Students in our program begin their keelboat training on Shields Sloops. The Shields weigh 4,600 pounds, 3,080 pounds of which is lead ballast. This is relatively heavy for a 30’ boat of this design, making it a very stable vessel. You will find the Shields to be excellent instructional boats for your introduction into keelboat sailing.
History of the Shields
In 1965, Cornelius Shields of Larchmont, New York commissioned the design firm of Sparkman and Stephens to create a yacht based on the International One Design class. His idea was that, during the short summer racing season, the boats would be raced by the Long Island Sound yacht clubs and used by the schools for training and instruction the remainder of the year. The result, built of fiberglass, was 30’ in length with long overhangs and a graceful sheer. Mr. Shields had 20 boats built at the well-know Cape Cod Shipyard. He donated these boats to several East Coast universities. The boats quickly became popular and the first class association named them “Shields” to honor their originator.
Mr. Shields donated over 100 Shields to different colleges and universities. Fifteen Shields were donated to Southern California schools, largely through the efforts of Robert Allan, a Staff Commodore at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. The Shields fleet at The School of Sailing and Seamanship is comprised largely of boats from the original donation of fifteen boats.
Layout and Specifications
- LOA: 30′ 2.5″
- LWL: 20′
- Beam: 6′ 5″
- Draft: 4’9″
- Disp.: 4600 lbs
- Sail Area: 360 sq. ft.
- Safety Gear: All USCG required safety gear