The legendary yacht design firm of Sparkman & Stephens has announced plans to open a brokerage office in Newport, R.I., in a building owned by the International Yacht Restoration School. Sparkman & Stephens has many affinities with the school, which has established a worldwide reputation as a leader in the field of preservation and education.
“S & S has been a longtime supporter and friend of IYRS,” said Greg Matzat, chief naval architect at Sparkman & Stephens. “One of our designers, Frederic De Clercq, was one of the school’s first students. IYRS has also completed restoration of two Manhasset Bay One Design sailboats: S & S Design No. 1. The school is also home to S & S Design No. 7, the seminal racing yacht Dorade,” Matzat added. “We’d been looking for the right opportunity to open a new office in Newport and when IYRS told us they were restoring the Aquidneck Mill building, we immediately signed on.”
Sparkman & Stephens has offices in New York and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.