De Pan

Design 1478 Hestia

Hestia can be considered the mother of quite a few S&S racing yachts designed to the R.O.R.C. Rule. She was constructed of wood by the A. le Compte shipyard of Jutpaas, Holland and launched in 1959. She was a very winning boat.

Here's an early article from Yachting World magazine that tells the story better than I can. Please double click for zoom.


I like the reference (in the fourth paragraph from the end of the article) that talks about an interesting feature being an adjustable permanent backstay.

Here are the plans.


Here are some comments from Olin Stephens about this design:
"Hestia was the first small boat that we had designed for racing under the RORC Rule and in retrospect she seems very light. Comparison with the S&S 34, also one of my favorites, shows how different can be the proportions of two good boats, essentially of the same size. Most dramatically opposed are the ratios of displacement to length (cubed) of 255 vs. 386 and working sail area, 579 to 729. Length is virtually the same and beam is close with Hestia the lesser by six inches. In her first year, sailing in Cowes with a small family crew she was the outstanding visiting yacht and her success continued year to year in England and at home.

Hestia's rig was simple and her accommodations were somewhat spartan but just right for a sailing family. Her good record contributed greatly to the acceptance of S&S in Europe. She is still a favorite to me."
Olin J Stephens, 2004