draft made gunk holing possible. Carleton was a remarkable sailor and yachting writer who passed away in July, 2007 at 96. Soundings Magazine's October, 2007 had a very good article about him which we have permission of the magazine to reprint. Click here to go to it.
The 1960 Bermuda Race started in light air but it is memorable for its Force 8/9 gale with hurricane force gusts recorded. Many boats went to survival mode, hove to, laying a-hull with bare poles or running off dragging lines astern. Through it all Finisterre carried sail and never stopped racing under her #3 jib, deeply reefed main and full mizzen with sheets eased slightly to keep moving through heavy seas.
Finisterre had many other racing successes notably in the S.O.R.C. in 1957 and 1958 when she won the Miami-Nassau Race both years. In light air she excelled despite her heavy displacement. Olin Stephens modestly credits the skill and experience of her owner and skipper and her loyal hard driving crew for this record of racing success.
When Bill Shaw chose Finisterre for the boat he would use as a model for his Shaw 24 he knew he could not put Carleton Mitchell at her helm so the basic design characteristics inherited from Finisterre had something to do with the fact that hull #1, Trina, won 27 consecutive races! This caught the attention of George O'Day and he told Olin he wanted a fiberglass 'junior ocean racer' along Trina's lines. Click here to see the Dolphin birth certificate.
Below is the accommodations plan for Finisterre. Carlton had wanted a comfortable boat with amenities below because he intended to cruise extensively as well as race. In his words "..it was as a cruising boat Finisterre was truly a success"
In the interests of full disclosure - while S&S was very successful with beamy, shoal centerboards like Finesterre, Olin Stephens said, in his autobiography All This and Sailing Too:
"Personally, I was never enthusiastic about the type despite the work it brought to our office. I never felt free of the recognition that capsize was possible, and I always tried to advise new owners that beamy shoal hulls could go over and stay over, wheras there was really no possibility that the deeper full-keel type could do the same thing unless it was completely flooded"
A friend of his, Harvey Conover, was lost in a Gulf stream storm. Neither him nor any sign of his boat, Revenoc, a close cousin of Finisterre, were ever seen again. Olin goes on to say of this loss:
"Collision or structural failure could have been the cause, but I might be happier today if Harvey had been in a full-keel boat."
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